Annotated Bib - Light

There is more to light than just it's ability to illuminate places and objects. It is a spectrum of colors and energy. There is so much that children can DO when learning about light.

Books:

Janice VanCleave's Physics for Every Kid: 101 Easy Experiments in Motion, Heat, Light, Machines, and Sound. by Janice VanCleve. 1991. 256p. Wiley Pub. (9780471525059) Gr. 4-6.

This is a book full of the things that children can do when learning about many different aspects of science. From using a slinky to show how light waves travel to blending colors and making water prisms this book as many activities that older elementary students will enjoy.

The Science Book of Color. by Neil Ardley. 1991. 29p. Gulliver Books, Harcourt Brace and Company. (0152005765). Gr. 2+.

Here is an exciting adventure through color that engages and trills the student. Children will love learning about color and how it relates to light through activities such as making a rainbow and colored lights and shadows. This book does a good job of explaining the concepts to children by not talking over their heads while also not lowing the quality of the lesson.

Light: Shadows, Mirrors, and Rainbows. by Natalie Ronsinsky. Illus Sheree Boyd. 2006. 24p. Picture Window Books. (978-1404803329) Gr. PreK-2

Beautiful illustrations with explanations for the events that happen with light. The text is written in a simple way for the early science learner. A great book to add to your classroom library.

Day Light, Night Light: Where Light Comes From. by Franklyn Branley. Illus Stacey Shuett. 1998. 32p. Collins. (978-0064451710). Gr. K-2.

A story-like picture book takes early students on an introduction to light. Questions such as w hat is light, how fast does it travel, and others are discussed in a simple and elegant way. There is even mention to some simple experiments children can do in the comfort of their own home to help better their understanding.


Websites

Light and Color by Peter, Emma, Aaron, Ixchel, and Kaitlyn- Here's a video and a breakdown of what the children did in their experiment. These kids love science and they will get children into studying this discipline. They brought art and science together in their study of light and color.

Science: What is Light? Read About.- A brief overview of the properties of light. Great for the older student who is capable of understanding more scientific language.


For Teachers
VA Standards of Learning
The student will investigate and understand basic characteristics of visible light and how it behaves. Key concepts include
a) transverse waves;
b) the visible spectrum;
c) opaque, transparent, and translucent;
d) reflection of light from reflective surfaces; and
e) refraction of light through water and prisms.

Background Knowledge
+ Light has properties of both a wave and a particle. Recent theory identifies light as a small particle, called a photon. A photon moves in a straight line. In both the light wave and photon descriptions, light is energy.
+Because light has both electric and magnetic fields, it is referred to as electromagnetic radiation. Light waves move as transverse waves and travel through a vacuum at a speed of approximately 186,000 miles per second (2.99 x 108 meters per second). Compared to sound, light travels extremely fast. It takes light from the sun less than 81⁄2 minutes to travel 93 million
+Unlike sound, light waves travel in straight paths called rays and do not need a medium through which to move. A ray is the straight line that represents the path of light. A beam is a group of parallel rays.
+Light waves are characterized by their wavelengths and the frequency of their wavelengths
+The size of a wave is measured as its wavelength, which is the distance between any two corresponding points on successive waves, usually crest- to-crest or trough-to-trough. The wavelength can be measured from any point on a wave as long as it is measured to the same point on the next wave.