How Does Light Travel?
Author: Cindy Mirochine
Danbury Public Schools
Integrated Science Unit
Overview
Objectives
Questions
Procedures
Differentiation
Assessment
Overview
Students will conduct experiments to learn that light travels in a
straight line and can be reflected or refracted. They will design their
own experiment to explore reflection of light and create an
illustrated document to present their scientific inquiry.
Objectives
Science:
Initial Understanding
Understand that light is a form of energy that travels in a straight line
Developing an Interpretation
Describe how light is absorbed and/or reflected by different surfaces
Critical Stance
Explain how light is a form of energy that travels in a straight line and can be
reflected by a mirror, refracted by a lens, or absorbed by objects
Information Literacy/Technology
Developing Interpretation
Use technology to organize and reorganize information
Making Connections
Construct slide shows, multimedia presentations, web pages, spreadsheets,
databases to communicate ideas or data and present conclusions
Create and use digital images in presentations
Critical Stance
Create and share clear and meaningful presentations that communicate
information and new knowledge appropriate for a specific audience
QuickView
Grade Level: 5
Topic: light
State Content Standard: 5.1
Time Needed: 3 to 4 class periods
Resources
Danbury Science Learning Guide
Lesson Resources
Websites
1. How Does Light Move
2. How do we see things?
3. Fun House Mirrors
4. Measuring with Shadows
5. Simple Magnification
6. Mirror Game
PDF handouts
1. rubric
2. How to use student group
shared folder
3. Record voice narration
4. light sources
5. experiment handout notes
6. light facts
7. Family Light Activity
8. In a Different Light
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Questions
Essential Question How Does Light Travel?
Guiding Questions Does light travel in a straight line? What will make light refract? What happens to light on
different surfaces?
Content/Unit Questions How is light absorbed or reflected by different surfaces?
Procedures
Lesson 1:
1. Class discussion: What is light? Students each complete the handout Sources of Light.
2. What do students already know and understand? Teacher uses the Facts about Light handout as a guide.
3. Group students into teams 3 or 4. Use the How Does Light Move experiment handout to guide students in
doing the first two experiments. Half of the students can do experiment 1 while the others do experiment
2, then they trade and do the other experiment.
4. Class discussion on conclusions and other ways to perform the experiment.
Lesson 2:
1. Using the laptop lab in the classroom with small groups of students, visit the How do we see things?
Website to experiment with light reflection.
2. Take the online quiz in this website to self assess.
3. To foster student inquiry, teams construct their own reflection experiments (experiment 3 handout).
4. Teams take at least 5 five photos of their experiment to be later used with their written assessment.
Download the photos into one of the classroom computers using one student’s login. They can later share
the photos using the group shared folder.
Lesson 3: in the lab
1. Students create a new word processing document complete with prediction, procedure, and conclusion of
their own original experiments. Use notes on handout for experiment 3.
2. They use the group shared folder to access and import their digital photos into the document. (see
directions)
3. Print finished project for inclusion into class book.
Extensions:
Use the laptop lab in the classroom, with students in teams. From the classroom web site, students will explore
these websites.
1. Fun House Mirrors
2. Measuring with Shadows
3. Simple Magnification
4. Take home activities: Family Light Activity or printout , In a Different Light or printout
Differentiation
Resource Student/ESL Student
Use Light and Dark website to introduce the concept of light sources versus light reflection
Work in a group that has a student who can translate the experiment.
Instead of word processing, the student records their understanding of the process in Sound Studio. (see
directions)
Gifted Student
Where is the Player?
Students can add audio captions to their pictures. (see directions)
Assessment
Rubric for the original experiment.
Student projects will be collected into a class book.