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In this unit we will introduce the concept of sound, scientific
vocabulary, and how sound is transmitted.
How can I supplement what is
happening in class?
The
SCIENCE
Connection
TAKE A LOOK! Chapter 3
explores the mysteries of
light and color
Scientific Investigation,
Reasoning, and Logic:
Science SOL 5.3
The student will investigate and understand how
sound is created and transmitted, and how it is
used. Key concepts include
a) transverse waves;
b) the visible spectrum;
c) opaque, transparent, and translucent;
d) reflection of light from reflective surfaces; and
e) refraction of light through water and prisms.
For more information or background knowledge
to help you understand this standard, visit
http://www.doe.virginia.gov/testing/sol/
standards_docs/science/review.shtml
Here are some things you can do at home.
• Play Flashlight Tag! Around dusk, take your family outside
to a safe area or you can play in a darker room inside. When you
start the game, assign one person to be “It” and give him or her
a flashlight. All other players should run and hide. After
counting to 30, “It” should try and tag a player with the
flashlight beam. When a player is tagged, he sits out waiting for
the next round. Discuss ways players can avoid being tagged by
the beam. Your child may say he could zigzag back and forth or
stand behind an object. Talk about why those strategies work to
avoid the light beam. Discuss how light travels in a straight line
and how light cannot pass through a solid object.
• Continue exploring with the flashlight by using it to
shine through a variety of objects. Challenge your child to
locate multiple transparent, translucent, and opaque materials
in each room of your house.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/scienceclips/ages/
10_11/see_things.shtml
You may want to play some of the games on this site with your
child. The first game is about reflection of light. When finished,
you can click “What’s Next” at the bottom to find a game about
shadows. There are many fun activities on this site pertaining
to light, so have fun exploring!
What is expected of your child?
In order to meet this standard, it is expected that students
will:
• diagram and label a representation of a light wave,
including wavelength, crest, and trough.
• explain the relationships between wavelength and the color
of light. Name the colors of the visible spectrum.
• explain the terms transparent, translucent, and opaque,
and give an example of each.
• compare and contrast reflection and refraction, using
water, prisms, and mirrors.
• analyze the effects of a prism on white light and describe
why this occurs.
• explain the relationship between the refraction of light and
the formation of a rainbow.
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INFERENCE LIGHT SORT
NAME
Directions:
1. Cut out the boxes at the bottom of the page and glue them into the correct definition location in the middle column.
Use page 51 of All Around Us to help you sort the definitions.
2. Fill in the inference column with your ideas based on the definitions and the pictures on page 51.
Remember inferences are all about making connections between prior knowledge and new information.
KEY WORD
DEFINITION
INFERENCE
What can I infer about why the boy is reading under a sheet with a
flashlight?
Light
I can infer that a mirror will reflect light well because it is
________________. I can infer that __________________
will not reflect light well because it is rough and bumpy.
Reflection
As I reach into my turtle’s aquarium to get him, I miss each time!
What inferences can I make to help me grab him accurately?
Refraction
I walked by a shiny, reflective building when the sun was bright.
There was a rainbow on the sidewalk and it wasn’t raining. What
inferences can be made?
Prism
Transparent
Besides glass, I can infer that _____________________________
is a transparent material because _________________________
____________________________________________________
Translucent
I can infer that ________________________________________
is a translucent material because _________________________
____________________________________________________
Opaque
Besides a blindfold, I can infer that ________________________
is an opaque material because _________________________
____________________________________________________
Allowing some light to
pass through
A form of energy that
our eyes can detect
Allowing light to pass
through easily
An object that refracts
and disperses white
light into visible light
The bouncing of light
off an object
Stopping light from
passing through
Bending of light as it
passes from one
material to another
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WAVELENGTHS
NAME
Directions: The diagrams below show various transverse waves on an electromagnetic spectrum.
• Draw a red arrow to a crest on each wave.
• Draw a blue arrow to a trough on each wave.
• Use a centimeter ruler to measure the “wavelength” of each wave and record it on the blank.
1. Radio waves
Wavelength:
2. Microwaves
Wavelength:
3. X-Rays
Wavelength:
4. Gamma Rays
Wavelength:
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COLOR WHEEL
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ELECTROMAGNETIC SPECTRUM RESEARCH
Directions: Your group has been assigned a specific frequency on the electromagnetic spectrum to research. Upon
completing the research, the group is responsible for becoming the “experts” of that frequency and will be creating a poster
and a class presentation of what you have learned.
