Purpose

Rather than tell students how to do this experiment (like a recipe book instruction), this activity challenges them to devise their own method to investigate, gather evidence and answer the question.

It is designed to allow students to explore and explain.

You need to be available to challenge the students to extend meaningful conceptual understandings, and to be excited when a satisfactory result is achieved.

Have available a range of apparatus.

Introductory questions

Some introductory questions could include:

Does light go around solid things like water does?
Does light go through solid things?
Does light seem to bend around things?

How light travels

The best evidence for how light travels is the shining of a torch light through three holes in three sheets of card. The light will only pass through when the holes are in a straight line.

Other evidence comes from the rubber tube, which can only be seen through when it is straight (although it must be inferred that light is then passing through the tube).

Using the sun or a lamp to produce a light beam on a sheet of card (like a light box) is fairly conclusive.

Light beams can often be seen in the sky on cloudy days.

Many other innovative ideas may come from the students.