In this unit the students develop a source-receiver model of light which can be used to explain a wide variety of every day events or observations. Students will learn about the natureof light, compare different light sources, and experiment with how light travels through space. Students will also debate different theories on how light propagates.
Students hold different ideas about light.
Piaget describes three studies in which children's conceptions about light were investigated. The goal of instruction is to help students better develop a light model and develop their intuitions about light through scaffolded, guided learning. In this unit this naive model of light is challenged in experiments with light sources, reflectors, and detectors. The source-receiver model they develop can be used to explain a wide variety of every day events and observations. Students are also introduced to ideas of energy conservation and conversion.