Werklund School of Education

University of Calgary | Undergraduate Programs in Education

Lesson Overview

Dates March 2025 Subject Science (Light)
Grade Level Grade 2 Length 60 Minutes
Unit Energy Exploration Lesson # 3
Teacher Lucas Johnson

Identify Desired Results

Learner Outcomes

  • Understand that light travels in straight lines (rays).
  • Observe that white light is composed of different colors (dispersion).
  • Explain how a pinhole camera forms an inverted image using the concept of light rays.

Objective (Student-Friendly)

  • I Know: Light travels in straight paths called rays.
  • I Understand: White light is actually a mix of all rainbow colors.
  • I Can: Explain why a pinhole camera makes things look upside-down.

Assessment Strategies

Formative:

  • Observe students during the pinhole camera experiment.
  • Ask: "What happened when light went through the prism?"
  • Review drawings of the inverted images seen through the pinhole viewer.

Differentiated Learning & Resources

Resources

  • High-powered Flashlights
  • Glass Prisms
  • Pre-made pinhole viewers
  • Dark cloth for viewing

Personalization

  • Challenge: Predict what happens if the pinhole is made larger.
  • Support: Provide pre-drawn outlines for ray diagrams.
  • Engagement: Use chalk dust or mist to visualize the straight flashlight beam.

Lesson Sequence

1. Hook: The Straight Path (2 min)

  • Shine a flashlight beam across the room. Ask: "Does it curve? Does it zigzag?" Use a bit of mist or chalk dust to show the straight path of the light ray.

2. Explicit Instruction (10 min)

  • Light Rays: Straight lines that show where light goes.
  • Dispersion: White light splitting into colors (rainbows) when it passes through a prism or water droplets.
  • The Inversion Mystery: Explain how straight rays crossing through a tiny hole make images flip upside-down.

3. Learning/Activity Sequence (30 min)

Task Activity Key Discovery
Prism Station Shine light through a prism to find the rainbow on a white screen. White light = All colors
Pinhole Station Use the pinhole box to look at a bright window or lamp. Straight rays cross
Ray Drawing Draw straight lines from an object through a hole to show the flip. Light is predictable

4. Wrap-up and Reflection (15 min)

  • Discussion: "Why was the pinhole image upside-down?" (Straight rays crossing).
  • Journal: "Draw the colors you saw in the prism rainbow."

Glossary

  • Light Ray: A straight line showing the path of light.
  • Dispersion: Splitting white light into rainbow colors.
  • Inverted: Flipped upside-down.
  • Prism: A special glass shape that bends and splits light.