LESSON PLAN
Student Teacher Joshua Smyth
Key Learning Area(s)
Grade
Science & Technology
4, 5 & 6
Date
14 May 2009
Time
Focus of lesson:
To continue previous lesson on static electricity with biggest static electricity charge of
all ‘lightning’ and to introduce and gain an understanding of lightning strikes.
Syllabus Outcome(s)
Indicators of Learning (List up to 3)
PPS2.4 Identifies various forms and
sources of energy and devises systems that
use energy.
Understands a theory of why lightning
strikes.
Identifies types of lightning strikes.
PPS3.4 Identifies and applies processes
involved in manipulating, using and
changing the form of energy.
Gains an understanding of lightning
strikes.
Links with Previous Learning
Continuation of previous static electricity lesson.
PPS1.4 Identifies and describes different ways some forms of energy are used in the
community.
PPS2.4 Identifies various forms and sources of energy and devises systems that use
energy.
Assessment
Understands possible causes of a lightning strike.
Identifies the various types of lightning strike.
Sequence of Teaching/Learning Experiences
Introduction
Gather students to open area with a clipboard and pencil
and introduce continuation of static electricity lesson and
hand out lightning worksheet.
Time
2 mins
Resources /
Organisation
Brown Paper
Bags
Interleaved
phonebooks
Body
Have the following questions written on the whiteboard:
1. Where does lightning usually strike?
2. Why is it hard to study lightning?
3. Why does lightning strike?
4. How do you stay safe when lightning is about?
5. What are some types of lightning?
Lightning
images on
thumb drive
Lightning
strikes youtube
clip
Introduce the biggest static electricity charge – lightning.
Discuss with students what they see when lightning strikes
and get them to draw it on the worksheet.
3 mins
Conduct lightning experiment. Get a volunteer to inflate 2
brown paper bags and explode it together. Explain to
students that this is one theory of why lightning strikes as a
result of friction. Get 2 students to try to pull apart
interleaved phone books that are held together by friction.
5 mins
Get students to estimate temperature of lightning then
move to computer to show images of lightning and get
students to discuss what they see in the images. Give more
details after the students have spoken if appropriate.
10 mins
Watch you tube video on lightning strikes.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2wY_t7zVIXY
10 mins
Students to fill out lightning fact sheet.
10 mins
Conclusion
Discuss answers to the questions and reveal the
temperature of a lightning strike.
5 mins
Lightning
worksheet
Assessment and Evaluation after Teaching
Evidence of student learning (how do you know that students have learned the skills and
understandings taught)
Students are able to identify types of lightning strikes.
Students are able to answer the six questions posed and understand the difficulties of
studying lightning and understand at least one theory of why lightning strikes.
Critical evaluation of your teaching (Evaluate two or three key aspects)
This lesson showed me why teachers need eyes in the back of their head. When showing
the lightning pictures to the students, two students left the group and went to fill out the
answers to the questions on the worksheet. I should have noticed this immediately and
scanned the room after each image.
The guessing of the temperature was good to tie the lesson together and an appropriate
conclusion. However many students answered very, very, very, very hot. After the first
student gave that response I should have asked the rest of the class who else thought that
to put their hand up to save time going through the class.
Lightning images and youtube video were appropriate as the students enjoyed and
watched attentively. The 2 students who went off to answer the questions stayed when
they came back and saw the quality of the images.
Whiteboard writing was much clearer. I must ensure that I maintain high standards as a
good example to the students.
Links with further learning
PPS2.4 Identifies various forms and sources of energy and devises systems that use
energy.
PPS3.4 Identifies and applies processes involved in manipulating, using and changing
the form of energy.