RESEARCH DIRECTIONS: To focus your research, answer the following questions about your type of wave:
1. What is the frequency of your wave? Very high? Very low? Somewhere in-between?
2. What does your electromagnetic wave look like on the spectrum?
3. Is the frequency visible to the human eye?
4. Is the frequency visible to other organisms? If so, which organisms?
5. Are these waves used by people? If so, how are they used? By which professions?
POSTER DIRECTIONS: Use the information you have gathered to create a poster that must contain:
1. The name of your electromagnetic wave
2. A visual representation of your electromagnetic wave
3. Information that answers the above questions. The information may be written or it may take the form of a magazine,
newspaper, or use illustrated pictures that visually represent the electromagnetic wave.
CLASS PRESENTATION DIRECTIONS: You are now the class “experts” on a specific portion of the electromagnetic
spectrum. Your group is responsible for sharing your expertise by planning, practicing, and presenting your research.
1. Each person in your group must verbally present a portion of the “expert” information.
2. Your poster must be incorporated into the presentation.
3. The presentation must be at least two minutes in length.
4. Remember to incorporate the skills for effective oral presentations:
a. Maintain eye contact with the audience.
b. Use appropriate facial expressions and gestures to support your message.
c. Speak clearly at an understandable pace.
d. Use acceptable posture.
GRADING RUBRIC
Research was cooperatively conducted and
required information was gathered by all
members of the team.
Posters were created displaying the
required information accurately and
thoroughly.
Information was presented while using the
poster as a reference for the designated
amount of time.
Skills for effective oral presentations were
used.
Little or No
Limited Evidence Competent Evidence Exemplary Evidence
Evidence of Mastery
of Mastery
of Mastery
of Mastery
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1 OF 4
REFLECTION AND REFRACTION
NAME _________________________________________________________________________________
STATION 1: RAINBOWS IN THE SKY
DIRECTIONS: Visit the web page http://punchandbrodie.com/ncyclo/rainbows/ which is
bookmarked on the computer. Read the information on the page and explore moving the raindrop on the screen.
1. What happens to the color of the raindrop as you move it? What causes this to happen?
2. Explain how the light is reflected from the raindrop.
3. Explain how the light is refracted from the raindrop.
4. Move the raindrop past the violet color. What color is the raindrop now?
What can you infer about the wavelength of these light waves?
5. Move the raindrop above the red color. What color is the raindrop now?
What can you infer about the wavelength of these light waves?
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REFLECTION AND REFRACTION
2 OF 4
STATION 2: REFLECTION CONNECTION
DIRECTIONS: Use the materials provided at this station to create a series of reflections that end by reflecting
upon the shirt of one group member.
• Choose one group member and have him or her stand against a wall.
• Use at least one mirror, one metal/tin baking sheet, and one flashlight. As a team, be creative and try to use as
many reflective surfaces as you can to move the light.
• Configure the reflective surfaces in such a way that a single beam of light from the flashlight will reflect off of all
the surfaces and then onto the shirt of the designated group member.
Draw and label a picture of how your group designed the materials to reflect on the shirt.
1. Why did you place the reflective surfaces in specific places?
2. Explain how the light traveled from the flashlight to the shirt?
3. Change the placement of the mirrors in order for the light to be reflected onto a different location in the
classroom. Was this easy or frustrating? Why?
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REFLECTION AND REFRACTION
STATION 3: REFRACTION ACTION!
DIRECTIONS: Use the materials at this station to complete the Make a Magnifying Glass Case Study found on
page 61 of your textbook.
1. What did you choose to magnify?
2. What results did you observe when you placed a drop of water over your image?
3. What do you think will happen to your image if you slowly lift the plastic with the water drops off the paper?
Write a hypothesis for this and then then lift the plastic as you observe.
Hypothesis:
Observations:
4. What can you conclude from these observations?
5. If you record data that uses descriptions to show how things look or feel in an experiment, what type of data
are you collecting?
Number of
water drops
6. What conclusions can be made from this data?
Qualitative data observed
3 OF 4
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REFLECTION AND REFRACTION
4 OF 4
STATION 4: PRISMS, PLEASE!
DIRECTIONS: Use the materials at this station to investigate how a prism refracts and disperses visible light.
Have one person hold the prism directly in a beam of light, such as from a flashlight or the sun shining through the
window. Have another person hold the white paper next to the prism so that the colors of visible light are seen on
the paper.
1. What color or colors do you see on the white paper?
2. In what order do you see the colors?
3. What effect did the prism have on the white light?
4. Can you think of a testable question about prisms that you would like to investigate?
What would be the hypothesis based upon this question?
5. In the box below, draw a light source, a prism, and the visible light. Be sure to label your drawing.
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1 OF 2
SORTING THE LIGHT
GLASS CUP
METAL PAN
WAX PAPER
PLASTIC WRAP
FROSTED
GLASS
BRICK
ALUMINUM FOIL
CLEAN WATER
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2 OF 2
COTTON FABRIC
CONSTRUCTION PAPER
COLORED PLASTIC
WOOD
AIR
NOTEBOOK PAPER
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TEST TAKING STRATEGY 3
READING THE QUESTION AND
ANSWER CHOICES
NAME
1.
