unit overview
The Grade 3–4
Light Energy kit components:
Materials and equipment—Each kit contains a set
of high-quality materials and equipment for a class
of 32 students. Consumable items are provided for two
classes. Refill packages are available.
Teacher’s Guide—A comprehensive teacher's guide
provides easy-to-use, step-by-step instructions for
presenting the unit. The guide includes a number of
optional presentation approaches to meet the unique
needs of your students.
Student Books—Eighteen copies of each of nine
student books are included with the kit.
Summative Assessment Booklet—Contains a set
of pre-post assessments designed to enable teachers
to measure student gains over the course of a unit.
Investigation Notebook—The investigation
notebook can be duplicated, or additional copies may
be purchased separately and provided to each student.
Copymaster Booklet—A copymaster booklet is
provided in each kit with full-size copymasters,
including transparencies and student handouts.
Seeds of science/roots of reading ®
Light energy
What’s in the Light Energy Unit?
Light Energy is 40 sessions in length. There are four investigations—each with
10 sessions. The unit focuses on light’s characteristics and interactions with materials,
light as a form of energy, and energy transformations. There’s a strong emphasis
on science inquiry, making predictions, summarizing, and supporting claims with
evidence. Nine books engage students in reading and support firsthand inquiry,
writing, and discussion. Students gain facility with reading comprehension strategies
such as making predictions and summarizing, and with informational text features.
They focus on writing explanations based on evidence.
Investigation 1—Characteristics of Light. Students reflect on what they know and
wonder about light, and read Can You See in the Dark? Using flashlights, foil, and other
materials, they make light observations. They begin a class glossary and concept wall,
then make “light tubes” to gather evidence that light travels in a straight line. Students
practice summarizing short passages, then read The Speed of Light, making and
revising predictions, and reading tables. They explore light and color with light tubes,
make a concept map, and write paragraphs on what they have learned.
Investigation 2—Transmitting and Reflecting Light. Students read Why Do Scientists
Disagree? They investigate ways that light interacts with materials, predicting and
revising predictions. Questions frame investigations, asking which materials transmit,
block, and reflect light. In I See What You Mean, students read about how light and
reflection are involved in sight, and practice summarizing. They make ray diagrams
and write a scientific explanation that includes evidence to support the claim that nonshiny things reflect light.
Investigation 3—Absorbing and Refracting Light. Students make predictions
about the amounts of light different materials absorb, then analyze data from
Handbook of Light Interactions. They confront conflicting evidence and use data from
the Handbook during discourse circles about the claim “Materials that are the same
color absorb similar amounts of light.” They read Light Strikes!, which discusses light
interactions in everyday contexts, and practice summarizing. They learn about lenses
and refraction. Students read Cameras, Eyes, and Glasses. They gather and organize
evidence, then write a scientific explanation about the four interactions they’ve studied.
Investigation 4—Light as Energy. Students investigate temperature changes in
white and black boxes sitting under a bright lamp. They analyze Handbook data to
figure out that darker-colored materials absorb more light than lighter-colored ones. The
guiding question What is energy? introduces the first half of It’s All Energy.
The students write a summary, then read the rest of the book on energy transformation.
Students visit Energy Transformation Stations and are introduced to the important
role of solar energy. They write scientific explanations about the ways solar energy
transforms, then read Sunlight and Showers, about scientists who use solar energy to
solve a problem. They take part in a discourse circle about solar energy, visit reminder
stations about the unit’s investigations, and reflect on how they’ve been like scientists.
UNIT OVERVIEW
unit overview
What Students Do
Investigation 1—Characteristics of Light
Students reflect on what they know and wonder about light, and record these ideas on
a class chart. They make predictions before reading Can You See in the Dark? Students
begin their investigations using flashlights and materials such as foil and clear plastic,
and record their observations with ray diagrams. They make “light tubes” to gather
evidence that light travels in a straight line. Using key words from paragraphs they
read, students practice summarizing and construct main idea statements. They engage
in making predictions and read The Speed of Light, paying particular attention to the
data tables in the book. Groups gather evidence that supports key concepts about how
light travels, and then are introduced to the relationship between light and color. They
make observations of colored lights with their light tubes, and read and summarize a
passage about one of Isaac Newton’s investigations. The class constructs a concept map,
and then students write paragraphs about the characteristics of light.
