Tennessee Tech University
Lesson Plan Template
Name: Ms. Campbell & Ms. Banker
Date: 3/20/13
Lesson Title: Light
Grade/Level: 4
Curriculum Standards
State/Common Core Curriculum Standards
Science:
GLE 0407.10.2 Investigate how light travels and is influenced by different types of materials and surfaces.
SPI 0407.10.2 Determine which surfaces reflect, refract, or absorb light.
SPI 0407.10.3 Determine whether a material is transparent, translucent, or opaque.
Math:
CCSS.Math.Content.4.MD.C.5 Recognize angles as geometric shapes that are formed wherever two rays share a
common endpoint, and understand concepts of angle measurement:
Technology:
Standard 3.0 Students will use technology productivity tools.
4.3.1. Students will use technology tools to enhance learning, increase
productivity, and promote creativity.
Focus Questions/Big Idea/Goal (List all 3)
What question(s), big idea(s), and goals drive your instruction?
Question: How is light influenced by various materials?
Big Idea: Since light is the driving force for all forms of life, students need to understand its path. Gaining an
understanding of how light is reflected and refracted on objects will help students understand the dynamics of light.
Goal: Students will understand how light is influenced by different materials. They will identify different materials as
opaque, translucent, or transparent and know if the light is absorbed, reflected, or refracted.
Lesson Objective(s)
Objectives are measurable.
1. Students will use a flashlight to investigate whether reflection, absorption, or refraction occurs when light hits various
materials and identify whether materials are opaque, translucent, or transparent.
2. Students will play the iPad game Bo Bo Discovers Light.
3. Students will fill out an observation table about their investigation of light and objects.
Vocabulary/ Academic Language
Revised Spring 2011
What opportunities will you provide for students to practice content language/vocabulary and develop fluency?
Reflect - To throw or bend back from a surface.
Refract - To deflect (light, for example) from a straight path by refraction.
Absorb - To retain (radiation or sound, for example) wholly, without reflection or transmission.
Light - Electromagnetic radiation that has a wavelength in the range from about 4,000 (violet) to about 7,700 (red)
angstroms and may be perceived by the normal unaided human eye.
transparent-having the property of transmitting light without appreciable scattering so that bodies lying beyond are seen
clearly
Translucent-Allowing light, but not detailed images, to pass through; semitransparent.
Opaque- an object is neither transparent (allowing all light to pass through) nor translucent (allowing some light to pass
through).
Angle - Geometric shapes that are formed wherever two rays share a common endpoint.
Transparent - Capable of transmitting light so that objects or images can be seen as if there were no intervening
material.
Students will use the academic vocabulary on their graphic organizers and on the exit ticket.
Material/Resources
What do you need for this lesson?
light powerpoint
graphic organizer with pictures
light observation chart
prism
aluminum foil
Each group of 3-4 will need:
laser
mirror
glass
cardboard
wax paper
iPad - Bobo Explores Light app by Game Collage, LLC
Assessment/Evaluation
Formative: How will students demonstrate understanding of lesson objective(s)? How will you monitor and/or give
feedback?
Throughout the lesson, the teacher will monitor students for understanding. Also, the teacher will continually ask
questions to make sure that students understand new material. During questioning and conversation, the teacher will
assess students’ academic growth. If a student verbalizes an incorrect answer or misconception, the teacher will
correct the misconception and present the correct answer to the class. During the laser light activity, the teacher will
walk around and listen to the students’ discussions. If the students are off task or lacking knowledge, the teacher will
redirect their attention to the task or specific observation that would help them understand what is going on. Also, the
teacher will provide specific feedback throughout the lesson, giving them recognition for their scientific inquiry and
thought process and redirecting and correcting misconceptions. During the Bo Bo Discovers Light game, the teacher
will ask probing questions to lead them into higher order thinking. The teacher will ask them questions like what if?
