A Stream of Light into the Dark
Overview
Using simple household materials, campers will learn about electrical circuits and
properties to make their very own working flashlight.
Topic (s)
Grade Level
Cost (per class)
Time (preparation and activity)
Complexity
Electrical Engineering, Physics
1-2
$0.09
1 hour
Medium
Ontario Curriculum Links
Understanding Matter and Energy: Grade 1 – Energy in our Lives
Big Ideas:
 Everything that happens is a result of using some form of energy
 The sun is the principle source of energy for the earth.
 Humans need to be responsible for the way we use energy
Specific Expectations:
 Describe how the everyday lives of different people and other living things would
be affected if electrical energy were no longer available
 Use appropriate science and technology vocabulary, including explore,
investigate, design, energy and survival
 Design and construct a device that uses energy to perform a task
 Demonstrate an understanding that energy is what makes the things they do or
say happen
 Identify uses of various sources of energy
Understanding Matter and Energy: Grade 2 – Properties of Liquids and Solids
Big Ideas:
 Materials that exist as liquids and solids have specific properties
 Liquids and solids interact in different ways
 Some liquids and solids can be harmful to us and the environment
Specific Expectations
 Use technological problem-solving skills, and knowledge acquired from previous
investigations, to design, build and test, a structure that involves interactions
between liquids and solids
 Investigate the properties of liquids (e.g. conduct experiments to compare the
rate at which different liquids flow) and solids (e.g. conduct experiments to find
out ways in which solids can be changed)
Understanding Matter and Energy: Grade 4 – Light and Sound
Page 1 of 6
ESQ Activity Write-Up 2011
A Stream of Light into the Dark
Big Ideas:
 Light and sound are forms of energy with specific properties
 Sound is created by vibrations
 Light is required to see
 Technological innovations involving light and sound have an impact on the
environment
Specific Expectations:
 Investigate the basic properties of light
 Use technological problem-solving skills to design, build and test a device that
makes use of the properties of light or sound
 Describe properties of light, including the following: light travels in a straight path;
light can be absorbed, reflected and refracted
Theory & Background Information
Engineers are people who solve all kinds of problems. There are many types, including
(but not limited to) civil engineers, mechanical engineers and electrical engineers.
Electrical engineers are responsible for things such as figuring out how to light up a
building or wire the headlights of a car, and create new technology using electricity.
Electricity is a form of energy. Energy is what powers our houses, appliances, cars, and
even our own bodies. It can come from renewable sources like the sun and wind, or
non-renewable sources such as fossil fuels. It is the ability to do work.
Some materials allow electricity to pass through, and others do not. A conductor allows
energy to pass through, and includes things like water, metal, etc. An insulator does
not allow energy to pass, or does so very slowly. This includes materials such as plastic
or wood.
A light bulb uses electricity to emit light through a simple circuit, which is the path that
energy/electricity travels through. A simple circuit is made up of wire (for the electricity
to travel through), a bulb (to give off light), a battery (which provides energy), and a
switch (that controls when the bulb turns on and off). All of these parts must be
connected for the circuit to be complete and for electricity to flow through.
Light is examined in the science of physics. Physics is the study of matter and energy.
Physicists are also interested in sound, motion, magnetism and heat. There are five
properties of light: light travels in waves, light moves very fast, light travels in a
straight line, light is a form of energy, and visible light is made up of multiple colours.
White light, which comes out of a light bulb, is actually made up of all the colours of the
rainbow. This can be remembered by the acronym ROY G BIV (red, orange, yellow,
green, blue, indigo, violet). A prism can be used to split white light into all of its separate
colours.
Page 2 of 6
ESQ Activity Write-Up 2011
A Stream of Light into the Dark
When light hits an object, it can act in four different ways. Absorption is
when the object takes in the light and does not release any. When all of the light is
absorbed, we see black. When all of the light is reflected, we see white. When some
light is reflected and some is absorbed, we see colour. The colour which is reflected is
the one which we see, and those which are absorbed are not. When light is reflected, it
bounces off the object. Refraction is when light goes through an object, but changes
speed and appears to bend. Transduction means that the light passes straight through
an object.
Materials
Per Group of 6:
 Pitcher of water
 2-3 skewers
Per Camper:
 Water bottle
 1 and a half sheets of constriction paper
 2 small light bulbs
 2 light bulb holders with wire attached to each side, and connecting the two (two
wires should be approx. 8 inches long, and one should be approx. 4 inches)
 Paperclip
 Foam cup
Per Camp:
 Several rolls of tape – duct, electrical and masking
 Aluminum foil
 Hot glue sticks
 4 Hot glue guns
Location
 St. Jerome’s, room 2009
Procedure
Preparations
1. Find and clean 25 water bottles.
2. Strip and cut wire.
3. Cut felt into appropriate sized pieces.
4. Attach all wires to light bulb holders. One long wire will be used on each light
bulb holder, and the short one will be used to connect them.
5. Go over connections from wires to light bulb holders with aluminum foil and
masking tape
Introduction
1. Enact how Hansel and Gretel led Mac and Molly to a big, dark cave that they had
to cross in order to reach help on the other side. Tell the campers that they will
have to build flashlights to help the characters reach their destination.
