Kayla Sumile

ELED 3221-003
16 November 2016
INDIRECT INSTRUCTION (STRUCTURED DISCOVERY) LESSON PLAN FORMAT
Light, Refracted and Reflected
Elementary Science
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Big Idea: Light behaves in different ways when in different mediums and when it is obstructed
Grade Level: 4th Grade
Rationale: It is important for students to know how light works in terms of reflection and
refraction because it is all around them. Students need to be aware of how light can change
pathways when it is obstructed by another object. This will help them to know why there is a
glare in their eyes when they are in a pool or an ocean.
NC Essential Standard(s): 4.P .3.2 Recognize that light travels in a straight line until it strikes
an object or travels from one medium to another, and that light can be reflected, refracted, and
absorbed.
Next Generation Science Standard(s): PS4-A: Waves are regular patterns of motion, which can
be made in water by disturbing the surface. Waves of the same type can differ in amplitude and
wavelength. Waves can make objects move.
Instructional Objective:

Understand that light travels in a straight line until it comes in contact with
another object

Predict what will happen in different situations where refraction and

reflection take place.

Discuss how refraction and reflection takes place all around us

Prerequisite knowledge and skills: Students will need to have a basic understand of what light
is and where it comes from. Students should have already covered 4.P.3.1 - Recognize the basic
forms of energy (light, sound, heat, electrical, and magnetic) as the ability to cause motion or
create change.

Materials/Resources:
Smart Board
Laptop

Smartphone
Plicker answer cards (24)
Glass Jar
Water
Pencil
Pennies (2)
Tape
Bowl
Computer Paper (20 sheets)

Source of your lesson:

http://studyjams.scholastic.com/studyjams/jams/science/energy-light-sound/light-absorb-reflectrefract.htm
http://www.teachinginroom6.com/2012/04/light-refraction-fun-independent.html
Science Stories pages 285-288
Estimated Time: 30 Minutes
Accommodation for Special Needs/different learning styles:
ESL Students: All materials used in the engage portion of the lesson will be in both English and
the students native language. Students will receive a copy of the notes from the powerpoint in
their native language. Students will receive the vocab for the lesson beforehand in both English
and their native language. The teacher will go over the names of all the materials in both English
and the native language of ESL students and ask the whole class to repeat both. This way the
ESL students do not feel singled out.
Students with Autism: Students with Autism will have priority seating during the entire lesson.
These students will also have separate viewing area (in the teachers office) when the video is
being shown. The teacher assistant will monitor these students while they are watching the video.
This will limit distractions for these students as much as possible. These students will also have a
notetaker for the lesson as well as additional detailed step by step instructions for the evaluate
portion of the lesson.
Safety considerations: Students will stand at a distance from the cup and pencil. Students will
not be able to pick up the glass cup with water in it. With these parameters students will be safe
from the possibility of the glass breaking and getting harmed from those pieces of glass. The
teacher will also monitor the students during their stations. Students will not be able to pick up
the jar or bowl in the stations. This reduces the risk of them dropping those items and causing
them to break.
Kayla Sumile
ELED 3221-003
16 November 2016
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Content and Strategies (Procedure)

Engage/Explore:
The teacher will start out the lesson with the refraction discrepant event. The teacher will fill up
the glass of water. He/she will place the jar on a table and have the glass gather around. He/she
will state get into your science groups and discuss what you think will happen when I put this
pencil in the jar. After two minutes to discuss the teacher will call on students to share what they
discussed in their groups. Then the teacher will place the pencil in the jar. One group at a time
will come up to the jar (standing two feet away) and observe what happened. Then the teacher
will call up the next group and so on. Each group will go back to their tables and write down
what they observed. After every group has seen the pencil in the jar the students will be allowed
to discuss in their groups what they saw. The teacher will then call on a few students to discuss
what they observed. Students could possibly respond with I saw the pencil bend or the pencil
looked like it was magnified. The teacher will then introduce the topic of the lesson refraction
and Reflection of light.
Explanation: How will you structure student sharing from exploration? How will you facilitate
students conceptual development? How will you help students connect explanations back to
their experience? How will you build on students explanations to help students use appropriate
vocabulary to label concepts and ideas?
Teacher will go through a Google Slide presentation on light refraction and reflection. The
Google Slides will go through definitions ans well as explain the concepts of reflection and
refraction using picture. The teacher will then show a video on light from Study Jams at the end
of the presentation.(http://studyjams.scholastic.com/studyjams/jams/science/energy-lightsound/light-absorb-reflect-refract.htm).
Elaborate: What opportunities will there be for students to apply newly learned ideas, concepts,
and skills? (Another activity is ideal)
Students will be able to try out refraction for themselves via stations. In their science groups they
will be going to two different stations.
Station 1: Rising Coin
There will be a coin taped in the middle of a bowl. Students will slowly back
away from the bowl and start to see the coin disappear, they will back up until the coin is
completely out of sight. The one of the members in the group will
Station 2: Turning Arrow
Students will have a plastic jar filled with water. Students will draw an arrow and
tape it to the back of the jar. Students will note what happens to the arrow on their
worksheets. Students will be able to draw other shapes if time permits. Students will be
instructed not to pick up the glass jar for safety reasons.

Evaluate: How will you assess each students progress toward the stated objective(s)? What
evidence will be collected? What type of assessment will be used (formal, informal, formative,
summative)?
Students will be assessed informally and in a formative matter using Plickers website and app.
Students will be assessed using an online app called Plickers. Students will have 5 questions
based on the lesson and video. Students will get individual score sheets and the teacher will
immediately be able to see the results as they answer the questions.

Closure:
The lesson will close with a discussion about what students got out of the lesson. The teacher
will ask these three questions
What are examples of reflection that youve seen before? Refraction?
What are objects that you know to be good reflectors?
How does reflection and refraction differ?
These questions will get students thinking about how this applies to life outside the classroom.
Students will hopefully see by giving examples of reflection and refraction in everyday life that
this is not just something to learn and move on. Students will be able to remember the material
better if they can have a personal connection to the concept. They will also restate how reflection
and refraction are different. This will help cement student's knowledge of refraction and
reflection by hearing it compared one last time.

Rising Coin Experiment

Do the following steps at your station:
1. Put the coin in the bowl.
2. Walk backwards until you cannot see the coin in the bowl any more.
3. Have someone pour water slowly into the bowl.
4. Watch the bowl from where you are standing.
What did you observe? Draw what happened as the water began to fill the
bowl.

Why did this happen?

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Turning Arrow Experiment
On an index card, draw an arrow.
Place the card behind a clear cup filled with water.
What do you observe?
Draw a before and after picture detailing what you observed.
Before (not behind cup) After (behind the cup)

Why do you think this happened?

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Other experiments to conduct:
Try drawing other objects.
Try placing them very close to the cup.
Try placing them very far away from the cup.
Note some of your observations:
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