Investigation 2—Transmitting and Reflecting Light
Students make predictions before reading Why Do Scientists Disagree? then make
a class chart about what scientists do. Throughout this investigation, students
investigate different ways that light interacts with materials, summarizing
their data after each round of investigation as a class, and discussing their
disagreements. The first interaction they investigate is transmission, about
which they write explanations after they’ve resolved disagreements. Students
then investigate which materials block light, summarize their data, and read
two passages about shadows. They find key words in the passages, and use these
to construct main idea statements. They gather evidence about which materials
reflect light, and read the book I See What You Mean. They make ray diagrams
that illustrate how light is involved with vision. Students investigate reflection
and mirrors, and write explanations to support the claim that non-shiny things
reflect light.
Seeds of science/roots of reading ®
What Students Learn
Investigation 1—Characteristics of Light
Students learn that people need light to see. They also learn what a prediction is, and
that making predictions is a useful reading strategy. Students learn about the
characteristics of light—it comes from a source, travels in straight lines, is the fastest
thing in the Universe, and interacts with materials in different ways. Students learn
that evidence is used to support ideas in science and can come from firsthand
investigations or books. They learn that scientists carefully record observations and use
tools to investigate. They learn about glossaries and tables as features of nonfiction text,
and also learn how to select key words to identify the main idea of a text. Students learn
that white light is made up of colors, and that colored light can combine to make white
light. Students also learn that a nonfiction paragraph is composed of a main idea and
supporting details.
Investigation 2—Transmitting and Reflecting Light
Students learn that scientists are part of the scientific community, and that they work
together, sharing ideas, data, and explanations. They learn that disagreement often
moves science forward, and that scientists revise explanations when they find new
evidence that doesn’t agree. Students also learn that when an observation is written
down, it becomes data, and that reorganizing data can be helpful when trying to answer
a question. They learn about what happens when light shines on things—that it can be
transmitted or blocked—and that some materials transmit light. They learn that when
writing an explanation, scientists support a claim with multiple pieces of evidence from
different sources. They learn about the evidence for these particular interactions, such
as the fact that a shadow is evidence of blocked light. Since all materials have shadows,
all materials block light. Their understanding is then deepened as they learn that when
light is blocked, some of it is reflected. They also learn that when we see something it is
because light has reflected off it and entered our eyes.
UNIT OVERVIEW
unit overview
About the Student Books
Following are short descriptions of the nine full-color Light Energy student science books.
Can You See in the Dark? invites students to wonder about whether
or not people need light to see. The book details a search for a completely
dark place, following the narrator from a movie theater to a dark
campsite to a closet and finally into a cave where there truly is no light
at all. This book introduces the idea that all light comes from a source.
It enables students to identify many different sources of light in the text
and illustrations. Can You See in the Dark? provides an introduction to
the Light Energy unit and poses a question that students will return to
many times as they learn more about how people see.
The Speed of Light informs students that light is the fastest thing in
the Universe. The book compares the speed of light to other fast things
such as a jet, a spaceship, and sound. Data comparing the speed of light to
other fast things is presented through descriptive examples and in tables.
By reflecting on the data, the students are better able to understand how
fast light travels—a characteristic that is impossible for them to observe
firsthand.
Why Do Scientists Disagree? is a book with two distinct but related
threads. On the right-hand pages, students read about the ways
scientists use evidence, make claims, and debate their explanations
to move the field of science forward. On the left-hand pages, these
ideas are exemplified in the story of the scientist Galileo and how his
observations of the Moon changed people’s ideas about light. This book
models important aspects of the nature of science for students and
helps support subsequent investigations in which students may disagree about claims and
explanations.
I See What You Mean explains the relationship between reflection and
vision. It is an extended dialogue between two girls who are trying to
figure out how light is involved when they see a peach. As they question
each other and add more to their description of how people see, they
explain more of the process involved in sight. Over the course of the
book, students learn that light comes from a source, bounces off objects,
even non-shiny ones, and travels to our eyes. Detailed illustrations and
ray diagrams support the text and show the path of light in each scenario. This book supports
firsthand investigations with critical information that is not easily observed and directly
addresses the misconception that only shiny materials reflect light.
