Conservation

Follow the light

Act like bugs and buzz towards the light to find your way home in this creepy crawly game.

Grade

Duration

20 mins

Type

Game

Overview

Light is important to all living things, even bugs. Find a space with room to crawl around before playing “Follow the light”. This game is a fun way for kids to act like an insect and find out just how useful light is in finding our way around.

Instructions

What you'll need

A gym or indoor space with room to move around
Flashlight

To start off, ask students why we need light and talk about how some light sources are natural and some are artificial. Give examples or do the “Making light choices” activity.
In the spirit of conservation, turn off the lights in your classroom before heading to the gym to play “Follow the light”.
Tell students that a lot of bugs use a distant light source, like the moon, to find their way around (this is called transverse orientation).
Explain the rules of “Follow the light” (based on “Red Light, Green Light”). The students are now transformed into bugs and line up on one side of the gym, channelling their inner insect. The object of the game is for the bugs to find their way home and reach the opposite side of the gym first.
- If safe, turn the lights down a bit
Shine your flashlight on the opposite wall (home) and the students crawl like bugs on the ground, towards the light. Switch the flashlight off and everybody should freeze. Anyone who doesn’t freeze gets sent back to the start. Shine the light on the opposite wall again and the bugs can move. Repeat this until one or more of the bugs makes it home.
After the game, get the class to talk about the pros and cons of natural and artificial light. When is it a good idea to turn off lights that we don’t need?

Modify or extend this activity

Explore with the students other life forms that navigate using light like turtles, fish, birds, and reptiles.
Consider the lesson “Sounds of energy” which explores natural and artificial energy.

Curriculum Fit

Grade 1 Science

Content

Light and sound can be produced and their properties can be changed
- Natural and artificial sources of light and sound

Curricular competencies

Questioning and predicting

Demonstrate curiosity and a sense of wonder about the world

Evaluating

Consider some environmental consequences of their actions

Grade 1 Physical and Health Education

Content

Daily physical activity helps us develop movement skills and physical literacy, and is an important part of healthy living
- How to participate in different types of physical activities, including games

Curricular competencies

Physical literacy

Develop and demonstrate a variety of fundamental movement skills in a variety of physical activities and environments

Social and community health

Develop and demonstrate respectful behaviour when participating in activities with others

Teaching Notes

Natural light

Natural light can benefit our health and save energy:

Helps improve mental health
Improves sleep
Increases ability to concentrate and learn
Helps our bodies to produce vitamin D which help us build and maintain teeth and bones and absorb calcium
Saves energy as we can turn off the artificial lighting

Tips to increase natural light and conserve energy:

Keep blinds or curtains open to let in the natural light
Decorate with bright reflective colours and/or use mirrors
Get outside and exercise

Assessment

Assess students’ understanding of the importance of light for bugs and other animals.
Assess students’ participation in the game.
Assess students’ ability to demonstrate respectable behaviour during the game.