Page 3 of 6
ESQ Activity Write-Up 2011
A Stream of Light into the Dark
2. Ask campers if they know what an engineer is or what they do.
Tell them that engineers solve problems in order to help people and that
there are many different types.
a. Ask if they remember any types of engineers. Examples may include
computer engineers, mechanical engineers, civil engineers, environmental
engineers etc.
b. Let the campers know that today they will be electrical engineers.
3. Explain that electrical engineers design circuits and create solutions using
electricity.
a. Tell campers that electricity is a form of energy. Ask if they know what
energy is, and have them give examples of how it is used.
i. Describe energy as the ability to do work. It is what powers our
lights, and also our bodies. Energy can come from many different
sources, such as food or the sun.
4. Tell campers that some materials allow electricity to pass through, and others do
not. A conductor allows energy to pass through, and includes things like water,
metal, etc. An insulator does not allow energy to pass, or does so very slowly.
This includes materials such as plastic or wood.
5. Explain that today the campers will be building simple circuits to power a
flashlight. Using a diagram on the chalk board, display the different parts of a
circuit.
a. The battery is where the energy comes from to send electricity through
the circuit to power the light bulb.
b. The bulb is where light is emitted, and is what uses the electricity.
c. The switch can open or close to complete the circuit, and control when
electricity can flow to power the light.
d. Each part of the circuit is connected by wires.
i. If there is time, campers can stand in a circle holding hands. They
can squeeze hands and try to get the squeeze around the circle to
show how electricity travels through a circuit. Have them separate
at one part of the circle to show that electricity cannot travel all the
way through if the circuit is broken.
6. Tell the campers that in order to understand how light works, they must also
learn about physics. Explain that physics is the study of matter and energy.
a. Ask campers if they know what matter is. Tell them that matter is
everything around us that takes up space.
7. Write and explain the five properties of light on the board.
Page 4 of 6
ESQ Activity Write-Up 2011
A Stream of Light into the Dark
a. Light moves very fast.
b. Light travels in waves.
c. Light moves in a straight line.
d. Light is a form of energy.
e. Light is made up of all the colours of the rainbow.
i. Introduce campers to the acronym ROY G BIV (red, orange, yellow,
green, blue, indigo, violet) and tell them that those are all the
colours that make up visible white light.
8. Tell campers that when light hits an object, several things can happen to it. One
of the possibilities is that light can be absorbed, which means that the object
takes all the light in and does not release any. Another option is that the light may
be reflected. This means that the light bounces back off of the object.
a. When all the light is reflected off of an object, we see white. If none of the
light is reflected, and all is absorbed, we see black. If some parts of the
light are absorbed and others are reflected, we see colour.
b. Use different objects around the room to help campers understand these
terms. For example, a point to the red shirt of a leader and have campers
guess which colours are reflected, and which are absorbed. (Red light is
reflected, and all others are absorbed)
Activity
1. Begin by handing out one water bottle, a strip of duct tape and a large piece of
felt to each camper.
2. Instruct them to wrap the construction paper around the bottle and tape it to the
bottle with their duct tape. Make sure there are no gaps in the black construction
paper, or light will escape through.
3. Next, hand out skewers, styrofoam cups, the pre-attached light bulb holders, light
bulbs and wire. Make sure each camper has two light bulb holders and three
stripped wires.
4. Get the campers to screw one light bulb into each of their holders.
5. Next, have them poke two holes in the bottom of their Styrofoam cup. The holes
should be at least a couple centimeters apart.
6. The campers can then pull one long wire through each hole going from the inside
of the cup to the outside. The bulb holders should be close to resting on the
inside bottom of the cup with the bulbs facing up.
7. Next, give each camper a paperclip and instruct them to attach it to one end of
the long wire by twisting the wire around the paper clip. The shiny part of the wire
must be touching the paper clip.
8. Give each camper a small piece of tape to put over the connection of the wire
and paperclip to keep it secure.
9. Hand out more tape (duct tape or masking) to each camper, and get them to
attach the cup to the bottom of the water bottle. The open end of the cup should
be the part that is taped to the end of the bottle.
10. Give each child another, smaller piece of construction paper and tape. Have
them tape the construction paper onto the cup, ensuring that the wire is not taped
down and is above the construction paper.
Page 5 of 6
ESQ Activity Write-Up 2011
A Stream of Light into the Dark
11. Hand out one battery and a strip of duct tape to each camper.
Instruct them to tape the battery onto the side of the water bottle, close
enough that the wires are able to reach both ends.
12. Then, assist the camper in taping the shiny end of the long wire (without the
paper clip) to the negative end of the battery with masking tape.
13. Leaders can then go around and fill half of each bottle with water, securing the lid
after.
14. Tell campers that to turn their light bulb on, they just have to touch the paper clip
to the other (positive) end of the battery.
15. The lights should be turned off so that campers can see their light well.
Activity Accommodations and Extensions
Accommodations
If some campers are concerned about the dark, they can test their flashlights at home
instead.
Campers might need some help taping wires and poking holes through the cup.
Extensions
If there is extra time, campers can use cellophane to create colourful flashlights. They
can also see what kind of shadow shapes they can make on the wall using their light.
Safety Considerations
Campers should be careful when handling pointy skewers.
No materials should be placed in their mouths.
If the battery is heating up, campers should be warned to disconnect their circuit.
Resources
http://www.nasa.gov/audience/forstudents/k-4/dictionary/Circuit.html
Page 6 of 6
ESQ Activity Write-Up 2011