SCIENCE DOCENT GUIDE HELPING HANDS SCIENCE GOMES ELEMENTARY Math Science Nucleus 206
DOCENT GUIDELINES DURATION: 50-60 minutes GENERAL INFORMATION: Do not spend more than 0-5 minutes for an introduction and instructions. Allow as much time for the hands on component. If you are doing an art project, make sure you have all the materials readily available. First grader s vocabulary may be limited especially if first exposure to a scientific concept. You may need to repeat large words and have students repeat the word. Repetition of instruction is important so they understand the procedure. Leave about 5 minutes to discuss what they did in the lab and urge them to develop a summary or conclusion of what they learned. Note: Background information is added information for the docent only. Light Planned Lessons Lesson Overview NGSS CORRELATION Light Reflection and Refraction Light Magic Slideshow Comparing how light moves when it reflects and refracts. -PS4-3 Light movement PS4-A Wave properties PS4-B Electromagnetic radiation Prisms and Rainbows Light Magic (Storybook) Light in the Universe Comparing how light refracts through different prisms Discovering that the Sun is a star and radiates light and the light reflects from other objects -PS4-3 Light movement PS4-A Wave properties PS4-B Electromagnetic radiation -PS4-2 Make observations..objects seen when illuminated 2
LIGHT REFLECTION AND REFRACTION OBJECTIVES: Comparing reflect and refract. Discovering how light moves VOCABULARY: lens reflect refract MATERIALS: calcite, ulexite, quartz, and an index card with lines Bag with 2 mirrors prism Biconvex lens Model of eye (optional) Light Magic (slideshow) first few slides BACKGROUND: Physics helps us explain the world around us. There are many things occurring in the world that we can't explain. This unit has students investigating the properties of light. They will not understand the physics of light, but will begin the process of becoming familiar with some of the bizarre things light can and cannot do. The world is full of images for children. A reflection in a mirror or window can scare them; a penny in a pool may look closer than it really is. Light has always played with our sense of sight. Children can learn how these images are different from the real thing. Children need to discover that they can change the way light moves. As children play with optic toys, they begin to see that light can play tricks with their eyes. Young children need to experience different examples of reflect and refract to recognize them easily. Reflect is easier to understand than refract. Reflection is just a "bouncing" back of an image, while refraction is a change of direction of an image. A prism, for example refracts or bends light to create a rainbow. However, with just a little guidance, students can look at light and identify whether it refracts or reflects Light can be controlled by lenses, prisms, and mirrors. Light moves. Lenses are important in our everyday life. Many people wake up putting on eyeglasses or contacts. People who take pictures use lenses in the cameras. Lenses are in magnifiers, 3
lighthouses, microscopes, telescopes, binoculars and projectors. Nature has found a natural way to create a lens system in most organisms (eyes) so they can see. The word lens comes from the Latin word "lentil," (a bean used in soup that is biconvex.) A prism causes light to change direction or refract as it moves through the prism. Light when it travels through different substances can also refract. It appears to our eyes as if the object is bending, but it is only "light" playing tricks with our eyes. A mirror allows light to "bounce" or reflect from the surface of the mirror. We see ourselves in the mirror because light reflects or bounces from the mirror and the image is captured by lenses in our eyes. Light can also diffract when it goes through a small slit. The light particles spread from the center into distinct packages. Depending on your class we usually do not expect the students to learn this term, but saying the term is allowed. Many people do not realize that light is actually a real phenomenon. It moves, it changes directions, and it is part of a branch of physics called the electromagnetic wave spectrum. PROCEDURE: In this lab, students will "play" with light. Students will view several examples of reflection and refraction and will try to discover how light moves.. Use Light Magic slideshow and go over how light can move. Go over the parts of the eye and emphasize lenses. 2. Give students a biconvex lens and an index card (white). Have them focus an image onto the paper. 3. Go over objects that reflect and refract. Common objects include mirrors (reflect); glass of water with spoon in it (refract); foil (reflect); oil in a glass bottle (refract); prism (refract); glass (refract); lens (refract); or any shiny surface (reflect). 