Aims and Objectives
Aims:
To engage the students in learning more about light and the role it plays, not just
scientifically but in the arts and our daily lives.
Key Vocab &
terminology
Light, photonics,
waves, spectrum,
lasers, photon,
Objectives:
- Students will discuss what light is.
- Students will learn about the different ways light is useful to humans.
- Students will identify where light based technologies are used in their daily lives.
- Students identify words commonly associated with light and how these are used
in poetry
- Students will write a short poem about light.
Outcomes:
Students will understand how light is used in the world around them.
Big Picture:
2015 is the ‘International year of Light’ focussing on the use of light in science and how
technologies that use light (Photonics) are vital to our daily lives
Structure (with timing):
Starter (10 mins): Teacher introduces the topic of ‘Photonics’ using the ‘Discover the power of light’
presentation. This shows the different areas in which light/photonics is used in our daily lives. Question can
be asked to the class as to where they believe ‘light’ is being used in each of the examples given. In this way
the classes’ level of understanding about light can be assessed. NB the whole presentation does not need to
be used. Please simply take a number of slides as examples as the students will need to come up with their
own examples in the next activity.
It could also be useful to show the Electromagnetic spectrum from radio waves to Gamma rays, giving the
class an understanding that ‘light’ is actually a lot more than what we can see with our eyes.
Class discussion (5 mins): What is light? Ask the class as a whole, for what they think light is? This can be
used to assess their level of understanding and identify any misconceptions. Some students will talk about
‘waves’ and this can lead into a description of difference between ‘longitudinal’ and ‘transverse’ waves. A
good question to promote discussion could be ‘Why can light travel through space and sound can’t?’ Some
may know that sound waves need a medium to travel through and light can travel through a vacuum.
Group activity (10 mins): Ask the class in pairs/groups to identify areas where light based technologies
(photonics) are used in their daily lives (5-7 minutes). After ask each group in turn to give their examples and
write these up on the white board so a clear reference list is available to the class (3-5 minutes).
Class activity (5 mins): Ask the class to name words associated with light. For example; lasers, waves,
photon, bulb, star, Sun, plants, eyes, radio waves, microwaves, X-rays, bones etc. The teacher may need to
have words ready to prompt this section. This will be of use for the next activity.
Individual activity (10 mins): Show the class examples of poetry inspired by the topics of light. Poem hunter
is a good place to find examples (http://www.poemhunter.com/poems/light/)
Individual activity (15 mins): Ask the pupils to start thinking about and writing their own poem about light.
This task can be continued as homework and in a future lesson each student could be asked to read out
their poem to the class.
Homework
Ask the class to continue their poems at home. If needed more time could be assigned in future lessons.
NB: If possible you may wish to collaborate with your English department so that the activity of writing a
‘light based poem’ could be conducted as part of an English lesson.