Seeds of science/roots of reading ®
Handbook of Light Interactions presents data for a wide range of
materials and their interactions with light. This book is organized by
type of material with the data presented in tables. Students learn how
much light various materials absorb, reflect, and transmit. By comparing
their observations with the data in the book, they are able to draw more
accurate conclusions about how light interacts with materials. This book
supports students’ firsthand investigations by providing the additional information they need
to answer important questions about light interactions. It also provides secondhand data for
them to analyze and interpret.
Light Strikes! shows light interactions in real-life situations. Students are
invited to look at ordinary scenes and observe how light is interacting with
materials, sometimes in unexpected ways. The book reinforces concepts
about the light interactions (transmission, reflection, and absorption) that
students have been investigating. It also helps them make connections
between the science they are learning and the world around them.
Cameras, Eyes, and Glasses is about three important things that use
lenses to refract light. The book explains what lenses are and what they
do, then describes the lenses in cameras, eyes, and eyeglasses. Photographs
and ray diagrams help students understand how the lenses work. The
book also includes suggestions for simple activities readers can do to
observe refraction in action. It reinforces and extends students’ firsthand
investigations by providing examples of refraction in use in the world.
It’s All Energy is about energy and its various forms. Students learn about
electrical, motion, sound, thermal, light, and chemical energy by reading
about situations and processes they experience in their everyday lives that
include these forms of energy. They also learn that energy can be transformed
from one form into another and that these transformations can serve many
useful purposes. It’s All Energy helps students learn important foundational
concepts and understand their firsthand investigations with energy.
Sunlight and Showers introduces readers to Dr. Ashok Gadgil, a
scientist who uses his scientific knowledge to address real-world problems.
Dr. Gadgil’s students work together as a team to design a solar water
heater for use in Guatemala. The book describes various ways the young
scientists solve the design problem—working as a team, investigating the
issues and gathering data, and designing and testing a solution. The book
demonstrates that solar energy is useful as an alternative source of energy
and models the nature of science by providing a compelling example of scientists solving real
problems for real people.
UNIT OVERVIEW
unit overview
At-a-Glance Chart
INVESTIGATION 1
Light Energy
Characteristics of Light
Science Knowledge/Conceptual Vocabulary
Session
WEEK 1
1.1 Can You See in the
Dark?
READING, page 14
1.2 Observing Light
science inquiry, page 28
1.3 Making Ray Diagrams
SCIENCE/LITERACY, page 42
1.4 Observing with Light
Tubes
SCIENCE INQUIRY, page 58
1.5 Introducing
Summarizing
Knowledge
Science
••light comes from a source
••there are many sources of light
••people need light to see
••a completely dark place with no light is difficult to find
••ray diagrams can be used to record the path of light
••light interacts with materials in different ways
••tools can help us detect things that are otherwise hard to
observe
••ray diagrams can help us figure out how light travels
••light travels in a straight line
Literacy
••a useful reading strategy is making predictions
••glossaries list important words in a book and their
definitions
••glossaries are important features of informational texts
••a summary reduces a body of text to its most important
ideas
••one way to summarize is to find key words and create a main
idea sentence
Vocabulary
Unit-specific
block
characteristic
emit
interact/interaction
light
material
ray
source
travel
Science Inquiry
diagram
evidence
investigate/investigation
observe/observation
predict/prediction
record
Nature and Practices of Science/
Oral and Written Discourse
Science Inquiry/Reading Comprehension
Inquiry
••making predictions
••accessing and applying prior
knowledge
••posing questions
••making observations
••taking notes
••using features of
informational text to locate
information
••using tools to extend senses
••summarizing
••drawing conclusions
How Science Works,
What Scientists Do
Reading
••accessing and applying prior
••scientists investigate the
knowledge
••posing questions
••making predictions
••discussing words and their
meanings
••using text features
••using a glossary
••interpreting visual
representations
••summarizing
world by observing carefully
••scientists write down, or
record, their observations
••scientists record information
because it helps them
remember what they did,
observed, and learned
••scientists use tools to
investigate
••scientists use specialized
language to talk about science
Writing,
Listening/Speaking
••recording information
••gathering information
••participating in discussions
••posing and answering
questions
••using science vocabulary
••listening actively
••comparing and contrasting
••representing information
visually
••writing to communicate
••making connections
••summarizing
LITERACY DEVELOPMENT, page
72
WEEK 2
1.6 Observing Two Light
Sources
SCIENCE INQUIRY, page 82
1.7 The Speed of Light
READING, page 96
1.8 Introducing Light and
Color
SCIENCE INQUIRY, page 106
1.9 Observing and Reading
About Color
SCIENCE/LITERACY, page 118
Science
••multiple light sources observed with a light tube provide
more evidence that light travels in straight lines
••light travels at approximately 186,000 miles per second
••light is the fastest known thing in the universe
••new colors are made when different colors of light are mixed
••white light is a mixture of red, green, and blue light
••white light is a mixture of different colors
••white light can be separated into colors by prisms and other
materials
Unit-specific
characteristic
emit
lens
light
material
ray
source
travel
Literacy
••information in nonfiction text is often presented in tables to
show relationships among ideas
••tables organize information into columns and rows
••nonfiction writing often includes a topic sentence at the
beginning followed by supporting details
••details in a paragraph further support the main idea
••illustrations further explain the ideas in nonfiction texts
Science Inquiry
claim
diagram
evidence
explanation
investigate/investigation
observe/observation
predict/prediction
record
••making predictions
••taking notes
••using tools to extend senses
••analyzing data
••using features of
informational text to locate
information
••drawing conclusions
••summarizing
••making observations
••sorting and classifying to find
evidence
••discussing words and their
••scientists make predictions
meanings
••making predictions
••interpreting visual
representations
••using text features
••locating information in text
••summarizing
before they investigate and
check their predictions as they
investigate
••scientists summarize results
of their investigations
••evidence is used to help
explain something or answer
a question
••evidence can come from
investigations and books
••a claim is a statement based
on evidence that usually
answers a question
••recording information
••representing information
visually
••using science vocabulary
••gathering information
••summarizing
••writing to communicate
••participating in discussions
••supporting claims with
evidence
••comparing and contrasting
••posing and answering
questions
••listening actively
••making connections
1.10Writing About
Characteristics of Light
LITERACY DEVELOPMENT,
page 130
Seeds of science/roots of reading ®
UNIT OVERVIEW
unit overview
At-a-Glance Chart
INVESTIGATION 2
Transmitting and Reflecting Light
Science Knowledge/Conceptual Vocabulary
Session
WEEK 3
2.1 Why Do Scientists
Disagree?
READING, page 152
2.2 Which Materials
Transmit Light?
SCIENCE INQUIRY, page 164
2.3 Writing About
Transmission
Light Energy
Knowledge
Science
••different materials transmit different amounts of light
••some materials transmit light, and some do not
••a shadow is evidence that a material blocks light
••when a material blocks light, the light doesn’t go through
the material
••blocking and transmitting are different interactions light can
have with materials
Literacy
••good readers revise their predictions as they read
••summarizing is a useful strategy in both science and reading
LITERACY DEVELOPMENT, page
178
2.4 Which Materials
Block Light?
