Lesson Fourteen
What is the relationship between light, energy,
and the electromagnetic spectrum?
Science
Co ns tr u ct in g E xp la n at i o ns , E ng ag in g in A rg u m e nt , a nd
O bt ai ni ng , E va lu a ti ng, an d Co m m un ic a ti ng In fo r m at io n
Grade 8
90
minutes
ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS
R e ad in g I nfo r m at io n a l T e xt , W r it in g an Ex pl a na tio n
PURPOSE
In this lesson, students continue to explore properties of light. Students refine their knowledge by
understanding that energy is transported in electromagnetic waves. Students read an online text to
gather information and write a summary. At the end of the lesson, students are expected to use their
previous knowledge and what they learned in today’s lesson to write an explanation of the
relationship between light, energy, and the electromagnetic spectrum.
STANDARDS
Com mo n Cor e S ta te S ta n da r ds
•
D et er m i n e t h e c en tr al id e as o r co nc lu s io n s o f a t e xt ; pro vi d e a n a c cu ra t e
su m m ar y o f th e t ex t d i st in c t f ro m p rio r kno w le dg e o r o p in io ns .
C CS S. E LA - LI T ER A CY .R S T. 6- 8.2
•
D ev el o p th e to p i c w it h re l ev an t, w el l -c ho s en fa c ts , d e fi ni tio n s, co nc re t e
de t ai ls , q uo ta ti o n s, o r o th er i nfo r ma ti o n a nd e xa m pl e s. C C SS .E LA LI T ER A CY .W H S T. 6 -8 .2 . B
•
Us e pr e ci s e la ng ua g e an d do m a in - sp e ci fi c v o c ab ul ar y to i nfo r m ab o ut o r
e xpl a in th e to p i c. C C S S. ELA -L I TE R A CY. W H S T. 6-8 .2. D
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STANDARDS Continued
Com mo n Cor e S ta te S ta n da r ds
•
Ga th e r r el e va nt i nfo r m at io n fr o m mu l tip l e p ri nt an d d ig it a l so u rc e s,
us in g s e ar c h te r m s eff e ct iv e ly ; a s s es s th e c r e dib il it y an d a cc ur a cy o f
e ac h so ur c e; an d q uo t e o r p ar ap hr as e t he d a ta a nd co n cl us io n s o f o th er s
wh il e avo id in g p la gi ar i s m an d fo ll o w in g a s t a nd ard fo r m a t f o r ci t at i o n.
C CS S. E LA - LI T ER A CY .W HS T .6 - 8.8
•
Dr aw e vi d en c e f ro m in fo r m at io na l t e x ts to s u ppo r t an al y si s, r ef l ec ti o n,
an d r e s ea r ch. CC S S. EL A -L I TER A CY. W H S T.6 -8 . 9
N ex t Ge ne ra ti o n S ci e nc e S ta n da r ds
•
D ev el o p a mo d el th a t pr edi c t s a nd d e sc ri be s ch a ng e s i n p ar t ic l e m o tio n,
te m p er at ur e , a nd s t at e o f a p ur e su bs t an c e w he n th er m a l en e rg y i s
ad de d o r r e mo v e d. M S - PS -1 -4
•
D ev el o p an d u s e a mo de l to d e s cr ib e h o w th e to t a l n u mb er o f a to m s
do e s no t ch an g e i n a c he m i c al r ea c tio n an d t hu s m as s is c o n s erv e d. M S P S- 1 -5
•
Ch e m i c al R e a ct io ns . P S1.B
Sub s ta n c es r e ac t ch e m ic a ll y i n ch ar a c t eri s ti c wa y s. In a c h e mi c al pr o c e ss ,
th e at o ms t ha t m a k e u p t he o r ig in al s ub st a n c es a r e r eg ro u p ed in to
dif f er en t mo l e cu l es , a nd th e s e n e w sub s t an c e s h av e di ff er e nt pro p er ti e s
fro m tho s e o f r e a ct a nt s.
Th e to t al nu m b er o f e a ch ty p e o f a to m i s co ns er v ed, a nd th u s t h e m a ss
do e s no t ch an g e.
•
W av e P ro p er ti e s. PS4 . A
A si m pl e w av e ha s a r e pe a ti ng p a tt e rn wi th a sp e ci fi c w av el e ng th ,
fr eq ue n cy , an d a mp li t ud e.
S ci e nce a n d En gi ne er i n g Pra cti ces
•
Co ns tr u ct in g exp l an a ti o ns a nd d es ig ni ng so l ut io n s
•
Eng a gi ng in ar gu m e nt fro m ev id e n ce
•
O bt ai ni ng , ev al ua t ing , an d co m m un ic a ti ng in fo r m at io n
2
Lesson FOURTEEN
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LEARNING GOALS
Understand that wavelength and frequency help explain energy.
Understand electromagnetic waves exist along a spectrum and transport
energy.
SUCCESS CRITERIA
1
Describe electromagnetic waves.
2
Construct an accurate explanation of the relationship between light, wave
energy, and the electromagnetic spectrum.
3
Identify main ideas and supporting facts and details.
4
Reference appropriate and relevant evidence from text(s) to support
explanation.
SUMMARY OF LESSON TASKS
1
Discuss and report initial thinking.
2
Read: Tour of the Electromagnetic Spectrum.
3
Write a summary.
4
Conduct investigation.
5
Write an explanation.
Culminating task
Write a one to two-paragraph explanation in response to the question, “What is the
relationship between light, energy, and the electromagnetic spectrum?” Include
information that describes light as electromagnetic waves that make up the
electromagnetic spectrum, relate color to the visible light spectrum, and explain the
anatomy of a wave. Support your explanation with evidence from the texts,
discussions, and other relevant sources. Cite your sources.
