Total Duration: |
Greater than 120 Minutes |
Materials and Resources: |
Materials to create lightboxes:
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Technology Resources Needed: |
Padlet: This is a website to create interactive collaborative pages or documents. I used it to create a chart for students to brainstorm types of light sources. Students used iPads to input their ideas, and the information would sync to the chart in real time. Later in the lesson, while viewing the Padlet as a class, we could move their content around to sort the light sources into 2 categories—Natural and Man-Made. **Click this link to see a description of Padlet’s features and/or create a Padlet: https://padlet.com/features **Also, a screenshot of the Padlet I used for this lesson is in the “Attachment” section. Computer and projector system to display Padlet to the entire class Student computers or iPads (4 devices can be easily shared by small groups of students) **If you have limited access to devices, or your technology crashes during the lesson, you can substitute chart paper, markers, and regular sticky notes for a Padlet!m Padlet was fairly easy to navigate, and the students caught on quickly during the lesson. |
Background/Preparation: |
Vocabulary Introduced During the Lesson:
4 Levels of light:
Student Background Knowledge/Possible Misconceptions: This lesson is an introductory lesson, so the discussions throughout can be used as formative assessments to gauge students’ previous understanding of concepts of light. For example—a student may suggest the moon as a light source. In reality, the moon is not a light source but reflects the light of the sun back to the earth. If students have had no (or little) experience/instruction, you may want to accept this answer for the time being—it is a source of light in the nighttime sky. But make a note to follow up later (during lessons on shadows and reflection or patterns of the sun, moon, and sky) and address this concept. Preparation of Light Boxes: This can be easily delegated to a parent volunteer or aide, by providing them with directions, or creating one box and letting them copy it to complete the others. **There is a photo in the “Attachment” section of a finished light box--may be helpful to see it.
To Prepare a Padlet:
**If students are familiar with Padlet, that is helpful but not necessary. Directions to introduce it to them are included in the “Lesson Procedures” section. |
Engage: Pose introductory questions, share personal experiences, and assess prior knowledge. [**The Engage & Explore sections can be completed together in a 45-minute time slot and incorporated into a reading block if needed.]
Explore: Discuss content and begin to introduce vocabulary through children’s literature read aloud.
Explain: Continue to introduce vocabulary, create a list of light sources, and sort them into categories. [This section can be completed in a 45-minute time slot and incorporated into Shared Writing if needed.]
Elaborate: Introduce and allow students to work in groups to explore Light Boxes. [This section can be completed in a 45-minute time slot for science.]
Evaluate: Students apply content and vocabulary knowledge to the writing process for a narrative story. [This section can be completed during your writing block, scheduling enough sessions to allow time for the pre-writing, conferencing & editing, final draft writing, and post-conferences.]
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Assessment Strategies |
This lesson includes many opportunities for formative and summative assessments on objectives presented throughout the lesson. Formative
Summative
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Acceleration: |
As students show mastery of science concepts, encourage them to explore what happens if they change the position of the object in the Light Box. Does moving it around affect how well you can see it? Why do you think that is? (See if they can express a correlation between the objects position and its proximity to the hole—might be most noticeable with the “dim” setting.) Allow them to repeat the Light Box activity with partners, letting them choose a small object from the room, and hide it in the box. Partners look in the “pitch black” box, then with “dim” light to guess what it is, then check with the “bright” light of the flashlight. You can also encourage higher level thinking by having students compare the light levels created by each light source. For example, have students discuss with partners or write about the following questions/fill-in-the-blank statements: Which natural light source is the brightest? Which ones are dim? Are there more natural light sources or man-made light sources? “(The sun) is brighter than a (firefly).” “A (headlight) is brighter than a (glow stick).” If students are highly proficient writers, encourage them to add more details to their story before making a final draft, or allow them to write other stories (true or fiction) about a blackout or about experiences with different light sources or levels of light (such as getting up in the middle of the night to get something). |
Intervention: |
See the “Assessment Strategies” section for places to check understanding and discover exactly what students are having difficulty with.
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View the Special Education resources for
instructional guidance in providing modifications and adaptations
for students with significant cognitive disabilities who qualify for the Alabama Alternate Assessment.
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