Light

Last week was our science class. This month we are focusing on Light. It just so happened that it was Ladybug's turn to report on a scientist and she had picked Thomas Edison-perfect! With the older group Ladybug read her report to the group and the the kids looked up more info on him, wrote the info on a piece of paper and glued it to our Edison poster. The kids then wrote their new scientific words and we went over last months words. We did an experiment using opaque, translucent and transparent objects. Next we made viewers out of yogurt cups. We painted the inside black. When the paint dried we put a pin hole in the bottom and covered the top with wax paper and secured it with a rubber band. I took the kids into the bathroom, which Dad had darkened for us, lit a candle and put the viewers base up to the flame (about 20 inches away). What did the kids see? Try it out for yourself and find out.
In the younger group the kids read the Edison poster and a book called Light by Becky Olien. They wrote their science words (they can do anything with their science words--use them as spelling words, play memory...), we talked about reflection, why the sky is blue, where rainbows come from and we went into our darkened room took a flshlight (that had foil over it with a pin hole in it) and a ball. One kid took a ball while the other held the flashlight. The kid with the ball stood at an angle fom the one with the flashlight. Then the one with the light tried to hit the ball with the light (bouncing off the mirror), then they switched roles.
Both groups had lots of fun and so did I! I posted a picture of Ladybug reading her report-she put it on a roller box!
Linz