Report of the activities about light, mirrors and
images tested in Barcelona.
1.Introduction.
The proposal of activities
Light, mirrors and images presented by the UB has been adapted and experimented in the 1t course (6 years old), 3d
course (8 years old) and 6t course (11 years old) of the CEIP Lola Anglada of Tiana (Barcelona).
In the first course, the
activities of the Brilliant surfaces and mirrors proposal and the first
activities of Mirrors and images have been tested. These
activities have been distributed in 4 modules:
·
Brilliant surfaces and mirrors
·
Mirrors and images
·
Projects with mirrors
·
Presentation of the projects
In the third and sixth
course the original proposal has been adapted to be integrated in the
curriculum of the area Knowledge of the natural environment, and therefore
activities of technological education and activities of scientific education
are combined.
In the third course the
activities of Mirrors and images (exception made of the activities of
multiple images) have been worked, and also some aspects of lights reflection.
The activities of the third course have been distributed in 4 modules:
·
Luminous bodies and illuminated bodies.
·
The reflection of the light
·
The mirrors and its uses
·
The periscope
In sixth course the proposed
activities of Mirrors and deflection of the light and some of Mirrors and
images have been experienced. These activities are distributed in 3 modules:
·
Characteristics of the light
·
The reflection of the light and the periscope
·
The multiple images
2. Brilliant surfaces and mirrors (1t course)
In this module the proposal
Brilliant surfaces and the mirrors has been experienced, following the
guidelines indicated in the proposal and with the basic contents specified in
it.
2.1. Timing
and organization of the classroom
The module has a length of an hour, and the tutor works with the whole group. (The
previous day the tutor has asked the children to bring objects that shine from
their house)
The total number of children
of both groups that test the activity is 20 and 21; in both the number of girls
is lightly superior to the boys.
2.2. Brief description of
the activity
The teacher shows the
objects that the children have brought and she proposes them to observe and to
manipulate these objects, in order to discover and to verbalize
some aspects of its shininess in relation to its
superficial qualities and how they are lighted.
2.3. Methodological
considerations
The module is orientated as
activity of exploration and discovery of the characteristics of shining
objects. The teacher asks questions about the displayed objects (as the ones
indicated in the proposal Brilliant surfaces and the mirrors) to orientate
the observations of the children and also to ask for explanations about what they
think.
Sometimes the teacher opens
new fields of exploration, proposing hypothesis and asking for the opinion of
the children about these.
The children observe and
manipulate the objects, do hypothesis and explain them and also they do
questions and give explanations.
At the end of the session
the agreed conclusions are gathered and written.
3. Mirrors and images (1er course)
In this module the first
part of Mirrors and images proposal has been experienced; especifically they
have worked the first four basic contents detailed in the proposal.
3.1. Timing and organization of the classroom
The module goes on for 25 minutes and
is divided in two phases of 5 and 20 minutes
respectively.
The children of the
classroom are organized in groups of 4 that work in the corners monitored by
the teachers.
3.2. Brief description of
the activity
In the phase 1, the
conclusions of the previous module are remembered. In the phase 2, with the
suggestion of the teacher, the children manipulate the plastic mirrors, trying
to discover the different kinds of mirrors and images that can be formed.
3.3. Methodological
considerations
In the phase 1 of the
activity, the teacher stimulates the children to remember the conclusions of
the previous module about shining objects. Later she proposes the children to
manipulate the plastic mirrors, to observe the images and the forms of the
mirrors and to verbalize what they observe. The
teacher proposes some deformations and specific observations and she helps the
children to verbalize what is observed introducing
new words, as for example concave and convex.
4. Projects with mirrors (1t course)
In this module the pupils
design and realize an open technological project in which mirrors have to be
used.
4.1. Timing and organization of the classroom
The module has a length of 2 h and 20 minutes and its divided in one phase of 20
minutes and two phases of 1 hour.
During the phase 1, the
teacher works with the whole group class and during the other two the children
are organized in groups of 4 that work under the monitoring and the sporadic
support of the teachers.
4.2. Brief description of
the activity
During the phase 1, the
conclusions of the previous activity are gathered and written, and the whole
group discuss about the aplications of the mirrors. Along the phase 2 the
differents groups choose and draw a device with mirrors that could be useful for anything and during the
phase 3 they construct what they have designed.
4.3. Methodological
considerations
During the phase1, the
teacher asks the children to make them to remember and she is writing the
conclusions in the blackboard. She also asks the children and does observations
about the applications that have the mirrors. The children intervene with
answers and explanations and do a card-sheet with the summary that the teacher
writes in the blackboard.