SCIENCE INQUIRY, page 190
Vocabulary
Unit-specific
block
interact/interaction
light
material
reflect
shadow
source
transmit
Science Inquiry
claim
data
diagram
evidence
explanation
investigate/investigation
observe/observation
predict/prediction
record
scientific community
Nature and Practices of Science/
Oral and Written Discourse
Science Inquiry/Reading Comprehension
Inquiry
••making predictions
••using features of
informational text to locate
information
••summarizing
••making observations
••using tools to extend senses
••taking notes
••recording data
••investigating scientific
questions
••analyzing data
••organizing and representing
data
••making explanations from
evidence
••accessing and applying prior
knowledge
How Science Works,
What Scientists Do
Reading
••accessing and applying prior
••scientists often work together,
knowledge
••making predictions
••discussing words and their
meanings
••posing questions
••using text features
••summarizing
••locating information in text
sharing ideas, data, and
explanations
••disagreement in science is
very important; it moves
science forward
••scientific knowledge is based
on evidence
••it’s possible for students to
work in class in ways that are
similar to the ways scientists
do their work
••observations collected and
written down become data
••scientists often summarize
data in tables
••scientists make claims based
on evidence
Writing,
Listening/Speaking
••gathering information
••supporting claims with
evidence
••listening actively
••comparing and contrasting
••participating in discussions
••recording information
••organizing information
••representing information
visually
••summarizing
••writing explanations
••posing and answering
questions
••using science vocabulary
2.5 Making Sense of
Shadows and Blocking
SCIENCE/LITERACY, page 204
WEEK 4
2.6 Which Materials Reflect
Light?
