St Nicholas Church of EnglandPrimary Academy

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Science

Run the activity

1. In pairs, discuss what might be a Plus, Minus and Interesting way to think about the question. Stuck for ideas? They could think about:

What does the word ‘transparent’ mean?
Why is it useful for some materials to be transparent?
Why is it not useful for some materials to be transparent?

2. Ask the children to share their partner's ideas then encourage a broader discussion as a class, remember there is no wrong or right answer!

Background science

Transparent materials allow light to pass through them without being scattered, which means that you can see through them clearly. Objects made from glass and clear plastic are common and include windows, spectacles and light bulbs.

Take it further

You might like to explore different materials to find out which ones are transparent and not transparent (opaque). You could hold them up to the window or an overhead light or shine a torch through them.

Powerpoint to read through. Then sort the objects activity! You can draw or label the objects under the correct heading in your books! You do not need to print anything out.

BBC Bitesize KS1 Learning An animated sequence that illustrates a range of different light sources. The Sun, fire, electric lights and torches are all shown. Darkness is presented as the absence of light and shadows as examples of where an opaque object blocks light. Light is also shown as capable of travelling through air, water and transparent objects. The clip presents some examples of reflective objects, which cause light to ‘bounce off’ them. The commentary introduces some key vocabulary: ‘transparent’, ‘opaque’ and ‘reflective’.

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