Turn on the “LIGHT” in Preschool

Grade Level: Preschool

Presented by: Jennifer Eberman, Wicomico Day School, Bronwyn Leonard, Wicomico Day
School, Teresa Tyler, Wicomico Day School
Length of Unit: Fifteen Days

I. ABSTRACT
In this workshop, the teachers will be given ideas on how to make the difficult concept of
light meaningful to young children. Beginning with a demonstration of the many ways
that we see light everywhere, the students will learn about natural and artificial light,
reflection and refraction, and how light causes color changes. A variety of science
experiments, appropriate for use with very young children, will be demonstrated with
directions for the teacher to accomplish them expeditiously in the classroom situation.

II. OVERVIEW
A. Concept Objectives:
1. Children will learn the history and importance of light sources.
2. Children will learn concepts of reflection and refraction.
3. Children will learn how light effects color.
B. Content covered from Core Knowledge Sequence:
Observe, describe and record some basic properties of light, its presence
and effects in the physical world, Core Knowledge Sequence, page 86.
C. Skill Objectives:
1. How to use experiments and projects to develop the students
understanding of light.
2. How to refer to daily activities to enhance the students understanding of
the variety of concepts concerning light.
3. How to lay a foundation for future learning about light.

III. BACKGROUND KNOWLEDGE

A. For Teachers:
1. Burnie, David. Eyewitness Science Light. New York: Dorling Kindersley
Limited, 1992. 1-879431-79-3.
2. Kramer, A. “Color,” The Random House Children’s Encyclopedia. New
York: Random House, 1991. 0-394-83852-1.
3. McKeever, S. “Sources of Light,” The DK Science Encyclopedia. New
York: DK Publishing, 1998. 0-7894-2190-9.
4. Taylor, B. Focus on Light. New York: Aladdin Books Ltd., 1992. 0-531-
17381-X.
5. Wallace, J. Turning Point Inventions The Lightbulb. New York: Common
Place Publishing, 1999. 0-689-82816-0.
B. For Students:
1. The students will have an understanding of how light effects human needs.
2. The students will have a basic understanding of how light effects plants.
3. The students will have a basic understanding of how light effects animals.
IV. RESOURCES:
A. Broekel, Ray. A New True Book Experiments With Light.
B Diehn, G. & Drautwurst, T. Science Crafts for Kids 50 Fantastic Things to
Invent & Create.

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 C. Forbes, E., & Hale, J., & Christianson, C. Simple Science Fun Hands-on Science
Made Easy.
D. Frank, Marjorie. I Can Make A Rainbow.
E. Jeunesse, G., Verdet, J., Houbre, G. Light.
F. Mandell, Muriel. Simple Science Experiments With Everyday Materials.
G. Schneider, H., & Schneider, N. Science Fun with A Flashlight.
H. The Earth Works Group. 50 Simple Things Kids Can Do To Save the Earth.

V. LESSONS:
Lesson One: Sources of light: We See Light Everywhere
A. Daily Objectives
1. Concept Objectives:
a. Children will learn the history and importance of light sources.
b. Children will learn concepts of reflection and refraction.
c. Children will learn how light effect color.
2. Lesson Content:
Observe, describe and record some basic propertie s of light, its
presence and effects on the physical world, Core Knowledge
Sequence, page 86
3. Skill Objectives:
a. How to use experiments and projects to develop the students
understanding of light.
b. How to refer to daily activities to enhance the students understanding
of the variety of concepts concerning light.
c. How to lay a foundation for future learning about light.
B. Materials
1. Journal book for each child
2. Picture of Thomas Edison
3. Lightbulb
4. Student crayons and pencil
5. Cut a String without Touching It experiment: string, tape, jar with a top,
magnifying glass
6. Run to the Sun experiment: two identical shoe boxes with lids, eight
cardboard strips that will fit inside the shoe boxes, two sprouting
potatoes, tape, scissors
7. Plant experiment: two plants, sunshine, water
8. Catch a shadow experiment: white mural paper, scissors, colored chalk,
friend, sunshine
9. Can You See Light? Experiments: two chalk erasers, flashlight, glass of
water, card with a hole cut in it, a few drops of milk
10. Science Fun with a Flashlight, Herman & Schneider
11. Light, Jeunesse, Verdet, Houbre
12. Simple Science Fun, Forbes
13. I Can Make A Rainbow, Frank
14. Simple Science Experiments With Everyday Materials, Mandell
15. The Lightbulb, Wallace
16. 50 Simple Things Kids Can Do To Save the Earth, The Earth Works
Group

