Investigating Light: Reflection and Mirrors (Station approach)
Working at this station, students use plane and curved mirrors to observe and measure the angles of incident and reflected rays. Using their data, students apply their understanding of Snellís Law and straight-line travel to explain how mirrors can focus light and produce reversed images. The activities in this module (and in the related P104-S01, P104-S02, and P104-S04 modules) were originally part of longer units developed at the University of Kentucky. The station approach allows you to offer a variety of concurrent activities for different student groups.
Details at a Glance
- 4-8 Days | 4-8 ~50 minute class periods
- 4 Activities
- Accommodates unlimited classes, each with 1 group of 4 students
- Meets our criteria for supporting literacy
- All materials are non-consumable
Scientific Concepts
• The ability to design and conduct a scientific investigation
• The ability to use appropriate scientific tools
• The ability to use evidence to develop explanations and models
• The ability to link evidence and explanations
• The ability to use mathematics in scientific inquiry
• The ability to communicate scientifically
• Energy is a property of many substances and is transferred in many ways.
• Light interacts with matter by transmission, absorption, reflection, refraction
or scattering.
Guides & Student Sheets
Our kits and modules provide you with everything you need so you can open, review, and teach the material confidently the next day.
- Full downloadable Teacher Guide with background information, detailed instruction, example data and answers
- Downloadable Student Sheets with age appropriate background information, full procedure(s), and analysis questions
- All materials necessary to carry out the investigation
- Safety Data Sheets
Kit Components
- 1 Teacher's Guide
- 1 Light station, LAB-AIDS®
- 1 Yellow wooden rod
- 1 Green wooden rod
- 1 Flexible two-sided mirror
- 1 Flexible mirror holder
- 1 T-shaped beam blocker
- 1 String
- 1 Single-slot mask
- 1 Three-slot mask
- 1 White paper
- 1 Aluminum foil
- 1 Colored paper
- 1 Viewing screen
- 2 Plane mirrors
- 2 Colored pencils
- 3 Plane mirror holders
- 3 Glue dots
- 10 Tape pieces, removable
- Not included and needed for instruction: Ruler or straight edge for each group, white paper.