💡 Chapter 5 – Light
Learner’s Book 4 (2nd Edition, 2021), Unit 5
🎯 Learning Objectives
By the end of this chapter, learners will be able to:
Explain how light enables us to see objects.
Understand that light travels in straight lines.
Investigate how different surfaces reflect light.
Explore day and night cycles and build observational data.
Measure and interpret how shadow length and direction change over time.
🔍 Section 5.1 – How We See Things
Objects are visible because light from a source shines on them and reflects into our
eyes.
Natural sources (e.g. Sun, stars) and artificial sources (e.g. lamps, candles) produce
light.
Important concept: light reflection, not emission, makes non-light-emitting objects
visible.
🔍 Section 5.2 – Light Travels in Straight Lines
Light always travels in straight lines.
Experiments such as shining torches through tubes or blocking beams demonstrate
this property.
Light traveling around corners or behind obstacles is prevented when straight-line
paths are blocked.
🔍 Section 5.3 – Reflection from Surfaces
Light reflects off surfaces with varying efficiency.
Smooth and shiny surfaces (e.g. mirrors, metal foil) give good or perfect reflections.
Dull or rough surfaces reflect light poorly, sometimes diffusely.
Students rate reflections using a scale (0–3) and identify reflection patterns across
materials.
🔍 Section 5.4 – Light in the Solar System
The Sun is our main light source in space.
Planets and moons do not emit light—they reflect sunlight.
The Earth orbits the Sun annually (~365¼ days); the Moon orbits Earth monthly
(~29 days).
Light from distant stars reaches Earth and allows us to see them.
🔍 Section 5.5 – Day and Night
Earth rotates once every 24 hours, causing day and night cycles.
The side facing the Sun experiences daylight; the opposite side is night.
All planets spin similarly—creating day/night cycles of differing lengths.
🔍 Section 5.6 – Investigating Shadow Lengths
Shadows are caused when an opaque object blocks light.
Throughout the day, shadow length and direction change due to the Sun’s changing
position.
Students measure shadows hourly using a vertical stick and paper, record times and
lengths, and chart patterns.
Data is repeated on multiple days for reliability, and students draw conclusions
relating shadow behaviour to the Earth’s rotation.
📊 Chapter Summary Table
Section Core Concept Key Learning Outcome
Seeing objects via
5.1 Light must reflect into eyes for visibility
reflection
5.2 Straight-line travel of light Light cannot bend around corners
5.3 Reflectivity of surfaces Smooth surfaces reflect better than dull ones
Light in space and Planets and moons are visible because they reflect
5.4
reflection starlight
5.5 Earth’s rotation Rotation causes regular day and night cycles
Shadow behaviour over Shadow length indicates solar position and time
5.6
time progression
🧠 Key Vocabulary
Light source, Reflection, Travel in straight lines, Opaque, Shadow
Solar system, Sun, Planet, Moon
Rotation, Day, Night
Shadow length and direction, Scientific enquiry
🧪 Recommended Classroom Activities
Mirror test: Compare reflections on different materials using rating scale.
Ray experiments: Shine a light through tubes; block part of a beam to show straight-
line travel.
Solar diagram: Model or draw Earth–Sun–Moon placing and movement to illustrate
day/night and reflection.
Shadow-tracking investigation: Measure and chart shadow length and direction
hourly over several days.
Observation journaling: Record shadow patterns and relate them to the sun’s
movement and Earth’s rotation.
✅ Summary of Big Ideas
Seeing depends on reflection of light, not emission.
Light travels in straight lines and can be blocked by opaque objects.
Surfaces differ in how well they reflect light, influencing visibility.
In space, light allows us to see planets, moons, and stars.
Day and night happen because of the Earth’s rotation.
Studying shadows reveals how the Sun’s position changes throughout the day.
Titania The Moon (Luna)
Ganymede
