Tennessee Tech University
Lesson Plan on Transparent, Translucent, and Opaque
Name: Katherine M. Smith and Catelyn Snodgrass
Date: April 5th, 2014
Lesson Title: Learning about Transparent Translucent, and Opaque objects with Light
Grade/Level: 4th grade
Curriculum Standards
TN Science Standards:
GLE 0407.10.2 Investigate how light travels and is influenced by different types of materials and
surfaces.
CU 0407.10.3 Gather and organize information about a variety of materials to categorize them as
translucent, transparent, or opaque.
SPI 0407.10.3 Determine whether a material is transparent, translucent, or opaque.
Computer Tech Standards:
4.3.1. Students will use technology tools to enhance learning, increase productivity, and promote
creativity.
b. Use the computer and technology resources as a learning tool
d. Use simulation software to assist with learning.
Focus Questions/Big Idea/Goal (List all 3)
Focus Question: What objects are: transparent, translucent, or opaque?
Big Idea: Students will recognize transparent (Drinking glass), translucent (Tissue paper), and
opaque (Cardboard).
Goal: Students will be able to understand and recognize the differences in transparent, translucent,
and opaque.
Lesson Objective(s)
Content Objectives:
Students will explore, transparent, translucent, and opaque objects and their response to light.
Academic Language Objectives:
Students will be able to name, describe and compare the similarities and differences between
transparent, translucent, and opaque.
Vocabulary/ Academic Language
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Language Supports:
The students will learn their vocabulary through watching the educational song video we have.
They shall also learn from the examples we will show them before they get started on their
scavenger hunt experiment worksheet. The students will fill out this worksheet and it will function as
a graphic organizer. This will help the students to learn the proper vocabulary and processes in
identifying translucent, transparent, and opaque objects.
Academic Vocabulary:
1. Transparent-it is completely crystal, clear, and light can pass through easily.
2. Translucent-not completely clear, but light can pass through.
3. Opaque-it does not allow the transmittance of light, light can not pass through.
Material/Resources
Materials:
1. Cardboard
2. Plastic wrap
3. Tissue paper
4. Lasers
5. Drinking glass
6. Milk
7. Exit Ticket
8. Light and Objects Experiment Worksheet
9. Video-The song Transparent, Translucent, and Opaque.
10. Ipad- for the app “Bobo explores light”
11. Three glass spagetti jars with labels removed:
a. one that is cleaned out,
b. one that has frosted glass, and
c. one that is painted solid black.
Assessment/Evaluation
Formative:
The students will fill out their experimentation worksheet while they shine lights through the different
materials available. This will allow the students to demonstrate the knowledge they have learned by
labeling the materials as translucent, transparent, or opaque. They will also explain why they think it
is translucent, transparent, or opaque. The teacher will be walking around the classroom monitoring
the students and assisting the students as needed at each station. The teacher will also be asking
higher level thinking questions as the students work at each station.
Summative:
The students will be given an exit ticket where they will have to identify if something is transparent,
translucent, or opaque and explain how the light acts going through the material. This will show if the
students learned what the difference between the three things are. The students will check their exit
ticket with the teacher. If the students have each of the questions on the exit ticket correct they will be
free to move on to centers.
Instruction
(Include a suggested time for each major activity)
(90 minutes total)
List Questions for higher
order thinking These cannot
be answered by yes or no.
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(Identify Bloom’s Level of
Thinking)
Set/Motivator: (15-20 Minutes)
1. The lesson will begin with the teacher asking the students
about their knowledge of light.
2. Next the students will be introduced to the vocabulary that the
lesson is centered around, through a quick video that shows
and explains what each word means.
3. Once the video is complete the teacher will lead students in a
discussion about the three concepts that are named in the
video and how they are related to light.
4. The students will be asked to explain the three terms in their
own words.
1. What is light? [Level I:
Knowledge]
2. Why do you think that
light goes through some
things and not others?
[Level II:
Comprehension,
Level IV Analysis]
3. How would you explain
why light does go through
somethings and not
other?
[Level II: Comprehension,
Level III: Application,
Level VI: Evaluation]
Instructional Procedures/Learning Tasks: (35-45 Minutes)
Teacher Models-Time: (3-5 min)
1. The teacher will hand out the Light and Objects worksheet, to
each student. The students may work in pairs or in groups of
four.
2. The teacher will model with three different examples of glass
spaghetti jars. All three will be clean, the first will be clear, the
second will have frosted glass, and the third will be painted
black.
Experimenting-Time: (5-10 min)
3. Then the students will walk around the classrooms to each of
the centers; each student will experiment by shining a laser
through each of the different materials available.
4. The students will circle whether the material is transparent,
translucent, or opaque.
Fill out Worksheet-Time : (5-10 min)
5. They will go back to their desks and describe why they circled
the answer they did. If they have extra time then they will be
challenged to find additional things in the classroom to fit in one
of the categories. They will also be challenged to compare how
the materials react differently to the flashlight and then the
different colored lasers.
Milk Experiment-Time: (5-10 min)
6. Before the students turn in their work sheet they will fill their
milk cup with a little bit of milk.
7. The students will use the lasers to see that the milk causes the
glass to become opaque. The students will record this finding
on the bottom or back of their worksheet as an additional
problem, along with an explanation about the glass normally
being transparent but the milk causes it to be opaque.
8. The students will turn in their worksheet when they are done
1. How would you classify
the types of objects that
light can and can’t go
through? [Level II:
Comprehension, Level III:
Application, Level IV:
Analysis]
2. What conclusions can
you
draw about light? [Level
II:
Comprehension, Level III:
Application, Level IV:
Analysis, Level VI:
Evaluation]
3. What would happen if we
used tea or juice instead
of
milk in our cup?[Level II:
Comprehension, Level III:
Application, Level IV:
Analysis, Level V:
Synthesis, Level VI:
Evaluation]
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experimenting.