3
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and t he e le c tr o ma gne ti c s pe c tr u m ?
PART I: INTRODUCTION
INTRODUCE THE TOPIC Tell students to think about what they have learned
about light and energy in previous lessons. Ask students to consider the question, “What is
the relationship between light, energy, and the electromagnetic spectrum?”
DISCUSS AND REPORT INITIAL THINKING Students participate in small
group discussions to formulate initial conjectures. After several minutes of discussion, direct
students to write short responses to the opening question in their Science Notebooks.
Students use their notes to participate in a short whole class discussion around the question,
“What is the relationship between light, energy, and the electromagnetic spectrum?” Chart
student responses.
PART II: guided practice
READ Provide students with access to the text Tour of the Electromagnetic Spectrum
(http://missionscience.nasa.gov/ems/index.html). The text gives students information
about electromagnetic waves. Students read three sections of the text, including the
“Introduction,” “Anatomy of an Electromagnetic Wave,” and “Visible Light.” Students
require access to laptops or tablets to read and navigate the online text. In the event that
students do not have online access to materials, you may choose to provide printed copies of
the online texts. The text is also available as a pdf
(http://missionscience.nasa.gov/ems/TourOfEMS_Booklet_Print.pdf).
COMPLETE TRIPLE ENTRY JOURNAL Students complete a Triple Entry
Journal in their Science Notebooks after reading the text. Students record the main ideas of
the text in the first column, supporting facts and details in the second column, and the
reasoning that links the main idea with the supporting facts and details in the third column.
SUCCESS CRITERION
EVIDENCE-GATHERING OPPORTUNITY
•
•
Identify main ideas and supporting facts and details.
Reference appropriate and relevant evidence from text(s).
As students complete their Triple Entry Journals, check that they are
recording the main ideas, corresponding supporting facts and details, and
are able to describe their reasoning for linking these together.
4
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If you encounter students that are having difficulty with reasoning, a
description of why specific facts or details support a corresponding main
idea, then stop and model this process for students. You might want to
prepare a few examples of reasoning, clearly linking main ideas with
particular supporting facts and details, to show students what reasoning
looks like.
WRITE A SUMMARY Write a one-paragraph summary of the texts in preparation
for writing an explanation. Students use this summary as an opportunity to help them
include relevant and appropriate evidence from the text.
•
•
Identify main ideas and supporting details.
Reference appropriate and relevant evidence from multiple texts.
Check that summaries demonstrate understanding of all three sections of
the text.
ANTICIPATED RESPONSE
PEDAGOGICAL ACTION
If you notice students are including extraneous details, support them by
bringing the class together to first discuss and list the main ideas in the text.
Model for students how they might distill the ideas in the text and cluster
them together to write a concrete paragraph. Discuss the ideas with students
and then write a sentence or two that reflects the synthesis. Supporting
questions to engage students in this process include:
What is the main idea in this section of the text?
• What ideas seem to relate to each other?
• How can we combine these ideas in a sentence?
•
CONDUCT INVESTIGATION In this investigation, students will use a computer5
Lesson FOURTEEN
Formative Assessment
Lesson Plans
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based simulator to interact with waves. Introduce the investigation activity: Phet Wave on a
String (https://phet.colorado.edu/en/simulation/wave-on-a-string). Students work
independently or in pairs, largely depending on the number of available laptops and on your
knowledge of students. Give students time to explore and become familiar with the wave
simulator. Students use the simulator to explore how amplitude and frequency affect waves.
Students record their observations in their Science Notebooks. Students require access to a
laptop/tablet that has the computer simulator installed or is capable of running it online. If
no laptop or tablet is available, use an alternative investigation activity that makes use of
manipulatives. This will require more time for preparation of materials and accompanying
student support materials.
SUCCESS CRITERION
EVIDENCE-GATHERING OPPORTUNITY
•
Describe electromagnetic waves.
As students use the simulator to explore waves, check-in with individual
students or pairs and review the observations they have recorded in their
Science Notebooks. Check that students are using appropriate content
vocabulary to describe the waves in the simulator, including frequency and
amplitude.
If you notice students have trouble using the simulator or making
connections between amplitude, frequency, and wavelength, refer students to
the texts they have read in today’s lesson and in previous lessons.
PART III: culminating task
WRITE EXPLANATION All success criteria are addressed in this final task.
Students construct a one to two-paragraph explanation in response to the question, “What is
the relationship between light, energy, and the electromagnetic spectrum?” Students describe
the relationship and explain why the visible light spectrum is visible. Students support their
explanation with evidence from multiple texts, discussions, and other relevant sources.
6
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Formative Assessment
Lesson Plans
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Additional criteria include:
•
•
•
•
•
•
accurate description of the relationship between light, energy, and the
electromagnetic spectrum
description of light as electromagnetic waves
explanation of the visible light spectrum
description of the anatomy of a wave, including frequency and wavelength
appropriate use of key content vocabulary
references relevant and appropriate evidence to support explanation
Ba c k g ro un d
•
American Chemistry Society Teacher E-Resources https://www.acs.org/content/acs/en/education/outreach/ncw/educational
-resources/2015.html#fireworks
7
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Lesson Plans
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TRIPLE ENTRY JOURNAL
Main Ideas
Supporting Facts and Details
Reasoning linking my
main idea and
supporting facts/details
8
Lesson FOURTEEN
Formative Assessment
Lesson Plans
W ha t i s t he r e lat i o ns h ip be twe e n li g h t, e ne r gy ,
and t he e le c tr o ma gne ti c s pe c tr u m ?
9