Light Year 3 Science Booklet | KS2 Light Sources, Reflection, Shadows, Sun Safety | UK National Curriculum

Year 3 Light booklet. KS2 Science: light sources, reflection, shadow formation, sun safety, how shadows change. UK national curriculum primary.

The Year 3 Light unit is where the misconception "the eye sends light to objects" needs to be replaced with the correct model: light travels from a source, reflects off objects, and enters the eye. This booklet structures the unit with diagram tasks, prediction activities, and shadow investigations, so learners build the correct mental model of how vision works before secondary school.

What's inside:

• Light sources: the Sun, lamps, candles, electric lights, glowing objects — identifying real sources rather than reflective objects
• Reflection: how light bounces off shiny surfaces (mirrors) and rough surfaces (matte), why we can see non-luminous objects (reflected light enters the eye)
• Shadows: how shadows form when an opaque object blocks light; transparent, translucent, and opaque materials
• How the size of a shadow changes: with distance from the light source, with angle, with the object's orientation
• Sun safety: why we should never look directly at the Sun, how to protect eyes from bright light (sunglasses, shade, hat), why UV damages the skin
• Diagrams to label, prediction tasks, and short writing prompts learners can complete independently

UK National Curriculum reference: Year 3 Science, Light. Aligned to the statutory requirements: recognise that they need light in order to see things; notice that light is reflected from surfaces; recognise that light from the Sun can be dangerous; recognise that shadows are formed when light from a source is blocked by an opaque object; find patterns in the way that the size of shadows change.

Who it's for: Year 3 class teachers planning the Light unit, primary science leads, primary science tutors, parents supporting their child's Year 3 science learning, and homeschool families on the UK national curriculum.

Pair with the free video: The WHOLE Year 3 Light Unit — https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cmgQYfenXr8

Also pair with: Test Your Light Knowledge With These Fun Questions — https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DsRXjgRJ7ZQ

Read the blog post: A simple guide for reading and exploring together at home — https://advisoryscience.com/blog/how-to-use-the-advisory-science-booklets/a-simple-guide-for-reading-and-exploring-together-at-home

Want the matching practice? Year 3 Light Workbook — https://advisoryscience.com/b/year-3-light-workbook-ks2-primary-science-made-easy

Related Year 3 booklets: Plants, Animals Including Humans, Forces and Magnets, Rocks, The Bee Project.

Related KS2 retrieval resources: Year 3 Science Gap Fill Pack, Year 3 Science Vocabulary Match, Year 3 Science Frayer Models.

Made by an award-winning science educator with 25+ years of teaching experience. Used by 150+ UK schools. Instant download, A4 PDF, print-ready.

Licence: digital product. Personal/classroom use only. Print copies for your own child/children or your class; not for sharing on school drives, WhatsApp groups, social media, or resellers.

Year 3 light | KS2 reflection shadows | light sources sun safety | UK national curriculum Year 3 | homeschool primary science | opaque translucent transparent