During the phase 2, the
children work in small groups to decide what project they will make, what
materials they will use, and they draw it. Along the phase 3, the children
build the designed project. In these two phases the teacher acts as observant
and she gives support to the children sporadically when it is necessary.
5. Presentation of the projects (1t course)
In this module the groups
present and explain the technological project that they have done and its
validity is valued.
The module has a length of
45 minutes, and each group spends between 8 and 10 minutes in their
presentation. The children of each group present the device that they have done and explain what it serves for, and how it
works. The rest of children and the teacher do questions,
test the invented devices and say what they think about its functionality.
6. Luminous objects and illuminated objects (3d course)
The activities of this
module have a perspective more nearby to the scientific exploration than to the
technological formation. The fundamental aim is to experiment and to modelize
the difference between light source and illuminated object and about the
characteristics of transparency of a body.
6.1. Timing and organization
of the classroom
The module has a length of
an hour and the tutor works with the whole group of children. The total number
of children of both groups of 3d course is 21 and 22 respectively (65 % boys,
and 35 % girls).
6.2. Brief description of
the activity
The teacher brings several
objects and proposes the children to observe and to manipulate them to see if
they are or not luminous and if the light passes through them.
6.3. Methodological
considerations
On one hand the teacher
claims that the children express their ideas and for other one she proposes
them the exploration and modeling of the phenomena. The teacher does questions
and proposes observations and hypothesis to orientate the observations of the
children. Also she asks for explanations and moderates the interventions of the
children. The children observe and manipulate the objects, do hypothesis and
explain them and also they do questions and give explanations.
At the end of the session
the teacher gathers the conclusions doing a summary in the blackboard of the
concepts and the scientific ideas that have arisen.
7. The reflection of the light (3d course)
In this module the dominant
perspective is also that of scientific exploration and the fundamental aim is
to experiment and to model the behavior of the light when it hits with the
surface of the objects and, especially, the reflection on the mirrors.
7.1. Timing and organization
of the classroom
The module has a length of
an hour and is divided in two phases of 15 and 45 minutes. The teacher works
with the whole group of children.
7.2. Brief description of
the activity
Along the first 15 minutes
the previous activity is remembered and later the teacher guides the
exploration of diverse situations of light reflection on mirrors and other
objects.
7.3. Methodological
considerations
In the first phase the
teacher directs with questions a revision of the experiences and contents
worked during the previous session. During the second phase, the teacher guides
the activities of exploration and modelling of the light reflection on diverse
objects, to finish focusing on the mirrors. To do it she proposes experimental
situations, asks questions and proposes hypotheses that orientate the
observations and the hypothesis of the children. As before, she also asks for
explanations and moderates the children interventions. The children observe and
manipulate the objects and mirrors, propose new experimental situations, do
questions and propose hypotheses that explain to the others.
As before, the session
finishes with a summary directed by the teacher and that the children write in
their notebook of class.
8. The mirrors and their use (3r course)
The orientation of this
module is both, technological and scientific education, and focuses on the
kinds of mirrors and its applications and the study of the object-image
symmetry.
8.1. Timing and organization
of the classroom
The module has a length of
1,30 h and is divided in three phases of 15, 30 and 45 minutes respectively. In
the first and second phase the teacher works with the whole group class and the
third phase starts by working with the whole group class and later the children
work individually.
8.2. Brief description of
the activity
Along the first 15 minutes
the previous activity is remembered. Later the teacher guides the exploration
of the types of mirrors and their utilization and finally the pupils experience
individually the symmetrical inversion of the images.
8.3. Methodological
considerations
The first phase is for
remembering and placing the children in the suitable context, as in the
previous session. Along the second phase, the teacher proposes to observe
experimental situations in the classroom or to remember situations of the daily
life to do a tour across the diverse types of mirrors, what applications they
have and the places where they are used. The children intervene basically with
explanations and new offers. This phase finishes with a summary directed by the
teacher.
The teacher begins the third
phase proposing the children to observe and to explain how their image is in a
flat mirror in relation to themselves (all the children have a plastic flat
mirror). Later she moderates the offers of experiences and the explanations of
the pupils for modelling the symmetry of the images related to the objects. The
children gesture and explain the relation between them and their image and they
propose observations and hypothesis. Finally the teacher proposes to the
children the observation on the mirror of a written text and its reproduction
with a drawing; then she proposes them to write texts that could be seen
correctly in a mirror. The children write texts, look at them in the mirrors
and draw what they see.