C. Key Vocabulary

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 1. Sun- the star that is the central body of the solar system, around which
the planets revolve and from which light and heat is received.
2. Light- something that makes things visible or affords illumination.
3. Shadow- a dark figure or image cast on the ground or other surface by a
body intercepting light.
4. Silhouette- the outline or general shape of something.
D. Procedures/ Activities
DAY ONE
1. Teacher turns off classroom lights and asks how we can still see one
another if the lights are turned off. Where is the light coming from?
2. Show picture of Thomas Edison and talk about the invention of the light
bulb and what people used for light before the invention.
3. Teacher will read about Thomas Edison from book Light.
4. Ask children how we can save energy. Read from 50 Simple Things Kids
Can Do To Save the Earth, page 108-109.
5. Teacher will trace silhouettes of children using light bulb.
DAY TWO
6. Take children outside to observe the sun.
7. Teacher explains how the energy from the sun powers all life on earth.
8. Teacher will read from book Light on how light effect plants and
animals.
9. Plant experiment: Plant two plants- observes one in the sun and one in a
dark environment.
10. Experiment “Run to the Sun”, Simple Science Fun, page 123.
11. Have children record daily observations and predictions in journals.
DAY THREE
12. Experiment “Cut a string without touching it”, Simple Science
Experiments with Everyday Materials, page 86.
13. Read from the book Light on different light sources.
DAY FOUR
14. Teacher asks if anyone knows what a shadow is.
15. Teacher will read from book Light on shadows.
16. Take children outside and ask them to find shadows.
17. Have children trace each other’s shadows, I Can Make A Rainbow, page
253.
DAY FIVE
18. Teacher introduces flashlights as another light source.
19. Experiments with a flashlight from Science Fun with a Flashlight in
section “Can You See Light”?
E. Assessment/ Evaluation
1. Teacher will encourage children to observe plant and potato experiments.
2. Teacher will continue to encourage children to recognize the effect light
has on people, animals, and plants.
3. Teacher will continue to provide materials for children to experiment
with shadows and silhouettes.

Lesson Two: Reflection/ Refraction: Images Are Not Always What They Appear To
Be
A. Daily Objectives
1. Concept Objectives:
a. Children will learn the history and importance of light sources.

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 b. Children will learn concepts of reflection and refraction.
c. Children will learn how light effect color.
2. Lesson Content:
Observe, describe and record some basic properties of light, its
presence and effects in the physical world, Core Knowledge
Sequence, page 86.
3. Skill Objectives:
a. How to use experiments and projects to develop the students
understanding of the variety of concepts concerning light.
b. How to lay a foundation for future learning about light.
B. Materials
1. Mirrors
2. Novelty Mirrors
3. Magnifying glasses
4. Spoons
5. Reflected Light experiment: flashlight, colored paper (red, blue, white,
etc.)
6. Pencil & Finger experiment: pencil, finger, glass of water
7. Bend a Straw without Touching it experiment: glass of water, a straw
8. Underwater Viewer: plastic ½ gallon milk jug, razor knife or other sharp
knife, clear plastic wrap, heavy rubber band, acrylic paints, paint brush
9. Peeping Periscopes: a long box (an aluminum foil box is good), two
pieces of cardboard (bigger than mirrors), two small mirrors, heavy
sturdy tape, scissors, glue, crayons & markers
10. Science Fun With A Flashlight, Herman and Schneider
11. Science Crafts For Kids, Diehn and Krautwurst
12. I Can Make A Rainbow, Frank
13. Experiments With Light, Broekel
14. Simple Science Experiments With Everyday Materials, Mandell
C. Key Vocabulary
1. Reflection- the bouncing back of light, heat, or sound from a surface
2. Refraction- the change of direction of a light beam as it passes from one
medium to another of different density, e.g., from air to glass.
3. Periscope- an optical instrument for viewing objects in an obstructed
field of vision.
D. Procedures/ Activities
DAY ONE
1. Introduce the term reflection.
2. Children will observe themselves in mirrors
3. Children will observe themselves in the curved surface of a spoon. What
happens when you are closer/ farther from the spoon?
4. Teacher will ask children to write names in journals. Have children
observe what happens to their name when they hold a mirror up to it.
DAY TWO
5. Teacher will introduce magnifying glasses.
6. Teacher will encourage children to make observations with magnifying
glasses.
7. Children will make “Underwater Viewers” Science Crafts For Kids, page
92.
8. Children will make observations using underwater viewers.
9. Children will record observations in journals.

