TE 802: Unit Plan (Including Summary Table)

Names: Elizabeth Antes

Part I: Information about the Lesson

Topic: Light and Electromagnetic Waves
Generating Big Ideas
Abstract
Write two sentences, as if to a fellow teacher, about the topic you plan to teach.
The EM spectrum will be investigated with the emphasis on the visible light spectrum. A rainbow will be
explained using the ideas of reflection, refraction, and transmission.
What are the underlying big ideas?
Make sure to include. What makes this topic so important to study, that is, beyond knowing labels,
definitions and examples? Could this topic be taught within the context of a bigger idea? For example,
density taught within the context of buoyancy? Simple machines within the context of forces and energy?
Is the topic made up of connections among smaller explanations (evolution for example). Is there a
deeper underlying theory that encompasses this topic or explains how it works? Use (and cite) reputable
web sites or written resources to broaden your understanding of the topic.
The underlying big ideas are how visible light can behave in different materials. Knowledge of the EM
spectrum and how it travels in waves are at the heart of the topic. EM waves travel and behave differently
than mechanical waves, although all waves can be described by their parts.
Physics Classroom website has a great overview of the properties of light, and how rainbows are formed.
Phenomenon: Coupling a rich phenomenon with its explanatory model. Using Step 2 as a starting point,
what is an observable event (for example earthquakes, die-offs of species, different kinds of rusting) that
exemplifies the big idea and that kids can come to a deep understanding of over a period of days? What
underlying events provide a why explanation for this phenomenon? Use unobservable events,
processes, and things to create a causal storyline that has no gaps.
A full circle rainbow was observed at Niagara falls.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FSYrBBsyhag
Rainbow Explanation
The sun produces electromagnetic energy through nuclear fusion. The energy travels from the core to the
surface of the Sun where it is visible from and travels to the Earth. The EM energy consists of UV light,
X-rays, visible light, infrared, microwaves and radio waves. Every type of EM energy has its own
wavelength and frequency. The atmosphere of the Earth filters out most of the EM waves from the sun.
The EM waves that do enter the Earths atmosphere are approximately half visible light, then infrared and
a little UV. The visible light spectrum ranges from 380 to 750 nm and is divided into seven different

colors. Violet has a wavelength of about 400 nm, Indigo 445 nm, Blue 475 nm, Green 510 nm, Yellow
570 nm, Orange 590 nm, and Red 650 nm. There are no gaps in between colors.
Rain is made up of droplets of liquid water that have condensed from atmospheric water vapor, they are
held together by the surface tension of the water due to the polar nature of water. The droplets become
large and heavy enough to fall due to the force of gravity. The shape of the water droplets depend upon
their size that ranges from 0.1 to 9 mm in diameter. The smaller the droplet of water the closer to
spherical they are, as they increase in size they become more oblate until they resemble small parachutes.
When visible light from the sun encounters a spherical drop of water, part of it is reflected but part of it
enters the droplet being refracted at the surface of the drop. When the light hits the back of the drop, some
of it is reflected off the surface, and exits the front of the drop, again being refracted. Light is refracted, or
bent at different angles due to the different optical density of materials, such as air and water and the
wavelength of the light. Light slows down as it passes from air to water. Light that has a longer
wavelength, such as red will bend or slow down less than light with a shorter wavelength such as violet.
Each raindrop reflects and refracts all the colors of the visible light spectrum. Red exits the drop at an
angle of 420 relative to the original path of light from the sun, and violet exits the drop at an angle of 40 0
with the other colors of the visible light spectrum in between according to their wavelength. The viewing
angle of the drop determines what color is seen, and only one color of the rainbow can be observed from
each drop. A shadow will be cast by the viewers head, this shadow can be considered the apex of the
rainbow and the bow forms because the reflection will have radial symmetry about the line from the sun
and the apex. The rainbow can be seen as a full circle due to the height of viewing and the system of the
suns rays, the observers head, and the spherical water droplets. This system has an axial symmetry about
the axis through the observers head and parallel to the suns ray.
The human eye has three types of cones to observe color, one that detects red, another that detects green,
and the last detects blue light. These cones work together to interpret the light rays that hit the observers
eye, and allow the observer to distinguish between the colors of the rainbow.
Draw for yourself a full explanatory diagram (your model) that combines representations of observable
things and unobservable processes at wor

