Transparent, Translucent & Opaque

PROCEDURAL

Science›Waves, Light & Sound|Ages 6—7|ID: mt_p6frRFuxS6

Investigate the effect of placing objects made of different materials in the path of a beam of light, discovering transparent, translucent, and opaque materials

Mastery Evidence

Test at least six materials and classify them as transparent, translucent, or opaque
Define transparent (light passes through clearly), translucent (some light passes, blurry), opaque (no light passes)
Predict whether a given material will let light through based on its appearance

Assessment Prompt

“Can [child] test different materials with a torch and sort them into ones light goes through, ones that block light, and ones in between?”

Curriculum Standards1 alignment

1-PS4-3Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) K-5codes only

Standard code — full text not included in this dataset.

Prerequisites3

Light & Seeing in the Dark
hardAges 6—8
Describing Material Properties
softAges 5—6
Light & Sound Vocabulary
hardAges 6—8

Show full prerequisite tree

Light & Seeing in the Dark hard
Must understand light sources illuminate objects before testing how materials interact with light
- Light & Sound Vocabulary hard
  Observing that objects need illumination to be seen requires the 'light source' vocabulary
Describing Material Properties soft
Material properties knowledge (transparent/opaque) supports light investigation
- States of Matter Vocabulary soft
  Describing physical properties of materials uses solid/liquid/gas vocabulary introduced in the states of matter LANGUAGE node
- Naming Everyday Materials hard
  Must name materials before describing their properties
  - Objects vs Materials hard
    Must distinguish objects from materials before naming specific materials
Light & Sound Vocabulary hard
Investigating transparent, translucent, and opaque materials requires those three terms

Unlocks1

How Shadows Form
hardAges 7—8