When the student makes a prediction, the teacher will gain a perspective on how the students understand the material.
If a student makes a wrong prediction, the game will show them. Then the teacher will ask them why they think
something else happened and if they understand their mistake.
Summative: What evidence will you collect and how will it document student learning/mastery of lesson objective(s)
In order to check for mastery, the teacher will collect their observation charts. If students correctly identify each light
reaction to a material, they will have mastered the basic concepts of light travel. Also, the teacher will collect the
students’ exit tickets to see how much they have learned or if they have learned anything new.
Revised Spring 2011
Instruction
(Include a suggested time for each major activity)
List Questions for higher order
thinking These cannot be
answered by yes or no.
(Identify Bloom’s Level of
Thinking)
*This section of the lesson should last approximately 10 minutes*
Set/Motivator: How will you engage student interest in the content of the lesson?
Use knowledge of students’ academic, social, and cultural characteristics.
Evaluation: What is occurring with
the light?
Before the lesson begins, the teacher will ask the students to put their hands on their
head if they know how light works and reflects and refracts off of objects. If a student
already says they know the topic. The teacher will ask them to explain. Students will
be given the opportunity to share their background knowledge on the topic of light.
Advanced students will be given an opportunity to use the iPad to further explore the
topic of light and increase their understanding.
The teacher will begin the lesson by shining a light through a prism. Next, the
teacher will explicitly point out the way the light shines out of the prism. Then the
teacher will ask various probing questions about what is happening with the prism
and the light. This demonstration will serve as both a motivator to get the students
thinking about how light travels and a pre-assessment to activate students’ prior
knowledge.
The teacher will introduce students to the concepts of reflection, refraction, and
absorption using a graphic organizer with photographs to provide students the
opportunity to collect information about the processes.
Knowledge: Is it being reflected,
refracted, or absorbed?
Knowledge: Is the prism
transparent, translucent, or
opaque?
*This section of the lesson should last approximately 40 minutes*
Instructional Procedures/Learning Tasks: Provide specific resources/details of
lesson content and delivery.
Analysis: Why do you think the
light would not shine through the
cardboard?
Part I: 10 mins
In order to continue the lesson, the teacher will lead the discussion into a short
slideshow introducing light and how it reflects or refracts off of various materials.
During this part of the lesson, the teacher will carefully describe specific examples to
further students’ understanding. During the slideshow the teacher will ask various
questions to check for understanding. Students will also identify whether materials
are opaque, transparent, or translucent. By the end of the slideshow, the teacher will
ask students to put their fingers on their nose if they understand light and how it
travels through different materials. The teacher will also ask the students if they have
any more questions before continuing with the lesson.
Part II: 20 mins
After the slideshow the teacher will group the students into small cooperative groups
for an activity. The teacher will explicitly explain the steps in the activity and model
the steps in the activity. The teacher will ask the students to shine the light on each
object, sketch their observations of each material in the chart, and decide whether
the flashlight is reflecting, refracting or being absorbed into each material. Next, the
teacher will ask the students to pinpoint the endpoint of the angle of the light beam in
their sketches. The teacher will model how to conduct the activity by using a laser
light and aluminum foil. The teacher will show students how to record the information
on the chart and answer the three questions. In order to check the students’
understanding of the directions, the teacher will ask a student to repeat the
directions. In order to help the students with answering the questions, the teacher
will encourage students to use their graphic organizers to help them during this
activity. The teacher will discuss the guidelines for using the lasers and let them
know that groups that do not follow safety directions will not be allowed to continue
using the lasers. The teacher will hand out a laser, mirror, glass piece, wax paper
piece, cardboard piece, and observation chart to each group.
Part III: 10 mins
After the students complete the activity, the teacher will show the students how to
Synthesis: Can you think of a
different material that the light
would shine through? Why?
Analysis: When you moved the
lasers in the BoBo Discovers
Light game, how did the angles of
the light change? How did you
make the angles larger and
smaller?
