First Grade · Science · week 14

Mirrors bounce light

Discover that light bounces (reflects) off a mirror, and use a mirror to redirect a beam of light.

When light hits a mirror, it does not stop or pass through -- it bounces off, like a ball bouncing off a wall. This bounce is called reflection, and it is how a mirror lets you see yourself.

You can use a mirror to redirect light on purpose, sending a beam around a corner or onto a new spot, even a spot the light could not reach directly.

📋 For the teacher
Teach it (10–15 min):
  • Do this in a dim room so the bounced spot of light is easy to spot on a wall or ceiling.
  • Let your child experiment freely with tilting the mirror before you name "reflection" -- discovery first, vocabulary second.
  • Try using two mirrors to bounce light around a corner twice, as an extra challenge, if your child is ready.
  • Connect it to a real bathroom or car mirror: ask what they can see in it that they could not see by looking straight ahead.
Talk about it:
  • What happened to the light when it hit the mirror?
  • What happened when you tilted the mirror?
  • Where do you use mirrors in real life, and what do they help you see?

Mastery looks like: They explain that light bounces off a mirror (reflection) and can aim a mirror to redirect a beam of light to a chosen spot.

Common stumbles: Thinking the mirror makes new light instead of bouncing existing light; expecting the bounced spot to land exactly where the flashlight points, rather than at an angle.

Homework for this lessonType it, write it with a stylus, or print it for pencil & paper.open →
Records attendance + 15 min of Science for this learner.
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