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Project-Based
in-school field trips - light & shadows icon

Reflect, refract, and bend!

In-Person In-School Field Trip Description:

It’s not yoga; it’s an examination of the properties of light. Build a periscope, experiment with mirrors and lasers, perform a shadow puppet show, predict and test materials for transparency/translucency/opaqueness, use a ray box to experiment with bending light, build a color spectrum spinner, discuss sun safety using pinhole camera and welders glass.

Video Conference Program Description:

In this fun-filled virtual presentation, students will explore the wonders of light and shadows with Professor Rainbow! They will take an in-depth look into various characteristics of light, such as light sources, the colour spectrum, refraction and reflection. Students will also investigate transparent, translucent and opaque objects to understand how shadows are created. The students are in for an exciting adventure as they will be guided through the steps on how to create their very own functional sundial!

Highlights

  • Activities: Explore light and shadows in these interactive and dynamic programs!
  • Cross-curricular connections
  • Take-Home: Periscope & Color Spectrum Spinner or Sundial (depending upon which program delivery method you choose)

This program can be delivered in the following ways

In-School Field Trip

Our tried and true 2 hour field trips take place right IN your classroom! No bus to rent, no wasted school time due to traveling and no long documents to fill out! Our experienced field trip presenters will come to your classroom to deliver our 100% provincial curriculum aligned field trips. Each theme based field trip is action packed and hands-on!

Volunteers: 3 requested

Take Home: Periscope & Colour Spectrum Spinner

Video Conference
  • 1.5 hours long
  • Livestreamed with a Presenter using Google Meet, Microsoft Teams, etc. Your choice!
  • Curriculum based
  • Each program has a project for each student to make and keep
  • We ship the supplies to the school
  • Works in all school re-entry scenarios (Classroom and home learning)

Volunteers: 2 volunteers recommended but not required.

Take Home:  Sundial

Book Today

“It was so well organized. The presenter was excellent (very knowledgeable and was great with the students. I really liked the hands-on activities for the students. Lastly, I really liked how the field trip was so closely linked to the curriculum and student outcomes.”

C.L., Grade 4 TeacherSt. Andrew School

“The centres were fun and educational. The students made a couple of take-home projects which would have been too difficult and time-consuming for me to have made with them (i.e.getting little mirrors cut for periscopes).”

O.Z., Grade 4 TeacherSt. Matthew School

“The experiments, they were very hands-on and students were also able to take home 2 items which they loved. I thought our professor was very enthusiastic which the students responded well too. I also liked how it didn't matter where we were in the unit, students were getting a review of what they already learned and were still learning new material.”

K.B., Grade 4 TeacherFort Saskatchewan School

Identify sources of light, describe the interaction of light with different materials, and infer the pathway of a light beam.

 

  • Recognize that eyes can be damaged by bright lights and that one should not look at the sun-either directly or with binoculars or telescopes.
  • Identify a wide variety of sources of light, including the sun, various forms of electric, flames, and materials that low (luminescent materials).
  • Distinguish between objects that emit their own light from those that require an external source of light in order to be seen.
  • Demonstrate that light travels outward from a source and continues unless blocked by an opaque material.
  • Recognize that opaque materials cast shadows, and predict changes in the size and location of shadows resulting from the movement of a light source or from the movement of a shade-casting object.
  • Distinguish transparent materials from opaque materials by determining if light passes through them and by examining their shadows.
  • Classify materials as transparent, partly transparent (translucent), or opaque.
  • Recognize that light can be reflected and that shiny surfaces, such as polished metals and mirrors, are good reflectors.
  • Recognize that light can be bent (refracted) and that such objects as aquaria, prisms, and lenses can be used to show that light beams can be bent.
  • Recognize that light can be broken into colors and that different colors of light can be combined to form a new color.
  • Demonstrate the ability to use a variety of optical devices, describe how they are used, and describe their general structure.