All lessons › Lights out for turtles › Lesson 1
Australian primary science · Year 5 · Lesson 1 of 3
How do we see?
Inquiry question: Does light come out of our eyes, or into them?
Marked no materials needed
Research using sources
What students learn
Light travels in straight lines from a light source. We see a light source when its light enters our eyes, and we see other objects when light from a source reflects off them into our eyes. This explanation was built over many centuries, with each scientist testing and building on earlier ideas.
Success criteria
- I can sort objects into light sources and things that reflect light.
- I can draw a ray diagram with arrows showing how light reaches my eye.
- I can explain how Ibn al-Haytham built on and improved earlier ideas.
Preparation and materials
Before this lesson: Students know that we need light to see and can name some light sources.
- One screen or projector to show this lesson’s student view (the timeline of ideas about seeing) (or print one student view per pair) — 1
- Workbooks or scrap paper, and pencils — 26
Teacher setup
- Open this lesson’s student view (the timeline of ideas about seeing) on your screen, or print the student view if the internet is unreliable.
- No other preparation is needed.
Safety and adaptations
Follow school science and equipment risk assessment procedures for the materials used.
Review your school policies and curriculum requirements before teaching.
How to investigate
The lesson sequence should leave pupils with evidence to interpret, not only an activity to finish.
- Teacher demo: make the room as dark as possible for 30 seconds. Ask: could you see anything? What changed when the light came back?
- Pairs sort a list of objects into light sources and objects we see by reflected light.
- Draw ray diagrams: how you see a torch, a book on a table, and the Moon.
- Read the timeline of ideas about seeing in the student view.
- Write how each person used or improved on the ideas of the people before them.
Teacher modelling prompt
Draw a lamp, a book and an eye on the board. Think aloud: “Light leaves the lamp in straight lines. I draw an arrow from the lamp to the book. Some bounces off the book, so another arrow goes from the book to my eye. The arrows point towards the eye, not out of it.” Point out the most common mistake: arrows from the eye.
Record and explain evidence
Recording question: Does light come out of our eyes, or into them?
| What we see | Light source or reflected light? | Ray diagram (source → object → eye) | Evidence or reason |
|---|---|---|---|
| ________________ | ________________ | ________________ | ________________ |
Example recording headings; record actual observations, including inconclusive results.
Discussion prompt
What does the timeline show about how science advances?
Check understanding
What should pupils know? How do we see a book on a table in a lit room?
Explain with evidence: Why can’t we see anything in a completely dark room, even with our eyes open?
Apply the idea: Draw a ray diagram showing how you see the Moon at night. Stretch (older students): explain why Ibn al-Haytham’s use of experiments was such an important step.
Teacher answer guidance and saved classroom work are available through the main lesson experience where supported.