4. Give each student a mirror in pairs. Have them play with reflection by working with a partner and put the two mirrors opposite and see if children can see infinity reflect. Make sure they put something in the center. 5. Then give students a bag of quartz, ulexite, and calcite. Have them discuss how the mineral refracts the line. (quartz can make multiple images, ulexite will bring the picture to the top (color image is better), calcite will make it double). Students can also put the mineral to their eyes and look at objects. The calcite will double and the quartz will make rainbows; the ulexite does not have an image because the individual crystals are small fibers. Ulexite has boron within its structure which only allows light to go one. Boron is an ingredient used in making fiber optics. 4
PRISM AND RAINBOWS OBJECTIVES: Comparing how light refracts through different prisms. Discovering how light moves. VOCABULARY: lens reflect refract diffract MATERIALS: Flashlights Prisms Light Magic by J. Blueford (storybook) BACKGROUND: Emphasize that this segment concentrates on visible light which is a part of the electromagnetic wave spectrum. Review how light carries energy in tiny packets of electromagnetic radiation called photons. Light travels at 296,000 meters per second or 86,0000 miles per second and doesn't need a medium to travel in. All colors of light travel at the same speed, but they have different wave frequencies (short and long waves). Light can be reflected or refracted. In reflection, light bounces off a surface and is diffused. Light travels in a straight line and refraction is the bending of this light. The light breaks up into different frequencies therefore causing a rainbow or a "broken" look. This activity demonstrates different components of refracted light. If students do not know the light spectrum, give them the following pneumonic device to help them remember. ROY G. BIV = red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet. Light is bent twice when it passes through a prism and the separation of color is quite noticeable - a rainbow. The prism separates the frequencies of light, so a rainbow appears. What colors can you separate from the white light? Iff your classroom has 5
bright sunlight that is a good source of light; otherwise use a flashlight. Light must be shone correctly through a prism in order to get a rainbow PROCEDURE:. Read Light Magic 2. Discuss with students what a prism does to light. It refracts. Go over that rainbows are only created when there is refraction. 3. Tell them they are going to do an experiment. Do prisms make better rainbows inside or outside. 4. Give them a flashlight and turn off the lights and try to make rainbows on the ceiling or floor. 5. Then look at quality of rainbows, and discuss if they created Roy G. Biv 6. The go outside and use natural light. Do not do this experiment on an overcast day and you need direct sunlight. 7. NOTE: 6
LIGHT IN THE UNIVERSE OBJECTIVES: Discovering that the Sun is a star and radiates light. Comparing and contrasting bodies that reflect light. VOCABULARY: comet light reflect radiate star MATERIALS: comet ball energy ball flashlight Parts of Universe slideshow Zoom Zoom (song) storybook (for time at end) BACKGROUND: A star is a ball of burning gases, mostly hydrogen and helium. A star shines or glows becausee its gravity causes its gases to fuse together. This process releases energy, hence the "shine". Our Sun is only a medium-sized star. Theree are stars that are bigger, smaller, hotter, and cooler. However, the Earth is very small compared to the Sun. More than a million Earths could fit into the Sun. All life onn Earth depends on the Sun for light and heat. Until the seventeenth century, most scientists thought that the Earth was the center of the Universe, mainly because it appears that way too casual observation. It is quite obvious that the Sun and Moon travel across the sky from east to west. Ancient people often thought that the Sun and Moon were gods with chariots such as Apollo and Athena, and gave them personalities. Part of this confusion was because while all sky objects appear bright, some stars and galaxies (collections of stars) radiate light, while the others only reflect light. This is sometimes difficult for children to understand as well. When they look up at the night sky, they see the brightly shining moon. How can it be that it does not produce its own light, but yet it shines? 7