What does success for students look like? Kids should be able to use the Big Idea to explain new
phenomena that are different from the ones youve used in classand/or use the Big Idea to predict
what if scenarios or conduct thought experiments. What might these new phenomena or thought
experiments be? Kids should be able to use different kinds of evidence to support or refute parts of any
explanatory model. What kinds of experiences might students draw evidence from to support their
explanatory models?
Students should be able to make a claim about why the colors of a rainbow are ordered ROYGBIV. They
should use evidence for their claim and provide reasoning.
Students should be able to revise their models using evidence from the activities.
Students should be able to explain how a rainbow can be seen in a full circle.
Students should be able to apply what they have learned to a double rainbow

Objectives for Student Learning

Use the table below to list the Michigan Objectives (probably one or two) that apply to
your lesson and a small number of specific lesson objectives that you will be addressing during
this lesson. The Michigan Objectives should be copied from the Content Expectations and the
NGSS performance expectations should be copied directly from the NGSS document (both are
available via the websites provided in the syllabus).

Note: Each lesson objective should be an observable outcome. They are not teaching
activities. They are what you want students to be able to do that will indicate that they
understand at the appropriate level. For example, understand photosynthesis does not describe
what a student with that understanding will be able to do. Also, Conduct an experiment on plant
growth under different environmental conditions is a good learning activity, but not a good
objective. It doesnt say what students will learn to do as a result of conducting the experiments.
Michigan Objectives
1. We dont use MI objectives in St. Johns Middle School.
2.
3.
4.

NGSS Performance Expectations & Evidence Statements

1. PS4.B Electromagnetic Radiation
2. When light shines on an object, it is reflected, absorbed, or transmitted through the object, depending on the
objects material and the frequency (color) of the light.
3.The path that light travels can be traced as straight lines, except at surfaces between different transparent
materials (e.g., air and water, air and glass) where the light path bends.

4. However, because light can travel through space, it cannot be a matter wave, like sound or water
waves.

I can statements
9.Icandescribetheelectromagneticspectrum
10.Icandescribehowwavesarereflectedthroughvariousmaterials.
11.Icandescribehowwavesareabsorbedthroughvariousmaterials.
12.Icandescribehowwavesaretransmittedthroughvariousmaterials.
13.Icandescribehowlighttravelsasstraightlines,exceptatsurfacesbetweendifferent
transparentmaterials(e.g.,airandwater,airandglass)wherethelightpathbends.
15. I can explain that because light can travel through space, it cannot be a matter wave,
like sound or water waves.
Look at the Express Tools on the Ambitious Science Teaching Website. Walk through the
steps in the tool and complete the table below.

Planning Discourse #1
Generic Questions (You do not
add anything in this column)

Actual Questions

What to listen for and plan to respond

to (You do not add anything in this
column)

Describe how you will introduce the phenomenon:

I will play a video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FSYrBBsyhag that shows a full circle rainbow that was seen at
Niagara falls.
For discussion I will ask them to use the partner talk tool
Students will draw an initial model in small groups
Step 1. Eliciting observations
What do you see going on here?
What did you notice when
___happened?
When or where does ___ occur?

Step 2. Eliciting hypotheses

without explanation
What would you predict about
___?
What has happened here? (at
level of inference)
What would happen if ___?
Step 3. Pressing for explanation
What might be going on here that
we cant see?
Why do you think this happens
this way? (emphasize cause)
What do you think causes ____?

Students will have a few minutes to think quietly,

then
What do you see going on here?
Where does the rainbow occur?
What did you notice as the camera moved
around?

What if students cite relevant features

of the task?
What if students cite irrelevant ideas or
cannot understand the representation/
problem?
What if students give inferences rather
than observations?

What would you predict about the suns

position?
What would you predict about the weather
conditions?
What would happen if the cameraman were
on the ground?

What if students exhibit preconceptions?

What if students cite relevant facets of
the big idea?
What if students do make connections
to what theyve experienced?

What do you think causes the raincircle?

What might be going on here that we cant
see?
Why do you think the rainbow happens, ie
why are there different colors?

What if students offer explanations

congruent with scientific explanation?
What if students offer simplistic causeeffect?
Example: Why does water boil?
Because you put it on the stove.

Step 4. Summarizing
What are some things we are not
sure about here?
How could we test our
hypotheses?
What kinds of information or
experiences do we need to learn
more?

What are some things that we are not sure

about?
What kind of information do we need to
learn more about what is happening?
How could we test our ideas without going
to Niagara Falls?

What if kids offer explanations that

involve alternative conceptions?
What if students are unable to respond
to any of these questions?