SCIENCE INQUIRY, page 216
2.7 I See What You Mean
READING, page 228
2.8 Revising Ray Diagrams
SCIENCE/LITERACY, page 240
2.9 Investigating Reflection
and Mirrors
SCIENCE INQUIRY, page 252
2.10Writing About
Reflection
LITERACY DEVELOPMENT,
page 266
Seeds of science/roots of reading ®
Science
••when a material reflects light, the light bounces off
••reflection is one way that materials block light
••some materials reflect light
••we see because light reflects off objects and travels to our
eyes
••ray diagrams show how light travels from various objects to
our eyes
••the human eye is a very sensitive light detector
••the ability to see an object is evidence that it reflects light
••light reflects off a mirror differently than it reflects off nonshiny objects
••all materials reflect light
••shiny and non-shiny objects both reflect light
Literacy
••summarizing helps readers identify and understand the main
ideas of text
••linking vocabulary words in multiple ways facilitates a
deeper understanding of the words’ meanings
••transition words are used in writing when changing from
one idea to another
Unit-specific
block
emit
interact/interaction
light
material
ray
reflect
shadow
source
transmit
travel
Science Inquiry
claim
data
diagram
evidence
explanation
investigate/investigation
observe/observation
predict/prediction
record
scientific community
••making observations
••using tools to extend senses
••recording data
••investigating scientific
questions
••summarizing
••making predictions
••accessing and applying prior
••discussing words and their
••scientists revise their ideas
meanings
••making connections
••making predictions
••locating information in text
••summarizing
••interpreting visual
representations
when they learn new things
••recording information
••using science vocabulary
••participating in discussions
••supporting claims with
evidence
••writing to reflect
••gathering information
••summarizing
••making connections
••representing information
knowledge
••using features of
informational text to locate
information
••revising explanations
••posing questions
••making explanations from
evidence
••taking notes
••drawing conclusions
visually
••building on others’ ideas
••posing and answering
questions
••organizing information
••writing explanations
UNIT OVERVIEW
unit overview
At-a-Glance Chart
INVESTIGATION 3
Light Energy
Absorbing and Refracting Light
Science Knowledge/Conceptual Vocabulary
Session
WEEK 5
Which Materials Absorb
3.1 Light?
SCIENCE INQUIRY, page 290
3.2 Handbook of Light
Interactions
LITERACY DEVELOPMENT, page
304
3.3 Light Absorption
Discourse Circles
SCIENCE/LITERACY, page 316
3.4 Light Strikes!
READING, page 328
Knowledge
Science
••a material interacts with light in more than one way
••light that is neither transmitted nor reflected is absorbed
••light that is absorbed stays in the material
••all materials absorb light
••some materials that are the same color absorb similar
amounts of light
••if you know how materials interact with light, it helps you
select the best one for a particular purpose
Literacy
••reference books are used to research information about a
particular topic
••an index, found in reference books, is a useful tool for
finding information
••reorganizing data can help you make comparisons
••one strategy to monitor comprehension is summarizing
••a summary includes a main idea and the most important
supporting details in your own words
••headings in nonfiction text give clues about the main idea
3.5 Making Sense of Light
Interactions
SCIENCE/LITERACY, page 338
WEEK 6
3.6 Observing Refraction
SCIENCE INQUIRY, page 352
3.7 Lenses, Light Tubes, and
the Eye
SCIENCE INQUIRY, page 366
3.8 Cameras, Eyes, and
Glasses
READING, page 380
3.9 Investigating Lenses
Science inquiry, page 390
3.10Writing About Light
Interactions
LITERACY DEVELOPMENT,
page 402
Seeds of science/roots of reading ®
Science
••water refracts light
••light bends, or refracts, as it passes from one material to
another
••light travels in straight lines within materials; refraction
happens at the boundaries between materials
••refraction is a type of light interaction
••lenses can make things look different: larger, smaller, blurry,
more clear, or upside down
••light is refracted when it passes through a lens
••lenses in the human eye make a focused image
