Savannah Bakker

Indiana Wesleyan University

Elementary Education Lesson Plan

LESSON RATIONALE
Students in first grade are learning basic information/skills and how the world around them
functions. Within this lesson, students will explore the idea that without light, there is no sight.
This is important because it impacts our day-to-day lives.

READINESS
I. Goals/Objectives/Standard(s)
A. Goal(s)—
- Students will learn vocabulary words relating to light and how it travels.
- Students will create a hypothesis about whether or not objects need light to be seen.
- Students will use the vocabulary and class activities to gain knowledge about light.
- Through discovery activities, students will recognize that objects need light in order to be
seen.
B. Objective(s)—
- Before the mini lesson and activities, students will form a hypothesis about whether or
not objects can be seen without light.
- After the lesson, students will be able to explain whether or not their hypothesis was
correct with reasoning.
- After the lesson, students will be able to independently find evidence that objects need
light to be seen/find light sources.

C. Standard(s):
- 1.PS.4 Make observations to collect evidence and explain that objects can be seen only
when illuminated.
- SEPS.3 Constructing and Performing Investigations
II. Management Plan-
Time:
- Anticipatory Set (7 minutes)
- Mini Lesson (8 minutes)
- Discovery Activities (15 minutes)
- Closure/Explanation of Independent Activity (5 minutes)
Space:
- Students will be at the rug for the anticipatory set.
- Students will move back to their usual desks for the mini lesson.
- During the discovery activities, students will be spread throughout the room with small
groups.
Materials:
- The Dark by Lemony Snicket
- Anchor chart defining key vocabulary (with visuals)
- https://youtu.be/d65mdTJaJTI

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 - 7-8 shoeboxes for pinhole boxes
- Various small items (enough for each group) (paperclips, pencils, erasers, dum-dum
suckers, toy cars, etc)
- Packet (includes hypothesis #1 worksheet, pinhole box recording sheet, final
answer/updated hypothesis sheet, and take-home recording sheet)
- Images for recording sheet
- Scissors
- Glue
- Flashlights (one per group)
Expectations:
- I expect students to listen and follow along during the lesson, the students should be in
“learning mode.”
- During the discovery activities, students will work effectively with their peers and will all
participate.
- Students will fill out the worksheet as they go through the activity.
- I expect students to respond and listen when I use the management strategies that they are
familiar with.
- Students are expected to be responsible and use the different materials for their intended
purpose.

III. Anticipatory Set

- Boys and girls, I want all of you to close your eyes really tight!... Now what do you see?
- I will allow students to respond/react for a minute, then I will hold up the book, The Dark
by Lemony Snicket.
- Today I am going to read you a story about a boy named Lazlo. Lazlo is afraid of the
dark and has to find a solution to his problem during the story.
- I will read the book aloud.
- Following the read aloud, I will ask students if they have ever been scared of the dark,
and if so, what did they do.
- I will have students respond and tell a peer next to them.
- I heard many of you saying some good ideas about what you did when it was too dark.
Many of you said nightlights, flashlights, or other ways to help you be less afraid. This is
exactly what we are going to talk about today, what light does and what its purpose is.
- I will have students leave the rug and head back to their desks.

IV. Purpose:
- Today we are going to be learning about light and how it works. Light is one small but
important part of our everyday life, so it is important to understand what it is and about
all of the ways that it helps us!

PLAN FOR INSTRUCTION

V. Adaptation to Individual Differences and Diverse Learners—
- I will be using management strategies and the seating arrangement that students are
familiar with, which will help avoid any extra issues.

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 - This lesson utilizes multiple learning styles and multiple intelligences (SF, NT, NF,
bodily-kinesthetic, interpersonal, etc). Visual, hands-on, and auditory learning
opportunities will be present through the lesson.
- For students that struggle with staying on-task, I will provide verbal reminders and make
sure they are participating.
- The small groups of 3 (and one 4) will be pre-determined to avoid conflict.
- There will be many “turn and talk” and opportunities to share ideas with peers.

