Assemblage and Narrative
Developing sculptures from found objects that tell a story or convey a specific message about environmental issues.
Key Questions
- Analyze how the arrangement of disparate objects can create a coherent narrative in sculpture.
- Differentiate between a purely aesthetic assemblage and one with a clear conceptual message.
- Construct an assemblage that communicates a specific environmental concern without using words.
National Curriculum Attainment Targets
About This Topic
Light and optics covers the behavior of transverse waves, specifically reflection and refraction. Students investigate how light interacts with mirrors and lenses, and how the human eye perceives color through the absorption and reflection of different wavelengths. They also learn about the law of reflection and the refractive index of different materials.
This topic is a core requirement of the KS3 Science curriculum, linking to both biology (the eye) and technology (cameras and telescopes). This topic comes alive when students can physically model the patterns of light using ray boxes and prisms to create rainbows and manipulate beams.
Active Learning Ideas
Inquiry Circle: The Law of Reflection
Using ray boxes and plane mirrors, groups must measure the angle of incidence and the angle of reflection for multiple trials. They then collaborate to plot their results and 'discover' the law for themselves.
Gallery Walk: Optical Illusions
Set up stations with illusions caused by refraction (e.g., the 'disappearing coin' or the 'bent straw'). Students must move in groups to draw ray diagrams that explain why their eyes are being tricked.
Think-Pair-Share: Color Filters
Students look at a red object through a blue filter. Pairs must discuss why it appears black, focusing on which wavelengths of light are being absorbed and which are being transmitted.
Watch Out for These Misconceptions
Common MisconceptionWe see objects because our eyes send out 'sight rays'.
What to Teach Instead
This is a common ancient misconception. Active modeling with a light source, an object, and an 'eye' helps students realize that light must travel *from* a source and reflect *into* the eye for vision to occur.
Common MisconceptionLight only bends when it hits a mirror.
What to Teach Instead
Students often confuse reflection and refraction. Using glass blocks in a dark room allows them to see light bending as it enters a new medium, proving that 'bending' (refraction) happens in transparent materials too.
Suggested Methodologies
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the law of reflection?
Why does refraction happen?
How do we see different colors?
How can active learning help students understand light?
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