9. The periscope (3d course)
This module has a clear
technological orientation and is realized by using the didactic periscope
presented in the paragraph 3.5 of the proposal "Light, mirrors and images
".
9.1. Timing and organization
of the classroom
The first phase of the
module has a length of 15 minutes and the tutor works with the whole group
class. The second phase is realized throughout two weeks, in periods of an hour
in which two children have the didactic periscope to experiment freely with it.
9.2. Brief description of the activity
In the first 15 minutes the
teacher presents the didactic periscope and how it works. Along the second
phase the couple of children practise with the didactic periscope: one of them
places an object and the obstacles that prevent from seeing it and the other
one have to arrange periscope to be able to see the object.
9.3. Methodological
considerations
During the first phase, the
teacher presents and explains what the didactic periscope is and how it can be
used, encouraging the children to look it and try to do some assembly. The
children observe, manipulate and do questions. At the second phase, every
couple of children work freely, proposing the situations and finding the
solutions. The children draw some of the assemblies that they do. The teacher
acts only like observer and giving support if it is required.
10. Characteristics of the light (6t course)
This module is to remember
the experiences and contents on the light that
have been treated in the previous course. The orientation of the session
is basically of scientific education.
10.1. Timing and
organization of the classroom
The activity has a length of
an hour and the tutor works with the whole group class. The total number of
pupils of 6 t course is of 31 (15 boys and 16 girls) distributed in two similar
groups.
10.2. Brief description of
the activity
The basic contents on light
sources, characteristics and behavior of the light and of the illuminated
bodies are remembered, looking for illustrative examples.
10.3. Methodological considerations
The teacher acts as a driver
(raising questions and asking for examples from the classroom or from the daily
life), and moderates the interventions of the children (gathering and
sanctioning their answers and asking for explanations). The teacher gathers in
the blackboard a summary of the concepts and scientific ideas that are arising.
The children intervene with answers, examples, explanations (some of which need
manipulations of objects of the classroom) and also with some questions. They write
in their notebook the summary that the teacher writes in the blackboard.
11. The reflection of the light and the periscope (6t course)
In this module the
reflection of the light in mirrors and its technological applications is
remembered from the scientific point of view, and the children practise
assemblies with the didactic periscope.
11.1. Timing and
organization of the classroom
This module is distributed
three phases. The first and the second have a length of 30 minutes everyone and
the tutor works with the whole group class. In the third phase the children are
distributed in gropups of 4 that work with the didactical periscope during 45
minutes. This phase is realized throughout two weeks.
11.2. . Brief description of
the activity.
At first, the contents about
light propagation and reflection are reviewd, the kind of mirrors and the
images that they give, and the applications that they have. Later the
didactical periscope is presented and the children practice in groups of four.
11.3. Methodological
considerations
The first phase is similar
to the previous activity, but focused on the light propagation and reflection
in the mirrors, and on examples of the applications they have at everyday life.
Also as before, the teacher conducts a summary that writes in the blackboard
and that the children gather in their notebooks
In the second phase, the
teacher presents and explains what the didactical periscope is and how it is
used, and he shows to the children how the light travels by inside the periscope.
The teacher also invites the children to observe how the object and its image
are related by means of the periscope. The children observe, manipulate, ask
questions and propose explanations and object/image relations.
During the third phase, the
children practice with the periscope making assemblies like the ones of the
children of third course. The children take off the lid off the periscope and
experiment how the light travels. And after that they draw how they think the
light goes by the inside of the periscope. The teacher observes them and
sporadically asks questions to them about the relationship between an object
and its image.
12. The multiple images (6th
course)
This is a practical module
of scientific-technical exploration and modelling, in which the children carry
out the activities of multiple images proposed in point 3.3 of Lights, mirrors
and images
12.1. Timing and
organization of the classroom
The children are distributed
in the same groups of the phase 3 of the previous module when practised with
the periscope. As in the previous module, this activity is realized throughout
two weeks.
12.2. Brief description of
the activity.
The children dispose of two
plane mirrors and a small object and they have to explore how they can obtain
multiple images of the object. Also they have to relate the number of images
with the angle that the two mirrors determine.
12.3. Methodological
considerations
In this activity the
children work freely with mirrors and they have to explain and to draw the
arrangement of mirrors built and the images they have obtained in every case.
The tutor does observations and sporadic interventions.
13. Valuation of the activity.
Once the activity is carried
out, an evaluation session with the teachers took place. In this session
several aspects of the didactical approach, of the children answer, of the
teacher task and of the formative value of the activity relating the
technological education have been valuated.