Which of the following groups contains examples of materials that are
all transparent?
A
Clear glass, clean water, and wax paper
B
Wood, bricks, and frosted glass
C
Clear plastic, clean water, and air
D
Metal, aluminum foil, and thick paper
2.
This photograph above shows an example of –
F
refraction
G
a wavelength
H
a prism
J
reflection
3.
Both light and sound travel in waves. Why do you see a commercial jet high
in the sky before you hear it?
A
People have better vision than they do hearing.
B
Light travels faster than sound.
C
Light and sound have different wavelengths.
D
Light waves travel in straight lines called rays.
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1 OF 2
LIGHT STUDY GUIDE
Light waves are waves of energy.
Light waves—called transverse waves—travel in straight paths called rays.
• Label the crest on the transverse wave.
• Label the trough on the transverse wave.
• Use a ruler and measure a wavelength to the nearest centimeter.
Which color on the visible spectrum has the
highest frequency?
Which color on the visible spectrum has the
lowest frequency?
Which color on the visible spectrum has the
greater amount of energy: blue or orange?
Why?
TRANSPARENT
TRANSLUCENT
OPAQUE
Explain this term:
Explain this term:
Explain this term:
Draw an example:
Draw an example:
Draw an example:
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Air
2 OF 2
On the diagram shown on the left, label the reflected
and refracted light rays.
What causes a light wave to reflect?
Glass
Refraction through a prism
What causes a light wave to refract?
Explain what happens to white light that travels
through a prism.
A rainbow is an example of reflected and refracted light waves.
1. Sunlight is first refracted when it enters the curved surface of a raindrop (the light wave is passing
through different mediums going from air to water causing refraction).
2. The wave is then reflected off the back of the raindrop (the light wave remains in water, the same
medium, so it is reflected).
3. Finally, it is refracted again as it exits the raindrop (the light wave is traveling through different
mediums again, going from water to air).
new art
to come
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The
SCIENCE
Connection
WHAT’S THE “MATTER”?
Chapter 4 Goes
Atom-hunting!
Water
Oxygen
Benzene
Hydrogen Chloride
Sulfuric Acid
Acetone
The focus of this unit is on the basic structure of
matter and how it behaves.
FAMILY FUN!
Here are some things you can do at home.
• Create a family drink using all three phases of matter.
Scoop vanilla ice cream into a tall glass. Ask your child what
phase of matter ice cream is. It is a solid. Fill the glass half
full with a fruit juice of your choice and explain that the
fruit juice is the liquid. Ask your child if he or she can
brainstorm a way that a gas can be included into your family
drink. You will need to add carbonated water or a soft drink
to top off the glass. This will incorporate a gas since the
bubbles adding fizz to the drink are bubbles of carbondioxide. Enjoy your three phases of matter treat!
• Chocolate Matter! Help your child explore how some
materials change their phase of matter as a result of
temperature. Take a piece of chocolate and observe its
phase of matter. Raise the temperature of the chocolate by
safely placing it in the microwave or on a hot plate.
Observe its new phase of matter. Point out that when the
temperature increased, the phase of matter changed. Now,
have your child change the phase of matter again by placing
the chocolate in the freezer. After a period of time, observe
the new phase of matter of the chocolate. Point out that
when the temperature decreased, the liquid became a solid.
Reinforce that changes in temperature can result in a
change in the phase of matter.
• Explore the periodic table of elements found on pages
76-77 in All Around Us. With your child, make a list of 10
familiar elements and write one use for each familiar
element from your home or everyday life, such as:
• Helium—in floating balloons
• Aluminum—in cans and foil
• Tin – in cans, vintage toys
• Gold – in jewelry
Scientific Investigation,
Reasoning, and Logic: SOL 5.4
The student will investigate and understand that
matter is anything that has mass and takes up space;
and occurs as a solid, liquid, or gas. Key concepts:
a) distinguishing properties of each phase of
matter;
b) the effect of temperature on the phases of
matter;
c) atoms and elements;
d) molecules and compounds; and
e) mixtures including solutions.
For more information or background knowledge to
help you understand this standard, visit
http://www.doe.virginia.gov/testing/sol/
standards_docs/science/review.shtml
What is expected of your child?
In order to meet this standard, it is expected that
students will:
• construct and interpret a sequence of models
(diagrams) showing the activity of molecules in all
three basic phases of matter.
• construct and interpret models of atoms and
molecules.
• identify substances as being an element or a
compound.
• design an investigation to determine how a change
in temperature affects the phases of matter (e.g.,
water). Include in the design ways information will be
recorded, what measures will be made, what
instruments will be used, and ways the data will be
graphed.
• compare and contrast mixtures and solutions.