Skip to content
Oak National Academy
Oak National Academy
Teachers
Pupils
icon-background-square
New
New
Year 7

How we see things

I can explain how we see objects around us using our eyes.

Download all resources
arrow-right
Share activities with pupils
arrow-right
icon-background-square
New
New
Year 7

How we see things

I can explain how we see objects around us using our eyes.

Download all resources
arrow-right
Share activities with pupils
arrow-right
warning

These resources will be removed by end of Summer Term 2025.

Switch to our new teaching resources now - designed by teachers and leading subject experts, and tested in classrooms.
View new resources
arrow-right

Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. Luminous objects give out light, non–luminous objects do not.
  2. All surfaces reflect light. Mirror–like surfaces reflect light in a regular way, other surfaces scatter light.
  3. For anything to be seen, light from it (either emitted or reflected) must enter the eye.
  4. Light enters the eye through a hole (the pupil) and is detected by the light–sensitive back surface (the retina).
  5. Beams of light can only be seen if the light hits something and reflects (or scatters) towards an eye.

Keywords

  • Luminous - Describes something that gives out light.

  • Non-luminous - Describes something that does not give out light.

  • Scatter - Surfaces that scatter light reflect light in many directions at once.

  • Pupil - The hole in the front of the eye that lets light into the eye.

  • Retina - The back surface of the eye that detects light.

Common misconception

Light only reflects off mirrors and shiny objects, and doesn't reflect off dull surfaces.

All surfaces reflect (some) light. Use ideas of reflected light to explain how we see all the objects around us.


To help you plan your year 7 science lesson on: How we see things, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...

On mini–whiteboards, ask pupils to sketch ray diagrams to show how they see a range of different objects – luminous, dull non–luminous, a reflection in a mirror (i.e. shiny non–luminous) – in order to consolidate understanding that we see when we detect light that falls into our eyes.
speech-bubble
Teacher tip
equipment-required

Equipment

Torch, cardboard box, laser, water in a mister/fine spray bottle (for demonstrations).

content-guidance

Content guidance

  • Risk assessment required - equipment
supervision-level

Supervision

Adult supervision required

copyright

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2025), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

Lesson video

Skip lesson video

Loading...

Starter quiz

Download starter quiz

6 Questions

Q1.
Which of the following words is the opposite of ‘smooth’?
bright
Correct answer: rough
shiny
dark
Q2.
Which of the following words is the opposite of ‘shiny’?
sticky
dark
black
Correct answer: dull
Q3.
Which of the following statements about light rays are correct?
Correct answer: They are a way of modelling light.
Correct answer: They point in the direction the light travels.
A very thin beam of light can be made of only one ray.
Q4.
The first law of reflection states that the angle of reflection equals …
Correct answer: the angle of incidence.
a right angle.
the incident ray.
the reflected ray.
Q5.
The second law of reflection states that the incident ray and the reflected ray are …
along the normal.
Correct answer: on opposite sides of the normal.
on the same side of the normal.
Q6.
The third law of reflection states that the two rays and the normal are all …
in different directions.
along the same line.
Correct answer: in the same plane.
in different planes.

Exit quiz

Download exit quiz

6 Questions

Q1.
Which of the following objects are luminous?
mirror
Correct answer: fire
Correct answer: torch
water
Q2.
Three pupils make statements A, B and C. A: only white objects reflect. B: only shiny objects reflect. C: you can see yourself in any object that reflects. How many of the statements are correct?
Correct answer: none of them
one
two
three
Q3.
Which of the following statements describes when light obeys the laws of reflection?
When light of any colour reflects off a smooth object.
Correct answer: When light of any colour reflects off any object.
When white light reflects off a smooth object.
When white light reflects off any object.
Q4.
Which of the following is a definition for the pupil of the eye?
A hole in the back of the eye that lets light out.
Correct answer: A hole in the front of the eye that lets light in.
The coloured part of the front of the eye.
The white part of the front of the eye.
Q5.
The is the back surface of the eye that detects light.
Correct Answer: retina
Q6.
A pupil shines a laser beam onto a wall. They can see a spot of light where the beam hits the wall, but cannot see the beam as it travels to the wall. Which of the following statements explains why?
Light travels too fast for you to see it.
You can only ever see light after it has reflected.
Correct answer: There is nothing in the air for the light to reflect off.
Light jumps straight from the laser to the wall without travelling between them.