••light is refracted by a lens because of its curved surface
••lenses are used in cameras and eyeglasses
••the lenses in human eyes and eyeglasses help us see clearly
••convex lenses refract light inward
••concave lenses refract light outward
••lenses transmit, refract, reflect, and absorb light
Literacy
••diagrams in nonfiction text help readers understand ideas
••one way to communicate ideas to the scientific community
is to write a scientific explanation
Vocabulary
Unit-specific
absorb
block
interact/interaction
light
material
ray
reflect
refract
shadow
source
transmit
travel
Science Inquiry
analyze
claim
data
diagram
evidence
investigate/investigation
observe/observation
predict/prediction
record
scientific community
Nature and Practices of Science/
Oral and Written Discourse
Science Inquiry/Reading Comprehension
Inquiry
••investigating scientific
questions
••making predictions
••organizing and representing
data
••using features of
informational text to locate
information
••evaluating evidence
••recording data
••summarizing
••drawing conclusions
••analyzing data
••making explanations from
evidence
••organizing and representing
data
••revising explanations
••setting goals
••posing questions
••accessing and applying prior
knowledge
••making connections
Unit-specific
absorb
interact/interaction
lens
light
material
ray
reflect
refract
source
transmit
travel
••making observations
••making predictions
••sorting and classifying based
Science Inquiry
claim
data
diagram
evidence
explanation
investigate/investigation
observe/observation
predict/prediction
record
scientific community
••summarizing
••using features of
on evidence
••comparing and contrasting
••investigating scientific
questions
••analyzing data
••drawing conclusions
••using tools to extend senses
••using models
••accessing and applying prior
How Science Works,
What Scientists Do
Reading
••making predictions
••using text features
••locating information in text
••summarizing
••making connections
••setting goals
••scientists analyze data to
make sense of it
••it may be helpful to
reorganize data when trying
to answer new questions
••scientists often meet to
discuss and compare evidence
••new evidence allows scientists
to confirm or revise claims
Writing,
Listening/Speaking
••recording information
••organizing information
••posing and answering
questions
••listening actively
••drawing conclusions
••gathering information
••comparing and contrasting
••summarizing
••consulting multiple sources
••supporting claims with
evidence
••writing to communicate
••building on others’ ideas
••using science vocabulary
••representing information
visually
••presenting information
••making predictions
••accessing and applying prior
••a scientific explanation is
carefully written to explain
science ideas clearly
knowledge
••interpreting visual
representations
••discussing words and their
meanings
••summarizing
••using text features
••making connections
••locating information in text
••supporting claims with
evidence
••using science vocabulary
••listening actively
••comparing and contrasting
••drawing conclusions
••representing information
visually
••posing and answering
questions
••writing to communicate
••organizing information
••summarizing
••building on others’ ideas
••gathering information
••participating in discussions
••consulting multiple sources
••writing explanations
knowledge
informational text to locate
information
••taking notes
••making explanations from
evidence
••setting goals
UNIT OVERVIEW
unit overview
At-a-Glance Chart
INVESTIGATION 4
Light Energy
Light as Energy
Science Knowledge/Conceptual Vocabulary
Session
WEEK 7
4.1 Warmth as Evidence of
Absorbed Light
SCIENCE INQUIRY, page 426
4.2 It’s All Energy: Part 1
READING, page 440
4.3 It’s All Energy: Part 2
SCIENCE/LITERACY, page 448
4.4 Energy Transformation
Stations
SCIENCE INQUIRY, page 458
4.5 Making Sense of Energy
Transformations
Knowledge
Science
••materials warm up when they absorb light
••the darker the color of a material, the more light it absorbs
••a temperature increase can be evidence that a material
absorbs light
••the many forms of energy include electrical, motion, sound,
thermal, light, and chemical
••energy can be detected by seeing, hearing, or feeling
••energy can change, or transform, from one form to another