The stars make their own light. The Moon, planets, asteroids, natural satellites, and comets shine by light reflected from the Sun. The Moon has no light of its own, so it appears to have phases, cycling from new Moon to full Moon and back every 29½ days. The phases happen because of the angle at which the Sun's rays strike the Moon relative to the Earth, but the exact mechanism will be explained in the later grades. PROCEDURE: Goal: In this lab activity, students will learn that bodies in space can be classified in two ways: () those bodies that produce light (stars) andd (2) those bodies that do not (planets, comets, meteorites, and most everything else in space).. Review prior lessons. Have the students tell you what reflection and refraction mean. If they have forgotten, ask them what happens to the light when it reflects? (it bounces back), what happens to the light when it refracts (it bends) ). 2. You have time, so you can spend a couple minutes asking them if they remember what they did in the last classes. What happened with the light etc. Children of this age like to tell you and once one starts remembering there is usually a cascade; BE SURE THEY HAVE TO RAISE THEIR HANDS TO TALK! Steps and 2 may take about 5 minutes. 3. Then tell them today we are going to talk about where lightt comes from in space. Tell them if something produces its own light it radiates light. 4. Play just the first three slides of slideshow searching the universe. 5. Stop on slide three and ask them what in space produces light (stars) and what doesn t produce light (they should say planets, moon, they may say asteroids). Then tell them we are now going to test the difference between things that produce light and things that reflect light. (about 5 minutes) 6. Turn off the lights and close curtains if possible (make the room as dark as you can). 7. A flashlight or an energy ball can be an examplee of an object that produces its own light. Show students thesee items and ask them whether the light is produced inside it or not. A flashlight is like a star. If you put an object, like a basketball in a dark room, you will not see the basketball. However, if you shine the flashlight on the ball, you can see the basketball in the dark. The basketball is the Moon or Earth and the flashlight is the Sun. Demonstrate this in class. (about 5 minutes) 8. Turn on the lights and talk about comets. Ask them if they know what a comet is? Comets also reflect lightt from the Sun. A comet is an object that is made up of gases and "rocks" that orbits around the sun. Comets do not pass Earth very often and ancient peoples were frightened of them. 8
9. This is a fun activity to have the students live reflection. Divide students into teams of two. Give each pair of students one "comet ball." (A ball with reflective streamers.) Have them stand a few feet apart and gently toss the comet ball back and forth. Make sure they keep it under control. This is done with the lights on and it should be easy. 0. Then turn the lights off and ask students if they can see any comets when they throw them to their partner. They should answer no (or at least not as well). If it is really dark there will be a lot of excitement.. Next, let several teams be stars. They will take turns. The Stars get to hold flashlights and shine them on the comets. Have the students throw the comets again. Ask them when can they see the comets. They should realize that the comets are only visible when they come into contact with the light. The comet is reflecting light, not producing light. The students using the flashlights are representing stars. 2. The students will each want to take a turn at being stars. So let them throw the comets for about a minute while the stars shine and then say STOP or FREEZE. Switch and take flashlights from the stars and give them back the comet balls and give the flashlights to new stars. Do this for a couple of rounds you may not have time for everyone to be a star. (the whole ball section should take about 20 minutes). [Crowd control hints If they are getting out of hand, Make EVERYONE STOP and put the balls and flashlights down and take their hands OFF completely then tell them they need to control the comets or their team will lose their comet ball. Then start again. 3. After trading back and forth a number of times collect all the balls and flashlights and do a review (sitting on the carpet is good for this). Ask them some follow up questions along the lines of What did we see that produced light when the lights were off? They should say the flashlight and the ufo balls (and anything else that is glowing in the room. Did the comets produce their own light? How can they tell? Ask them where most of our light comes from during the day? (the sun) what is it called when something produces its own light (radiate) What about at night? (the moon and electric lights) Does the moon produce its own light? Where does the moon s light come from? It reflects light from the sun. You can end here. 4. ONLY IF YOU HAVE EXTRA TIME. If you find you have extra time you can play the Storybooks zoom zoom (song). (it is about a trip to the moon) First graders love songs. They will be very engaged. Ask them at the end how they could see the earth when they were on the moon? (Because it reflects the light from the sun!) Tell them great job and you are done. 9