Planning Discourse #2 (you should think about questions for each of your D2 activities for us,
please fill this out for at least 3 activities)
Generic Questions (You do not add
Actual Questions
What to listen for and plan to respond to
anything in this column)
(You do not add anything in this column)
Describe how you will introduce the activity:
Play a video tour of the EM spectrum http://missionscience.nasa.gov/ems/emsVideo_01intro.html
Do slinky waves lab
Discuss then add to summary table
Step 1. Orienting students to the
Then you need to listen for, plan to
What will we be seeing in the
concepts
respond to:
video?
What can we observe/ measure in
What can we measure in the slinky What if students can cite relevant features
this activity?
of the activity?
waves lab?
OR What will we be seeing
What if students focus on extraneous
happen/measuring?
features of activity?
Step 2. Back-pocket questions:
What you need to listen for, plan to
What are you seeing here? video
Observations and patterns
respond to:
What are we measuring here? lab
What are you seeing here? (or
What if students can cite relevant features
similar broad observational question)
of the activity?
What if students are focused on extraneous

Step 3. Back-pocket questions:

Connection to the big idea
Can you explain what you are
doing or what is happening in terms of
[the big idea]?

Step 4. Whole class coordination of

students ideas & their questions
What did you (addressing whole
class) find in your activity [adjust this
questions to the specifics of the
activity, seeing trends, patterns,
differences, etc.]

Can you explain how the slinkys

relate to EM waves?
Can you explain what happens
when you move the slinky back
and forth faster/slower?
Can you explain what is happening
in the video that shows the
difference between the colors of
light?
What did you see in the video
about the visible light spectrum and
the wavelengths?
What did you find in the slinky lab
about wavelength, frequency,
energy, and amplitude?

Generic Questions (You do not add

Actual Questions
anything in this column)
Describe how you will introduce the activity:
Warm Up question, What shape of raindrops can make rainbows?
We will be doing a demonstration investigating reflections of light
Step 1. Orienting students to the
What will we be seeing happening
concepts
when we shine light on different
What can we observe/ measure in
mirrors?

features of activity?
What if students mention patterns, but do
not explain the significance?
What you need to listen for, plan to
respond to:
What if students hesitate or seem to rely on
vocabulary?
What if students can make connections
between activity and some aspect of big
idea?

What you need to listen for, plan to

respond to:
What if students hesitate?
What if can students describe patterns,
insights?

What to listen for and plan to respond to

(You do not add anything in this column)

Then you need to listen for, plan to

respond to:
What if students can cite relevant features

this activity?
OR What will we be seeing
happen/measuring?
Step 2. Back-pocket questions:
Observations and patterns
What are you seeing here? (or
similar broad observational question)

Step 3. Back-pocket questions:

Connection to the big idea
Can you explain what you are
doing or what is happening in terms of
[the big idea]?

Step 4. Whole class coordination of

students ideas & their questions
What did you (addressing whole
class) find in your activity [adjust this
questions to the specifics of the
activity, seeing trends, patterns,
differences, etc.]

of the activity?
What if students focus on extraneous
features of activity?
What you need to listen for, plan to
What are you seeing here, is the
respond to:
light reflecting the same off of all
What if students can cite relevant features
the mirrors?
Is the light the same intensity at all of the activity?
What if students are focused on extraneous
angles?
features of activity?
What if students mention patterns, but do
not explain the significance?
Can you explain what is happening What you need to listen for, plan to
respond to:
with the light when it hits the
What if students hesitate or seem to rely on
different types of mirrors?
vocabulary?
Can you explain why the light is
What if students can make connections
sometimes brighter or dimmer?
between activity and some aspect of big
idea?
What happened to the light when it What you need to listen for, plan to
respond to:
hit different types of mirrors?
What if students hesitate?
What did you find when you
What if can students describe patterns,
changed the angle of the light?
What did you find about the path of insights?
the light off of different surfaces?

Generic Questions (You do not add

Actual Questions
What to listen for and plan to respond to
anything in this column)
(You do not add anything in this column)
Describe how you will introduce the activity:
We will be doing a PHET simulation. Follow the link then play around with the simulation for 5 minutes. Make sure you

