5th Grade Astronomy Unit: Lesson 3

5^th Grade Astronomy Unit Blueprint

Light

Lesson 3: Light Travels in a Straight Line

Pacing Suggestions: 1 day (short lesson)

Teacher Resources:
Tips

Essential & Unit Questions* ¹

Benchmarks ²

Formative and Summative Assessments ³

Using Assessments to Monitor Student Learning

In what direction does light travel?

4F(3-5)#3: Light travels and tends to maintain its direction of motion until it interacts with an object or material. Light can be absorbed, redirected, bounced back, or allowed to pass through.

Class discussion of activity

Did students position the index cards with the holes lined up in a straight line?
Did students sketch the path of light moving in a straight line through the holes?
Are the students able to articulate that light travels in a straight line?

12D(3-5)#2: Make sketches to aid in explaining procedures or ideas.

Journal entry sketch of the flashlight, path of light, and index cards

* Essential/Unit questions are major questions driving the unit. They are directly aligned with the benchmarks. No single lesson addresses each question in its entirety. By the end of the unit, students should be able to answer these core questions.

1. For conceptual benchmarks.
2. Bolded sections indicate portion of benchmark addressed
3. Unless noted as a Summative Assessment, the assessments are formative and should be used to guide teaching and learning.

5th Grade Astronomy Unit Blueprint

5^th Grade Astronomy Unit Blueprint