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4th grade · Science · Unit 2 of 8

Light

Sources, shadows, reflection and refraction

What your child practices

Natural and artificial light, things that make light and things that reflect it, shadows, transparent, translucent and opaque materials, mirrors, refraction, and how light technology affects people and wildlife.

Maine Learning Results learning standard: 4-PS4-2 · light reflecting from objects into the eye lets us see them

How we explain it

Children can open this short lesson before they practice.

  1. Light sources make their own light, like the Sun or a lamp. The Moon only reflects sunlight.
  2. Light travels in straight lines, so it can't go around corners. Blocked light makes a shadow.
  3. Mirrors reflect light. Light bends (refracts) when it passes between air, water or glass.
  4. You see an object when light from it enters your eyes.

Example: Why does a pencil in a glass of water look bent? Light from the pencil passes from water into air. Light bends when it moves between materials. This is refraction. Answer: the light refracts (bends)

Light in Maine

In the Maine Learning Results, this is unit 2 of 8 in 4th grade Science, after Sense & Respond and before Sound.

Gradelings describes a child's practice on this unit as Beginning, Approaching, Meeting or Exceeding (Four practice steps). That reflects practice, not a report-card mark: the teacher decides the mark.

Source: Maine Department of Education

Sample questions

A taste of this unit. In the app, questions change every time and get easier or harder to match your child.

  1. Question 1

    You see an object when light from it…

    👁️
    • leaves your eyes
    • enters your eyes
    • is turned off
    • is absorbed by the floor

  2. Question 2

    Which light source gives off light but very little heat?

    🟢
    • a campfire
    • the Sun
    • a candle
    • a glow stick

  3. Question 3

    Does it give off a lot of heat with its light? Tap an item, then tap its basket.

    Sort into: 🔥 light and lots of heat · 🧊 light and little heat

    • 💡an LED bulb
    • 🕯️a candle flame
    • 🔥a campfire
    • ✨a firefly
    • 💡an old-style bulb
    • 🟢a glow stick

  4. Question 4

    Light travels…

    ➡️
    • in a straight path
    • in zigzags only
    • only in curves
    • only around corners

  5. Question 5

    Which of these is a natural source of light?

    ⚡
    • a lamp
    • a flashlight
    • lightning
    • a TV

  6. Question 6

    A black T-shirt gets hotter in the sun than a white one. Why?

    👕
    • white absorbs more light
    • black makes light
    • black absorbs more light energy
    • black reflects more light

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