First, I replaced the batteries in some of their old light-up toys so they would have a range of light sources to talk about and play with over the coming weeks. I let them re-explore them again, asking questions like: "What happens to the light when you move your torch further away from the wall? What happens when you move it closer? What happens when you both shine your torches on the same spot?" etc.
I asked them what the word "source" means, to which the twins had an idea but weren't confident enough to turn into a definition... So we talked about where they've heard the word before: F said a water source and M said Allah's name was the Source of Peace. 💗
They came up with the definition of a light source as being somewhere light comes from.
I asked them to name some different light sources (F correctly said not the moon because that reflects the sun's light - if she hadn't mentioned it, I wouldn't have included that yet! So at that point I told them we see things because of light reflecting off them) then for them to tell me where the light sources in the room were... As they named each source, I turned it off (/closed the curtains!) until the room was dark.
I asked them if we needed light to see - it was harder to see the darker it became! But it still wasn't dark enough to not see completely; we couldn't get rid of all the light creeping in from the corners of the curtains and blinds... So I took out a big black blanket and covered us with it so it was completely dark underneath. "Can you see what face I'm making?" The girls laughed of course they couldn't... But M was sneaky and put her torch on. F then commented they could because they brought a light source with them! 😂
Next I helped them make a den under the table and we tried to block out as much light as we could... Then we read the first couple of pages from the "Light and Dark" book we have by torchlight.
As they shone their torches together under the table, I asked them how they thought light travelled. In straight lines only or does it spread out everywhere like water? A trick question lol. M said only straight lines and it can't go round corners. F said but it spreads out a bit because even when the torch was pointing straight you could still see a bit what was on the side, and when the light source is high like the lightbulb or the sun you can see everything! Something for them to think upon as we continue the topic, inshaAllah. 😏
Next, I told them I wanted them to draw a simple picture on A4 paper. It needed to have in it a drawing of themselves, a light source and 5 objects they could be looking at. I drew one as an example then left them to it while I put A to sleep. 😆
When they were done, I explained the last activity - to draw on how we see! First, I used a ribbon to represent the light. I lay it on top of my drawing coming from the sun and onto the cat, then folded the ribbon so it went into my eyes. I repeated this with the mountains and the tree, then asked M and F in turn to show what happens to the light, using the ribbon, so my drawing of me could see the flowers and birds. Next, I used a highlighter and ruler to draw the light rays coming from the sun and bouncing off an object into my eyes - emphasising we needed to use a ruler because light travels in straight lines. Finally, I put arrow heads on the lines to show the direction of travel.
Leaving my example on the table, the twins did the same on their drawings. Both understood the concept easily enough but I was surprised F needed a little help positioning her ruler - I suppose we haven't done any ruler work since the last time we covered measures in Numeracy!
Z joined in with all of the above, but when it came to labelling her drawing she did it without a ruler and with me narrating what was happening to the light as she chose each object to look at. I don't know how much of this she'll retain, but she seemed to enjoy playing in the den with the torches and drawing with us. 😁
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