••energy can transform in many different ways
••energy transformations are happening around us all the time
••multiple energy transformations can happen at the same
time
••energy transforms, but it is still energy
••energy doesn’t appear or disappear—it transforms
••energy makes things happen
••energy transformations can happen in a sequence
Literacy
••features of nonfiction text can help a reader identify and
locate main ideas
SCIENCE/LITERACY, page 466
WEEK 8
4.6 Introducing Solar
Energy
SCIENCE INQUIRY, page 478
4.7 Writing About Solar
Energy
LITERACY DEVELOPMENT, page
488
4.8 Sunlight and Showers
READING, page 500
4.9 Solar Energy Discourse
Circles
science/literacy, page 508
4.10How We Were Like
Scientists
SCIENCE/LITERACY, page 518
Seeds of science/roots of reading ®
Science
••the Sun sends a lot of energy to Earth in the form of
sunlight
••energy from the Sun is called solar energy
••solar energy can be transformed into every other form of
energy
••solar energy can be used in places where electrical energy is
not available
••solar energy can be used to warm up water
••solar cells and solar panels convert solar energy into other
forms of energy
••solar energy has benefits and drawbacks
Literacy
••ideally, both sides of an argument are considered before
taking a stance
Vocabulary
Unit-specific
absorb
characteristic
emit
energy
interact/interaction
light
material
source
transform/transformation
Science Inquiry
analyze
data
diagram
evidence
explanation
investigate/investigation
observe/observation
predict/prediction
record
Unit-specific
absorb
block
characteristic
emit
energy
interact/interaction
lens
light
material
ray
reflect
refract
shadow
source
transform/transformation
transmit
travel
Nature and Practices of Science/
Oral and Written Discourse
Science Inquiry/Reading Comprehension
Inquiry
••summarizing
••making observations
••making predictions
••using tools to extend senses
••using features of
informational text to locate
information
••posing questions
••accessing and applying prior
knowledge
••sorting and classifying based
on evidence
••making explanations from
evidence
••taking notes
••drawing conclusions
••investigating scientific
questions
••summarizing
••accessing and applying prior
knowledge
••drawing conclusions
••making connections
••making explanations from
evidence
••posing questions
••taking notes
••using features of
informational text to locate
information
••making predictions
••evaluating evidence
••making observations
••using tools to extend senses
How Science Works,
What Scientists Do
Reading
••making predictions
••locating information in text
••accessing and applying prior
••scientists use all their senses
to make observations
Writing,
Listening/Speaking
••recording information
••posing and answering
questions
••drawing conclusions
••listening actively
••writing to communicate
••summarizing
••gathering information
••participating in discussions
••using science vocabulary
••making connections
••supporting claims with
knowledge
••using text features
••summarizing
••making connections
••discussing words and their
meanings
••making inferences
••interpreting visual
representations
evidence
••representing information
visually
••presenting information
••accessing and applying prior
••evidence from multiple
knowledge
••making inferences
••discussing words and their
meanings
••posing questions
••setting goals
••locating information in text
••summarizing
••making predictions
••making connections
sources can help answer a
question
••scientists solve real problems
in the world
••scientists may change their
claims if they learn of new
and convincing evidence
••science is something you
do when you conduct
investigations, but it is also
a way of thinking about the
world
••recording information
••writing to communicate
••representing information
visually
••listening actively
••drawing conclusions
••participating in discussions
••gathering information
••supporting claims with
evidence
••organizing information
••writing explanations
••presenting information
••making connections
••summarizing
••consulting multiple sources
••building on others’ ideas
Science Inquiry
analyze
claim
data
diagram
evidence
explanation
investigate/investigation
observe/observation
predict/prediction
record
scientific community
UNIT OVERVIEW