Bobo Explores Light - Time: (10-15 min)
9. As the students finish they will be allowed 5 minutes each to
play on the ipad until the rest of the class is finished.
10. Students will be given a list of the different games available on
the app that the teacher would like them to try.
11. The list of games include: reflection with mirrors, the exploration
with color, the two laser pages, lighting, and aurora page.
12. The students will be allowed to choose three of the games to
play in their time allowed.
13. Once they have completed their game time the students will
need to tell one friend two things that they learned from the app
about light.
Closure: (15-25 Minutes)
1. The teacher will discuss with the students what they have
learned about light.
2. The teacher will pass out the exit tickets.
3. All the students will be expected to hand these tickets to the
teacher before the lesson is over.
4. As the students complete their exit tickets they will be free to
work on their centers
1. How could you determine
if an object is translucent,
transparent, or opaque?
[Level II: Comprehension,
Level III: Application,
Level
IV: Analysis, Level VI:
Evaluation]
2. Based on what you know,
how would you explain
translucent, transparent,
or opaque? [Level II:
Comprehension, Level IV:
Analysis, Level VI:
Evaluation]
3. What would you select to
show that an object is
transparent, translucent,
or opaque? [Level II:
Comprehension, Level:
IV:
Analysis, Level VI:
Evaluation]
Adaptations to Meet Individual Needs:
SPED:
Special Ed. students will be paired with another student who will assist the special ed student. The
activities that we have chosen that are visual so that students will have a better understanding of
the light concepts.
ELL:
ELL students will be paired with a non-ELL student who will assist the ELL student. There are also
plenty of visual representations that will help the students with understanding.
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Gardner’s Learning Styles:
Visual-Spatial: The activity will involve the students looking at materials to see if they are
transparent, translucent, or opaque.
Body-Kinesthetic: The students will be moving around to different stations to identify multiple
materials as transparent, translucent, or opaque.
Interpersonal: The students are welcome to work in pairs if they think they will be able to work
together.
Intrapersonal: Students are initially expected to work by themselves to find out if the materials are
translucent, transparent, or opaque.
Management/Safety Issues:
Students will need to be reminded about not shining the lasers in each other’s eyes because it can
be harmful to their eyes. Students will also be asked to no drink the milk out of the glass, due to
allergies. Students need to be told to not touch any of the objects to their mouth’s due to many
students will be touching the objects through-out the day.
Rationale/Theoretical Reasoning:
Vygotsky (1978): He believes that social interaction is essential and is the key to the development
of cognition. Community plays a strong role in the process of ‘making meaning’. Vygotsky argued
that learning is a necessary aspect of developing culturally organized psychological function. In
short, he believes that social learning tends to come before development. There is much more
emphasis placed on how culture shapes your development. Children learn best when they are
together and interacting with each other. We will be incorporating this theory in our lesson by
having the children work in small groups and not alone. They will be learning together instead of
individually. The students will be given the vocabulary individually and then the teacher will assign
groups where the students are together with other students that have different difficulties. This way
the students can help each other instead of not learning anything new.
Piaget (1952): One of Piaget’s focuses was on the schema, or building blocks, of a child. The
students will be building onto any prior knowledge that they have about light. Students will also
have to cooperate because they have to share the ipad to be able to play the app. The students will
use the ipad app to continue with their understanding about light, to explore a few of the other
interesting facts about light. The students will be active participants in a group as they go from
station to station exploring the properties of light. The teacher will be there more for monitoring the
students than lecturing the students about light. The students will understand and be able to
describe the differences of; transparent, translucent, and opaque objects, by the end of the lesson.
Common Misconceptions: Students may have some misconceptions about light, and we hope we
are able to properly address them. One misconception may be that light only comes in one color,
clear. Or that light doesn’t travel through objects or is stopped by objects. Students may also, not
understand that you can mix light but with different results than when you mix paint. Students may
have a misunderstanding about which objects absorb and or reflect light. Students could also think
that light travels through an object differently depending upon the color of the light.
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References:
http://www.doe.virginia.gov/testing/sol/standards_docs/science/2010/lesson_plans/grade5/force_m
otion_energy/sess_5.3c.pdf --Exit Ticket
http://www.teachertube.com/viewVideo.php?video_id=5649 --Video
http://www.education.com/files/507001_508000/507120/transparent-translucent-opaqueworksheet.pdf --Worksheet
http://beyondpenguins.ehe.osu.edu/issue/energy-and-the-polar-environment/commonmisconceptions-about-light-heat-and-the-sun-- Common Misconceptions
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?
Catelyn Reflection on STEM Saturday:
I had a lot of fun with all the kids coming into our area on Saturday. I felt that our activities were
interesting and and educational at the same time. A lot of the parents wanted to know what the app
we used on the Ipads was. That was a station in our area that the kids seemed to really like.
Another station that they really liked was the one where they experimented on gummy bears and
lasers. They got to eat the gummy bears after they were done with the experiment. STEM Saturday
seemed to go really well and all the kids looked like they had a lot of fun at all of the areas.
Katherine Reflection on STEM Saturday:
I really liked our activities and I feel that they did a great job of explaining the concepts through
visual hands on activities. I thought that the STEM Saturday went as well as it could, considering
that we didn’t know the students. If this had been in a classroom we would have a good idea of the
students’ previous knowledge and know their learning styles. I am sure that several of the students
did not have an interest in being there, but pretty much all of the students seemed to be having fun
once they saw how much fun all of the activities were, that we had available.
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Exit Ticket:
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Worksheet:
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