Evaluation: What do you think
would happened if you shined a
light on metal? Why?
Revised Spring 2011
play the Bobo Explores Light iPad app. The teacher will ask the students to complete
three specific tutorials on the game. Students will use the reflection, refraction, and
the combined reflection and refraction sections on the app. They will ultimately have
to share something they have learned from the activity and the game in the closure.
While the students are playing on the game, the teacher will walk around to assess
how well the students understand the material. The teacher will be available for
questions that may arise during the activity.
This section of the lesson should last approximately 10 minutes*
Closure: Verbalize or demonstrate learning or skill one more time. May state future
learning.
At the close of the lesson, students will complete an exit ticket. The exit ticket will
contain a question asking students to explain how they know if an object is opaque,
transparent, or translucent and provide example. They will also record what they
have learned about absorption of light, reflection of light, and refraction of light.
The teacher will use the exit tickets to determine how well students understand the
concepts related to the lesson and decide on future learning experiences.
Knowledge: How do you know if
an object is opaque, transparent,
or translucent? Provide examples
for each.
Evaluation: What did you learn
about absorption, reflection, and
refraction?
Adaptations to Meet Individual Needs: How will you adapt the instruction to meet the needs of individual students?
Include ELL?; SPED?; Gardner’s Learning Styles - Name and specify what happens in the lesson that uses each learning style
listed; Other individual needs of the students/class you are teaching?
Gardner’s Learning Styles:
Visual-Spatial: Students are able to work with visuals during the flashlight activity and while using the iPad app.
Bodily-kinesthetic: Students will be engaged in hands-on learning when working with materials to investigate light. They
will also use their hands when using the iPad.
Interpersonal: Students will interact with others when discussing the ideas presented in the lesson.
Intrapersonal: Students will share their own thoughts and understanding at the close of the lesson.
Logical-Mathematical: Students will be involved in an investigation and record information on a chart about light.
In order to assist students with special needs, the teacher will repeat directions and break them down into steps. Also,
the teacher will demonstrate how to do the activities. The teacher will be sure to be available for individual support and
encouragement. For both ELL and SPED students, the teacher will assign a partner who is empathetic and helpful.
Students with special needs and ELLs will be seated near the front of the class for optimal learning.
Management/Safety Issues: Are there any management and/or safety issues that need to be considered when
teaching this lesson?
The teacher will want to direct students to use the flashlight on the objects only and emphasize that the light cannot be
shone into eyes. Since students are working with such an expensive piece of equipment, the teacher will make set very
rigid guidelines for playing with iPad. The teachers will closely monitor the students while they work with the iPads.
Since the students are shining a light through glass, the teacher will make sure the glasses’ edges are rounded off. The
teacher will emphasize safe glass handling techniques and have students work over a table in case it is dropped.
Rationale/Theoretical Reasoning:
Common Misconceptions:
Students tend to believe that objects can only reflect light or absorb light. They also believe shiny surfaces only reflect
light. In this lesson, students learn that students do both through their investigations with different objects. We use
different materials that reflect and absorb light to different degrees to show students how light is absorbed and reflected
by all objects.
Common Misconceptions about Light, Heat, and the Sun — Energy and the Polar Environment — Beyond
Penguins and Polar Bears. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://beyondpenguins.ehe.osu.edu/issue/energy-and-thepolar-environment/common-misconceptions-about-light-heat-and-the-sun
Revised Spring 2011
Multiple Intelligences: This lesson was created with Howard Gardner’s Theory of Multiple Intelligences in mind. The
lesson specifically addresses visual, kinesthetic, auditory, logical, interpersonal, and intrapersonal learning styles in
order to help students with varied learning styles learn concepts about light. How this lesson incorporates these
theories is discussed more in depth in “Adaptations to Meet Individual Needs.”