VI. Lesson Presentation (Input/Output)

- For our activities later and the rest of this lesson, we are going to need some key
vocabulary that will help you form your ideas and remember the information.
- I will go through the pre-made anchor chart that defines the key words, along with visuals
(light, dark, illuminate, etc.)
- After we go through the anchor chart, I will ask students to make their first hypothesis.
- Before we get too much further, I want you to make your first hypothesis on the first page
of your packet. The question is “do objects need light to be seen? Why or why not?”
- Remember, like last time, a hypothesis is an educated guess. Make your best guess as to
what this answer is, and remember it is okay to be wrong! That is why we are going to
explore more today, because we are scientists who always are on the hunt for more
information.
- Next, I will play a youtube video that discusses some light sources and what light is in a
developmentally appropriate way. https://youtu.be/d65mdTJaJTI
- Now to test our hypothesis, we are going to do an activity. When I say go, after I finish
giving instructions, you are going to get into your small groups of three or four.
- The students will be getting into pre-assigned groups that will be on the board.
- Each small group is going to get a shoebox and some small items. You will each take
turns putting an item or two into the box then closing the lid. One at a time, you can look
through the small hole at the end of the box and see if you can find the items inside. If you
cannot, there are flashlights available or you can open the lid.
- As you work through the different items, be sure to add them to your cut and glue pinhole
box worksheet. As you go, check off whether or not you could see the items/what tools
you needed to use.
- As we go, I will be pointing to a worksheet and demonstrating on the board.
- You can spread out throughout the room to make sure each group has enough space to
work. One member from each group can come pick up your materials.
- As students discover, I will be walking around listening to their conversations and
checking informally for understanding. I can also do brief re-teaching at this point if
necessary.
- When groups seem to have finished up their worksheets/task, I will bring them back to
their seats.
- Now that you got to discover more about light, lets go ahead and revisit our hypothesis
question. We asked “do objects need light to be seen? Why or why not?” Can I have a
few people tell me something that their group discovered?
- I will allow time for a few groups/students to share.

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 - Now that we have discussed, we can see that, yes, objects do need light to be seen. This is
why light is so important, because without it, we couldn’t get around or find anything.
- On the last page of your packet, go ahead and rewrite your original hypothesis if you
were correct, or make some changes if you discovered something new!
- Next will be the closure which is explained more thoroughly in the closure section.

VII. Check for understanding.

- Throughout the lesson, I will be discussing/thinking-aloud with the students.
- I will be scaffolding learners through the lesson and modeling.
- Informal assessment will be occurring throughout the lesson and during the small group
activity.
- Re-teaching when necessary.
- The packets that students fill out during the lesson will be a more “formal” method of
assessing students.
- Turn and talk opportunities.
- Individual activity.

VIII. Review learning outcomes / Closure

- Today we learned about light and how important it is! You all got to be scientists and
discover some of the ways that light works. Whenever you see something it is because
there is light. The light reaches your eyes which sends messages to your brain allowing
you to know what it is you are seeing. Light energy is very important.
- Now it is your turn to discover some more! On the last page of your packet, there is a
recording sheet. I want you to see if you can find 5 sources of light throughout the next
couple of days. They could be at school or at home. When you find one, draw a little
sketch and write what the light source is on the table. I can’t wait to see what you find!

PLAN FOR ASSESSMENT

- Informal assessment will be occurring throughout the lesson.
- I will be taking student volunteers during the instruction/discussion time. I will also be
walking around to check in with students during different parts of the lesson.
- The worksheet is an informal and formal assessment method. Throughout the lesson, I
can be checking student progress, then I will have the packet to look through at the end.
- Students will have an individual activity to complete which will allow me to see which
students have grasped the idea.

REFLECTION AND POST-LESSON ANALYSIS

1. How many students achieved the lesson objective(s)? For those who did not, why not?
2. What were my strengths and weaknesses?
3. How should I alter this lesson?
4. How would I pace it differently?
5. Were all students actively participating? If not, why not?
6. What adjustments did I make to reach varied learning styles and ability levels?
7. Did the students work well in their pre-assigned groups, why or why not?
8. Which learning style seemed most prevalent within my students?

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 9. Did the video enhance my lesson, or would the students have benefited from more direct
instruction at that point?

NAME: _______________________

Hypothesis #1:

Can objects be seen without light?

Why or why not?

_______________________________________

_______________________________________

_______________________________________

______________________________________.

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Pencil Eraser Sucker

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Paperclip Rubber band Marker

Crayon Car Bear

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Hypothesis #2:

Can objects be seen without light?

Why or why not?

_______________________________________

_______________________________________

_______________________________________

______________________________________.

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Take-Home Recording sheet
Find 5 sources of light. Draw and write your examples.

Drawing Example

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