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 DAY THREE
10. Introduce the term refraction
11. Read “Light changes direction by refraction” and perform pencil and
finger experiment, Experiments with Light, pages 23-34.
12. Have children record observations in journals.
DAY FOUR
13. Teacher will have children think about the experiment “Light changes
direction by refraction” and ask them what they think would happen if
they used a straw instead of a pencil or their finger.
14. Teacher will have children draw predictions in journals.
15. Experiment “Bend A Straw without Touching It” Simple Science
Experiments, page 16.
16. Teacher will have children discuss if they made a correct prediction.
17. Experiment “Reflected Light”, Science Fun With a Flashlight.
DAY FIVE
18. Children will make a “Peeping Periscope”, I Can Make A Rainbow, page
195.
19. Children will experiment inside and outside with periscopes.
E. Assessment/ Evaluation
1. Teacher will encourage children to think about how the periscope works.
2. Review reflection experiments with children and have them draw a
picture in their journals of something they observed that was reflected.
3. Review refraction experiments with children and have them draw a
picture in their journals of something they observed that was refracted.

Lesson Three: Color- Our World is Colorful!

A. Daily objectives
1. Concept Objectives:
a. Children will learn the history and importance of light sources.
b. Children will learn concepts of refection and refraction
c. Children will learn how light effect color.
2. Lesson Content:
Observe, describe and record some basic properties of light, its
presence and effects in the physical world, Core Knowledge
Sequence, page 86.
3. Skill Objectives:
a. How to use experiments and projects to develop the students
understanding of light.
b. How to refer to daily activities to enhance the students understanding
of the variety of concepts concerning light.
c. How to lay a foundation for future learning about light.
B. Materials
1. Colored paints
2. Color Fun experiment: paper towels, green felt tip pen or green food dye,
glass with 1” of water
3. Color Telescopes: cardboard tubes from paper towel rolls, colored
cellophane in red, yellow and blue, rubber bands, markers
4. Paint With Bubbles experiment: one half cup Ivory Flakes, one half cup
water, mixing bowl, spoon, electric or hand mixer, food coloring, shelf
paper or butcher paper, a few small containers, newspaper

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 5. Edible Rainbow Cookies: measuring cups, cookie sheets, sharp knife,
waxed paper, oven and hot pad, three small bowls, one cup soft
margarine, three fourths cup white sugar, three fourths cup brown sugar,
two eggs, one teaspoon vanilla, three cups flour, one half teaspoon
baking soda, one teaspoon salt
6. I Can Make A Rainbow, Frank
7. Simple Science Experiments With Everyday Materials, Mandell
C. Key Vocabulary
1. Color- the way our eyes interpret different kinds of light.
2. Rainbow- a bow or arc of prismatic colors that form when sunlight
shines through millions of raindrops.
3. Primary Colors- red, blue, and green
D. Procedures/ Activities
DAY ONE
1. Teacher will encourage children to become aware of different colors in
the classroom as well as in the environment.
2. Children will draw a picture using desired colors in journal books.
DAY TWO
3. Teacher will introduce the ideas of mixing colors.
4. Teacher will provide children with red, green and blue paints and
encourage them to explore mixing the paints to discover new colors.
5. “Color Telescopes”, The Giant Encyclopedia of Theme Activities for
Children 2 to 5, page 83.
DAY THREE
6. Teacher will show several pictures of rainbows and ask children if they
notice any similarities between them.
7. Teacher will explain how rainbows are formed.
8. Children will enjoy “Edible Rainbows”, I Can Make A Rainbow, page
97.
DAY FOUR
9. “Color Fun” experiment, Simple Science Experiments with Everyday
Materials, page 38.
10. Teacher will show how the water moves up a paper towel in the same
way water rises up the roots and stems of plants.
DAY FIVE
11. “Handmade Bubbles” experiment, Simple Science Experiments with
Everyday Materials, page 113.
12. Teacher will encourage children to look for colors in the bubbles outside
in the sunlight.
13. “Paint with Bubbles”, I Can Make A Rainbow, page 97. Allow children
to add food coloring to create desired colors of bubbles.
E. Assessment/ Evaluation
1. Teacher will make note of predictions of colors the children make when
experimenting with mixing paints.
2. Teacher will encourage children to paint rainbows in journal books.