13.1. Methodological and
organisational aspects
The teachers value
positively the proposed activities and the materials of Light, mirrors and
images. The variety and the open orientation of the suggested activities of
this proposal have permitted its adaptation to the curriculum previously
planned.
The adaptation has been a
little difficult, especially in 6th course because not enough materials in the
classroom and because in this period of the year, the course has a very compact
plan.
Despite the difficulties,
the teachers think that the introduction of these activities and materials has
stimulated both the teachers and the pupils and has represented an improvement
in the curriculum of the topic of light. In this sense, the teachers find the
basic contents indicated in the proposal Light, mirrors and images very
interesting, because they arent the current ones that can be found in the
majority of scientific education proposals. They think that this presentation
of contents permits to change the point of view about the topic of light.
Also, they have found
interesting the suggestión of questions, because this helps the teacher to have
an orientation about what is important, what is necessary to observe and what
is necessary to explain. On the other side, the fact of making clear the
questions stresses the role of the teacher as stimulator of the children
learning and reduces the weight of his/her role of answerer of their questions.
The organization of
activities in small groups, alternating with activities of thinking, discussion
and gathering together in the whole group class, seams to the teachers very
correct and it is the kind of organization they currently use.
Regarding the activities
that have been carried out in small group with the periscope, the teachers
think that the groups would have to be of 2 childs, but because not enough
material and because they had few time, forced them to distribute the children
in groups of four.
Relating the length of the
sessions they think that it has been correct. The longest sessions have been
balanced by combining several kinds of activities and they dont have resulted
heavy to the children.
13.2. Attitude and response
of the children.
The teachers valuate
positively the interest of the children, especially regarding the activities
with the periscope and the mirrors. They consider that there are two reasons
for the special interest of the children, on one side because the kind of
activity that is free and handle, and on the other side, because they have been
surprised for this application of the mirrors. For example, to discover that
with the periscope, an object that is in a place can be seen in other very
distant place is very surprising for the children. It is an experience very
different of the one they have currently with mirrors: a child of 3rd
course said that the mirrors of home were not like the ones of the periscope,
they were different because only is possible to see himself in it and this idea
provocated a very interesting discussion among the children.
The consideration of
application and utility aspects motivate the children very much too, so that
the contribution of their personal experiences has been very numerous and rich.
For instance, a girl of 6th commented that in some shops of clothes
there are mirrors that make people slim to easier convince the customers.
Like with the pupils of
pre-school, in first course a couple of boys that have reading or mathematics
difficulties, have been very brilliants developing the technological Project.
The children of 3rd as well
as the ones of 6th dont have any problem to find adequate assemblies to the
activity about periscopes when they were working by couples and they have
worked always in a collaborative way. But the teachers think that all proposals
are very similar, the only difference is the number of mirrors that they use
and so, there arent many opportunities for creativity.
As examples of iniciative we
can detach that a group of third made a vertical assembly of periscope in order
to see what was passing outside the classroom. Also a group of 6th
that, in a spontaneous way, arranged the mirrors in parallel to obtain multiple
images.
Regarding to the differences
of interest or involvement of boys and girls, the teachers dont have
appreciated any difference in 1st course, neither in 3rd
course. But, in 6th course, the teacher thinks that in one of the
groups, the boys have been a little more active than the girls.
13.3. About the task of the
teachers..
The teachers havent had
special difficulties to drive the activities, because the methodologies are
similar to the ones they currently use. The only problem has been the
introduction of these activities in an already decided curriculum.
Regarding the teachers
intervention, the teachers think that it has been correct: in the activities
with the whole group class they have driven and moderated the process, but in
the activities in small group they have left the children to work freely and
they only have observed and intervened when the children asked for their
intervention.
13.4. About the technical
education value of the activities.
The teachers of 3rd and of
6th, that have worked with the periscope, think that with the activities of the
proposal Light, mirrors and images, aspects of technological education have
been added in a topic that was basically of scientific education. With the made
activities, the children have discovered materials and its utilities, but now
the proposals would have to be followed with open proposals of application. For
example, could be fine that the children built their own periscope.
The teachers of first course think that for the
children to develop a technological project adequated to reality was difficult,
that it were really of utility was not easier to plan. Some groups didnt try
their project before to present it to the whole group class and they discovered
during their presentation that it not functioned very well. The teachers think
that would have been positive that the children had worked before with the
periscope and had seen several applications of it (we need to remember that the
children of 1st course dont have worked with the didactical
periscope). Perhaps, it could be necessary to guide more the project, following
the steps of the Method of Projects with more detail and in a more complete
way, including the practical checking of the constructed object.
