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Sparking Student Motivation in Science: Light and Reflection!

It’s been a hot minute since I’ve blogged! But I had to share this fun lesson with you, and of course link up with my bestie, Joanne from Head Over Heels for Teaching for her fun linky!
We just finished our light unit, and I always like to do fun activities and experiments to help the students apply what they’ve learned. Plus, it keeps them motivated during the lesson knowing something fun will be happening at the end! I like to use my light interactive notebook activities with our science textbook during my lesson to help keep them engaged, too.
Light Interactive Notebook Activities with Ideas by Jivey
The lesson idea I’m sharing with you goes with reflection. I teach them about the law of reflection and how the reflected light bounces at the same angle as the light shining on the reflective object.
Lesson Idea  with Ideas by Jivey
To apply this information, I grouped my kids in my classroom and gave each group a flashlight and 5 mirrors. Each group had to stand facing each other (3 on each side per group in my class). The first person on one end shines the flashlight at the mirror across from them, and the goal is to try to hold the mirrors so that the light reaches the last mirror on the other end. The reflected light bounces between all the mirrors to the last one! They have to make sure they hold their mirror still (and the flashlight) once they get the angle just right or it will mess up the next person trying to angle their mirror at the next mirror! I’m so mad at myself for not getting any pictures, but hopefully you can take my word for it when I tell you, they were all successful in getting the light to the last mirror!
Plane Mirror Activity with Ideas by Jivey
Image from Our 2nd Grade Journey

Another idea that I just thought of (and so now we’ll have to “review reflection” next week just so I can try it!) is to have them figure out how to arrange themselves so that the person with the flashlight actually ends up with light shining on their back! (They wouldn’t stand in a line for this- they’d almost stand in a triangle or square shape to bounce the light around.)

Also, here is a fun computer game from Math Playground they can play!

Computer game from MAth Playground with Ideas by Jivey.

I hope this gives you some good ideas! Make sure to check out the other great ideas in Joanne’s link-up!