figure out how to use all of the controls. After five minutes shut the computer and make predictions, when your
predictions have been checked then you may start the lab.
Have a discussion, and fill out summary table.
Step 1. Orienting students to the
Then you need to listen for, plan to
What can we observe about how
concepts
respond to:
light interacts with different
What can we observe/ measure in
What if students can cite relevant features
materials?
this activity?
of the activity?
What will we be seeing when we
OR What will we be seeing
What if students focus on extraneous
shine light into a ball of water?
happen/measuring?
features of activity?
Step 2. Back-pocket questions:
What you need to listen for, plan to
What are you seeing here?
Observations and patterns
Is there a difference in the way the respond to:
What are you seeing here? (or
What if students can cite relevant features
light interacts with things?
similar broad observational question)
of the activity?
What if students are focused on extraneous
features of activity?
What if students mention patterns, but do
not explain the significance?
Step 3. Back-pocket questions:
Can you explain what is happening What you need to listen for, plan to
Connection to the big idea
respond to:
when the light shines through the
Can you explain what you are
What if students hesitate or seem to rely on
same/different materials?
doing or what is happening in terms of
Can you explain what is happening vocabulary?
[the big idea]?
What if students can make connections
when light is interacting with the
between activity and some aspect of big
ball of water?
idea?
Can you explain why the white
light was separated into different
colors?
Step 4. Whole class coordination of
What you need to listen for, plan to
What did you find when the light
students ideas & their questions
respond to:
went through the same materials?
What did you (addressing whole
What if students hesitate?
Different materials?
class) find in your activity [adjust this
What did you find when white light What if can students describe patterns,

questions to the specifics of the

activity, seeing trends, patterns,
differences, etc.]

was shined through the water?

What did you find out about the
path of the light through a sphere?

insights?

Planning Discourse #3
Generic Questions (You do not add
Actual Questions and Plans
What to listen for and plan to respond to
anything in this column)
(you do not add anything in this column)
Describe how you will introduce the activity:
I will start with the intro to CER powerpoint so students have a framework for how to create a claim, what constitutes
evidence and explainations.
Step 1. Re-orienting students to the
focal models and hypotheses.
This is what our groups have been
thinking about what is it we have
been trying to represent?
What is the puzzle we are trying to
solve?
What are we trying to explain?
Step 2. Coordinating a tentative
explanation with available evidence.
What do we think is causing ___?
Who would like to offer an
explanation?

What is the puzzle we are trying to

solve?
What are the components of the
rainbow over Niagara Falls?

Then you need to listen for, plan to

respond to:
What if students can only talk about their
explanations in terms of specific
observables and not in terms of an
underlying model? (see examples on
previous page).

What do we think is causing the

rainbow?
Who would like to offer an
explanation?

What you need to listen for, plan to

respond to:
What if students start talking about
descriptive findings only, or talk only
about how things are correlated?
What if students depend only on
vocabulary in their explanations?
What if students respond to an imagined
question?
What if students skip over the chain of

Step 3. Committing an explanation

to paper
Now stop and write down your
explanation
(groups or individually).
Followed by:
Now from the data you collected in
the
____activity, or from ideas you read
about in the text, you need to come up
with two pieces of evidence that
supports your explanation.
Step 4. Talking about the strength
of the data and the reasoning

What makes a strong argument?

o CER powerpoint
o Model revision sentence
starters

Step 5. Writing a final explanation

Create a gotta-have checklist for

final explanations as a whole class
Final explanation will be their exit
ticket

Step 6. Applying the new

explanatory model

Now stop and write an explanation

that you can share in your groups
Using the Summary table your
group needs to come up with two
pieces of evidence that supports
your explanation.
Use the discussion diamond to
ensure all students participate

What would the light path look like

in a double rainbow?
Work on question as a class.
Make a claim about the order of the
light in the rainbow.

events?
What you need to listen for, plan to
respond to:
What if students cannot begin to write an
explanation, how will you help them
begin?
What if students cannot imagine what a
piece of evidence might be? How will you
help them not just state of piece of
evidence, but understand what counts as
evidence?
What you need to listen for, plan to
respond to:
What will you do if students cannot make
connections between evidence and
explanations? Or if they dont see how
evidence might contradict an explanation?
What you need to listen for, plan to
respond to:
How can you help students understand
what might have to be changed in their
previous model?
What you need to listen for, plan to
respond to:
How might you help students who cannot
understand how to apply their explanatory
model to another kind of situation or
phenomenon?

Part III: Fleshed Out Summary Table (This should include materials for each activity/lesson for example, a
copy of the lab, a link to the simulation, the exact pages for the reading, a link to the video, a copy of the worksheet)
Activity/Lesson
Observations
Why?
LinktoAnchoring
Phenomenon
EMwaves/slinkylab

TheSungivesoffEMradiation

Video:

http://missionscience.nasa.gov/ems/e
msVideo_01intro.html

Wavelengthandfrequencyare
related

Lighttravelsasatransverse
wave

Lab:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B6zt
YFbXfL1KY2RVU2tLVmZUaDZV
WVA5d2NabTZyOFl4ZWR3/view?
usp=sharing

TheSunproduces
energy,including
visiblelight

Wavelength
determineswhat
kindofwaveand
howmuchenergyit
has

Lightdoesntneeda
mediumtotravel
through

Eachcolorof
thevisible
light
spectrumhas
aspecific
wavelength

Whitelight
containsall
thecolors

Visiblelight
travelsin
wavesfrom
theSun

MirrorDemonstration

Lightisreflectedoffofmirrors

Demonstrationusinglargeflat,
concave,andconvexmirrors.