VI. CULMINATING ACTIVITY

A. Light Sources
1. Show the children animal shape silhouettes from the book Light and
encourage them to make shapes using an overhead projector.

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 2. Light Source Lunch- Place different light sources on each table during
lunch (e.g. flashlight, candle, lamp).

B. Reflection/ Refraction
1. Rainbows with no rain activity, We Care A Preschool Curriculum for
Children ages 2-5, page 366
2. Make a Kaleidoscope, Simple Kaleidoscopes, page 67.
C. Color
1. Rainbow World activity, We Care A Preschool Curriculum for Children
ages 2-5, page 355.
2. Colored Glasses activity, We Care A Preschool Curriculum for Children
ages 2-5, page 366.
3. Color Lunch- have children make their own lunch using the colors in the
rainbow.
a. Brown/ Purple - peanut butter and je lly sandwich
b. White- milk
c. Orange- carrots
d. Red- apples
e. Yellow- cheese
f. Blue- yogurt
g. Green- celery
h. Black- raisins

VII. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Broekel, Ray. A New True Book Experiments With Light. Chicago: Children’s
Press, 1986. 0-516-01278-9.

Burnie, David. Eyewitness Science Light. New York: Dorling Kindersley

Limited, 1992. 1-879431-79-3.

Charner, Kathy. The Giant Encyclopedia of Theme Activities for Children 2 to 5.

Mt. Rainier, MD: Gryphon House, 1993. 0-87659-166-7.

Diehn, G. & Krautwurst, T. Science Crafts for Kids 50 Fantastic Things to

Invent & Create. New York: Sterling Publishing Co., Inc., 1994. 0-8069-0283-
3.

Forbes, E., & Hale, J., & Christianson, C. Simple Science Fun Hands-on Science
Made Easy. Huntington Beach, CA: Teacher Created Materials, Inc., 1996. 1-
55734-675-5.

Frank, Marjorie. I Can Make A Rainbow. Nashville, Tennessee: Incentive

Publications, 1976. 0-913916-19-6.

Jeunesse, G., & Verdet, J., & Houbre, G. Light. New York: Scholastic, 1994. 0-
590-48327-7.

Kingore, B., & Higbee, G. We Care A Preschool Curriculum For Children Ages
2-5. Gllenview, Illinois: Scott, Foresman and Company, 1988. 0-673-18574-5.

Turn on the “Light” in Preschool 2001 Conference 7

 Kramer, A. “Color”, The Random House Children’s Encyclopedia. New York:
Random House, 1991. 0-394-83852-1.

Mandell, Muriel. Simple Science Experiments With Everyday Materials. New

York: Sterling Publishing, 1989. 0-8069-6794-3.

McKeever, S. “Sources of Light”, The DK Science Encyclopedia. New York:

DK Publishing, 1998. 0-7894-2190-9.

Newlin, G. Simple Kaleidoscopes. New York: Sterling Publishing Company,

1995. 0-8069-3154-X.

Schneider, H., & Schneider, N. Science Fun with A Flashlight. New York:
McGraw-Hill Book Company, 1975. 0-07-055455-2.

Taylor, B. Focus on Light. New York: Aladdin Books Ltd., 1992. 0-531-17381-
X.

The Earth Works Group. 50 Simple Things Kids Can Do To Save the Earth.
New York: Andrews and McMeel A Universal Press Syndicate Company, 1990.
0-8362-2301-2.

Wallace, J. Turning Point Inventions The Lightbulb. New York: Common Place
Publishing, 1999. 0-689-82816-0.

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