Last week students learned that light was made of tiny particles called photons.  Students also explored the characteristics of opaque, translucent, and transparent objects.  Opaque objects do not allow light to pass through.  Translucent objects allow some light, often blurring what you are able to see.  Transparent objects allow light to pass through them, which makes it possible to see through them.  Waves of light can be absorbed, reflected, or refracted.  Ask your 5th grade scientist how those terms help explain why certain objects appear to be the color that they are.

Most of the earth's light comes from the sun; however, depending on where the earth is in its orbit determines how intense the rays of sunlight hit the earth.  We will connect our knowledge of light to the rotation of the earth on its access and the revolution of the earth around the sun.