Light pollution: definition for children

The first thing to keep in mind when you want to explain anything to a child is that you will need to have certain references that allow you to identify what you are talking about. It must be understood that, for an adult, it may be enough to read information on a certain topic for them to understand it. However, in the case of children it is necessary that, in addition to reading that information, they can compare it with something that they do know or have previously seen, as it will help them understand what is being talked about.

Thus, when explaining to a child what light pollution is , the best recommendation is to do it with a practical example. That is, looking at the sky. In this way, depending on whether you are in a clean sky or one contaminated by artificial light, you can explain to the child in question that it is a sky of one kind or another. Once you have seen it, you can explain what the process is so that it can be seen clean or contaminated. In this way, with concrete examples that they can see and know first-hand, it will be much easier for the child in question to identify what light pollution is.

For example, when we are in the field , where there is no type of light pollution, we can see many stars in the sky. On the other hand, when we are in the city , the light from the streetlights, the cars, the buildings and all the light pollution the amount of stars that we can see is much smaller.

However, although practical examples are essential to know correctly what light pollution is , it is also necessary for children to know some information about the phenomenon and the nature of light, since it will allow them to have the initial mental tools to understand what that is being spoken to.

The best theory in this sense would be to explain what light is . In a general sense, light can be compared to air, since it is also “something that cannot be seen but exists”. Likewise, it is also good to give them practical examples that allow them to identify specific cases where there is and there is no light (day and night is the simplest and most effective example of all).

Finally, once children understand that there is a thing that is light and the effects it has, they should go on to explain its nature. In this sense, the simplest thing will be to simplify the explanation to photons (subatomic particles that are responsible for light). Although being scrupulous we should also talk about the wave-particle duality and the different types of light that exist, a priori, it will be enough to explain that light is photonsas it will allow a more effective understanding in the beginning. Once they think of light as photons, or light particles that move very fast and that when they collide with objects bounce, it can be explained, for example, why a sky polluted by artificial light turns orange, that It will be the easiest example for the child to understand, since it is very easy for him to compare it with a clean sky full of stars.

However, once the explanation of what light pollution is has been carried out and the child has understood it, the last part, and also the most important of all, is to make him understand that light pollution has effects , and effects they are not good. We must not forget that understanding what light pollution is will help children understand the world, but understanding the effects of things in the world will allow them to have a critical mind, which is such an important step in development. of the child as the acquisition of initial knowledge.

At this point, the child should be explained the consequences of light pollution. These consequences include various types:

• On the one hand, there are the consequences of a biological nature , such as alterations in the biorhythms of many animal species (including humans), as well as in the trophic chains of some nocturnal animals.
• On the other hand, there are the consequences that affect energy efficiency , since all that artificial light that ends up in the night sky is produced through the consumption and subsequent waste of specific energy resources, many of them polluting.

If you want to read more articles similar to Light pollution: definition for children , we recommend that you enter our Pollution category .