Well we finally got to try and make a rainbow!

We returned to our scientific method of predicting, experimenting and reporting in our logbooks.

The question I posed was what would happen to the light from a torch if we shone it through a glass of water?  I didn’t want to mention colour as I didn’t want to lead the children in their predictions. As a result the predictions showed that the children drew on their previous knowledge and experiences. (Applying knowledge is a higher order thought process – showing deep learning!)

“I don’t know………maybe a gas?” – Gabriel

(click on each picture to see whose is whose).

Charlie’s was the most poetic prediction however:

Fisrt we checked what the torchlight looked like normally:

Then we took turns to shine the light through the glass of water…..

These photos don’t really capture what we noticed. So take it

from Caoimhe:

 

 

 

 

 

 

or Zach:

and others (again click on the pictures to see who said what)

Again Charlie described it well:

“It’s like 10 different shapes and colours!”

Or have a look for yourself – how would you describe it?

So why? Where did the colours come from?

“the water changed the light”! – Gabi

“It bends, it was pushing it away” – Innes

The water bends the beam of light which has a affect on each different colour that makes up white light, all bending at a different angle. In other words the water seperates the colours that make white light. This is called refraction. It is what happens to sunlight reflected on raindrops which creates a rainbow in the sky.

The experiment didn’t impress everyone. Every session ends with a question:

“What could we do better?”

Normally I just get shrugs and “don’t know”s but today I got a couple of good replies:

“I prefer the spray experiment” – Charlie

“Maybe changing the colours a different way” – Gabi

So now we have evaluating to add to our skills that we practice with our science!

Smart cookies!