Lightismore/lessintense
dependingontheangles

Shinysurfaces
reflectlight

Studentswriteobservationsinlab
notebooks.

Lightcanbereflectedin
differentdirectionsdepending
ontheshapeofthereflector.

Lightcanbe
concentrated
(constructive)or
dispersed
(destructive)

PHETbendinglight

https://phet.colorado.edu/en/simulatio
n/bendinglight

Lightdoesntbendifthe
materialsarethesame

Lightbendsifthereare
differentsurfaces

Whitelightcanbesplitupinto
itscomponentswhenit
encounterstheair/water
interface.

Worksheet
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B6zt
YFbXfL1KSExJUXRGNjBCX0E/vie
w?usp=sharing

Lightneedstobe

Lightpasses
throughdifferent
materialsatdifferent
speeds.

Lightpassesthrough
thesamematerials
atthesamespeed.

Different
wavelengthoflight
bendmore/lessat
theair/water
interface

Lightisreflectedofftheinside
ofasphereofwater.

Waterisareflective
surface

Waterisa
reflective
surface

Raindropsare
madeof
water

Thesungives
offlight

Sunlightwill
reflectoffof
araindrop

Lightpassing
throughthe
airtravelsat
thesame
speed.

Lighthitting
araindrop
willbend
(refract)and
reflect

Araindrop
willsplitlight
upintoits
components

Part IV: Assessment of Students

Assessment Tasks
You will need to collect written work from your students both during the unit (formative or mini-summative) and at the end of the unit
(summative). Describe at least three tasks in each category - including the actual question(s) where possible.
Formative/Embedded Assessments (These are assessment tasks that you will use throughout the course of the unit to know how
students understand the ideas and you should use their responses to guide your teaching. These can include warm-ups, exit slips,
[pictures of] students models, written explanations.)
Assessment Task

Description of Assessment (including exact wording where possible)

Exit Slip, after EM Waves. A Mantis Shrimp can see light from UV to Infrared whereas we Humans can
see light only in the visible spectrum. What would a rainbow look like to a Mantis shrimp? Why?

Warm Up-What shape of raindrop could make a rainbow?

Initial Models, how the circular rainbow is formed

Summative Assessments (These are assessment tasks that you will use at the end of the unit in order to see whether students learned
what you wanted them to learn. This may include a traditional test, a transfer question can they apply ideas to a new
phenomenon? an essay, a project)
Assessment Task

Description of Assessment (including exact wording where possible)

CER using the visible light spectrum, evidence comes from the D2 activities. An introduction to CER will
come before the assessment. Students will have sentence starters and the CER tool on D2l will be used to

revise their writing.

2

Final model explanations, come up with evidence using the discussion diamond with small groups. The
explanation will be an exit ticket done individually.

Final model revisions using evidence from the summary table, each student has to make at least two
revisions. Provide model revision sentence starters and sticky notes.

Unit Plan Rubric (not including summary table)

Pts
Possi
b.
20

Big ideas
Complete and accurate
Topics big ideas
Phenomenon
Model
Objectives
10
Includes all relevant state &
NGSS objectives
Lesson objectives are
observable outcomes that
match state & NGSS objectives
and are appropriate for
students
Discourse 1
15
Questions
What to listen for

Pts
Earne
d

/120
Comments

Discourse 2 x 3
Questions
What to listen for

30

Discourse 3
Questions
What to listen for

15

Embedded assessment
tasks
Includes specific Qs
Matches objective(s)
Involves each student and
reveals students reasoning
Summative assessment
tasks
Includes specific Qs
Matches objective(s)
Involves each student and
reveals students reasoning

15

Summary Table Rubric

Activities

15

/100
Pts
Possi
b.
50

Pts
Earne
d

Comments

Complete materials
Use of student ideas
Ordered and coherent
Observations
Specific ideas/data/evidence
students will gain from activity
Why
Underlying principles
Links to Phenomenon
Specific ways this activity
helps to better understand
phenomenon

20
15
15