How could you send a secret message to someone far away?

How could you send a secret message to someone far away?
Lesson narration:
English Spanish
Scroll for prep
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Can`you`think`of`a
way`to`communicate
YES`or`NO`to
someone`using`only
a`light?

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Slide Image
Slide Image

light


1 of 4

what comes from the Sun and lamps and makes it possible to see things

sound


2 of 4

vibrations that you can usually hear with your ears
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communicate


3 of 4

to give and get information
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Slide Image

invent


4 of 4

to create something new, often an object or a way of doing something

Featured Reviews

“The students were fascinated and we had great discussions about all the ways that we use to communicate. Most of them have never seen water so for them to think about how boats communicate with each other was especially interesting. They LOVED the signal activity and still have fun coming up with ideas for a "class bat signal." ”
· Darcy · Teacher
“Students asked after the lesson if they could take them home and light code with their parents. I think that is a great indicator of how much they enjoyed the lesson.”
· Seton · Teacher
“The creation of their own light codes thoroughly delighted the students!”
· Lea · Teacher
“The students had a lot of fun with the activity. The were able to send secret messages and wanted to take a blank copy home so they could show their families!”
· Erin · Teacher
“My students loved sending their messages! It opened up some great discussion and let the kids compare and contrast ways they already know how to communicate and come up with new ideas too.”
· Laura · Teacher
“I loved the connections my students made to real life light communication after they did the lab. It helped them see how a simple message could be sent with light.”
· Corinne · Teacher
“The active learning in the secret signals activity was great. There were many suggestions in the video of how light can send messages to drive the content home.”
· Jennifer · Teacher
“My Kids loved sending the different messages with the colored lights. They got very creative and expansive with their messages the more they played.”
· Sarah · Homeschooler
“The students were able to be active. This really improved their ability to understand the concepts.”
· Bonnie · Teacher
“I love that the mystery gives step-by-step directions with the opportunity to watch more than once. It's incredibly helpful for my kiddos and it gives me time to prep and distribute the materials around the room. I especially liked that there was an activity AND an art project for this one. It allowed me to extend the investigation across multiple days and across curricular areas. ”
· Aubrey · Teacher
“Turning off the lights and signaling to the class was fun! I modified this lesson to be a whole class activity instead of partners. Students came up and shared their signals and then used the flashlight to communicate. Whole class worked great too. Kids were moving and engaged and couldn't wait for their turn!”
· Ingrid · Teacher
“The kids loved the moving with the traffic lights and then doing the activity using the flashlights. Great way to get them involved. ”
· Andreanna · Teacher
Lesson narration:
English Spanish

Activity Prep

Print Prep
In this lesson, students practice using light to communicate information. In the activity, Secret Signals, students work in pairs to build a device that solves the problem of communicating over a distance. They send secret messages to one another using light and colored markers.
Preview activity

I have a Mystery Pack

Color Codes printout 1 per student
Markers
Preferably 1 red, 1 blue, and 1 green. You can use three other colors, but make sure they are very different from one another. Similar colors (red, pink, and orange) can lead to confusion.
Details
3 markers per pair
LED Flashlights
2 flashlights per pair
Prep Instructions

Make sure you have enough space. Pairs of students will need to be at least 5 or 6 feet apart, and have a clear line of sight to each other. Homeschool students working alone will need a partner to do this activity.

You will need to do this activity in the dark with the lights off and curtains drawn.

Classroom Management Tip

Flashlights are very fun, but can be very distracting! We suggest waiting to distribute flashlights to students until Step 6 of the activity.

Exploration

17 mins

Hands-On Activity

25 mins

Wrap-Up

3 mins

Extend this lesson

Vocabulary

Vocabulary

Student slideshow: English | Spanish

Teacher printout: English & Spanish

Mini-lessons

Mini-lessons

You can elaborate student learning and engagement with Mystery Science mini-lessons.

If you are in an NGSS state, these mini-lessons support the DCI PS4.C: Information Technology and Instrumentation

Activity

Activity

Transcripts

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Light Lesson 5: How could you send a secret message to someone far away?

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