Gardner, H. (2000), Intelligence reframed: Multiple intelligences for the 21st century. New York: Basic Books
Vygotsky:
Vygotsky’s theories emphasize the importance of social interaction in learning. This lesson also incorporates Lev
Vygotsky’s Sociocultural Theory by using group activity to help students construct understanding from listening to each
other’s ideas.
Vygotsky, L.S. (1978). Mind in society. The development of higher psychological processes. Cambridge, MA: Harvard
University Press.
Bloom’s Taxonomy:
The teacher is emphasizing Benjamin Bloom’s Taxonomy by asking more synthesis and evaluation questions. By
asking these questions, the students are developing higher order thinking skills, rather simple knowledge or recall skills.
The students will gain a greater understanding of how light works when they closely analyze how light works and can
apply their knowledge of light to various situations.
Bloom's Taxonomy. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.odu.edu/educ/roverbau/Bloom/blooms_taxonomy.htm
Bruner:
In addition to these theories, the teacher is using Jerome Bruner’s Constructivist Theory to help students to construct
their own knowledge. Since the teacher provides time for reflection within the closure by asking students to reflect on
what they have learned, the teacher helps the student to make sense of what they have just learned and construct their
own understanding through their own ideas and meaning attached to the topic.
Constructivist Theory. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.instructionaldesign.org/theories/constructivist.html
Marzano’s Nine Instructional Strategies for effective Teaching and Learning: These strategies have been shown
by research to improve student learning.
Nonlinguistic Representations: Research has found nonlinguistic representations to stimulate and increase brain
activity. In this lesson, they are provided through the slideshow, the graphic organizer, and the iPad game.
Summarizing and Notetaking: Writing summaries gives students an opportunity to decide what information was
important and explain their understanding. Students summarize their learning in the Exit Ticket at the close of the
lesson.
Setting Objectives and Providing Feedback: Setting objectives and providing feedback gives students direction.
Furthermore, positive feedback should be given often. The teacher sets objectives for the students and provides
feedback during the lesson’s formative assessments. Students receive feedback throughout the lesson.
Dean, C., Hubbell, E., Pitler, H., & Stone, B. (2012). Classroom Instruction that Works: Research-Based Strategies for
Increasing Student Achievement, 2nd edition. ASCD McREL
References: List the references used in this lesson
www.thefreedictionary.com
Bobo Explores Light by Game Collage, LLC
Reflections/Future Modifications: To what extent did the class learn what you intended them to learn? What will be
your next steps instructionally? What did you learn about your students as learners? What have you learned about
yourself as a teacher?
Revised Spring 2011
Light Observation Chart
Mirror
Cardboard
Glass
Wax Paper
1) Illustrate
what you see
when you shine
a light on the
item. Be sure to
closely observe
what is
happening!
2) Do you think
the light is
reflecting,
refracting or
being observed?
*Hint: What is
the light doing?*
3) Explain why
you think the
light is
reflecting,
refracting or
being
absorbed.Use
your
observations and
reasoning skills!
*Hint: Is the
Revised Spring 2011
material
transparent,
translucent or
opaque?
Light Graphic Organizer
Vocabulary
Reflection: Think
about what happens
when you see a light
shining and you do
not know where it is
coming from. Then
you notice that it
may be coming from
a shiny surface. This
is reflection. Light
beams are actually
bouncing off of a
surface.
Refraction: Have you
ever noticed how
objects look
different
underwater? This is
refraction in action!
When light shines
through a
transparent object,
the light beams
actually bend and
are displaced at a
different angle.
Definition
Picture
Notes
Reflect:_________
_______________
_______________
________________
________________
________________
Refract:__________
________________
________________
________________
________________
________________
Revised Spring 2011
Absorption: What
happens when you
shine a light on an
opaque object? You
do not see the light
bounce off or go
through the object.
This is called
absorption, when
light beams can not
pass through an
object.
Absorb:__________
________________
________________
________________
________________
________________
Revised Spring 2011