Teaching Reflection and Refraction in Elementary Science: Activities and Strategies

Reflection and refraction are foundational concepts in science that explain how light interacts with materials. Teaching these ideas to elementary students can be engaging and accessible through hands-on activities like mirror play and prism experiments. Begin with an overview of light’s basic properties, then introduce reflection as the bouncing of light off surfaces, and refraction as the bending of light through mediums like water. Activities such as observing a “bent” straw in water or navigating a flashlight through a cardboard maze can help make these concepts clear and memorable.