How does light travel? - Presentation

The science curriculum for Year 6 pupils includes a comprehensive study of light and how it travels. Pupils are taught to recognise that light appears to travel in straight lines and to use this understanding to explain various phenomena. For instance, they learn that objects are visible because they emit or reflect light into the eye, and that we see things because light travels from sources to our eyes, either directly or via reflection off objects. This concept also helps explain why shadows cast by objects retain the same shape as the objects themselves. Additionally, pupils explore the workings of simple optical instruments such as periscopes, telescopes, binoculars, mirrors, and magnifying glasses, gaining an understanding of how they manipulate light to function.

A key component of the Year 6 science programme is the study of the human eye and its role in vision. Pupils learn the anatomy of the eye, including the retina with its light-sensitive cells, the cornea which focuses light as it enters the eye, the iris which regulates the amount of light entering through the pupil, and the lens which further refines the focus of light onto the retina. They also delve into the concept of light waves, understanding that light behaves as a wave with specific wavelengths and frequencies, and can travel through various mediums, including vacuums and transparent materials. Through experimentation and investigation, pupils are encouraged to group materials based on their transparency and to experiment with light to discover its straight-line path of travel. The curriculum also revisits prior knowledge from Year 3 on light and dark and connects it with the study of the human eye, ensuring a cohesive understanding of the subject.