This week, 1st graders will start the first Science Unit of the year: Light and Sound.
Sound can make matter vibrate, and vibrating matter can make sound.
Objects can be seen if light is available to illuminate them or if they give off their light.
Some materials allow light to pass through them, others allow only some light through and others block all the light and create a dark shadow on any surface beyond them, where the light cannot reach. Mirrors can be used to redirect a light beam.
People also use various devices to communicate (send and receive information) over long distances.
We will start by sorting pictures and discussing how we communicate with lights and sounds. For example: when we see a red light, we must stop. Also, when we hear an ambulance, we know someone needs help.
This week, we will be experimenting using flashlights and dark boxes. We will have so much fun!
Vocabulary for this week: vibrating, sound wave, sound, hearing, vocal cords, eardrum, light, light source, opaque, translucent, transparent, dark.