SCIENCE LESSON PLAN

TEACHER: Kevon Peterson

SCHOOL: Fatima College

DATE:

CLASS: Form 4

TIME: 80 minutes Periods:

UNIT: REFRACTION OF LIGHT

LESSON TOPIC: Refraction

REFERENCES (Include page numbers. Avoid using the student’s class textbook).

Physics for CSEC Examinations, John Avison, Louise Petheram, David Henry and Devinesh Neeranjan

PRE REQUISITES

Knowledge:- students should know:

1. The wave-particle duality of light

2. That a medium is a material or substance that light propagates through.
3. Light travels in a straight line
4. Light can travel through different media.
5. That the normal is an imaginary lie that is perpendicular to the surface of the medium.
6. What is the incident ray and the angle of incidence?

Skill:- students should know how to:

1. Draw ray diagrams.

School of Education, The University of the West Indies, St. Augustine.

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 MATERIALS & RESOURCES
For Teacher For each group/student

Multimedia Notes/activity sheet

Document camera Ray box
Beaker of water Rectangular glass block
Laser pointer Triangular glass prism
White sheet of paper

CONCEPT OR PRINCIPLE

Light exhibits wave properties, one of which is refraction. Refraction is the bending or change in direction of a
wave motion when there is a sudden change in the speed of the wave. This sudden change occurs when light
changes media of different optical densities. It is necessary for students understand that this phenomenon of
waves also occurs with light and there are many examples and applications of it.

Misconception / Alternate Ideas:

Light travels in a straight line at all times.

School of Education, The University of the West Indies, St. Augustine.

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 SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES

At the end of this lesson, students should be able to : Classification Learning Type

1. Define the term refraction of light. Remembering

2. State the relationship between optical density and speed of

Remembering
light.

3. Determine the path of a light ray through materials of

Cognitive Evaluating
different optical densities.

4. Construct a ray diagram showing refraction in a

Applying
rectangular block and a triangular prism.

5. Label the normal, the incident ray, the refracted ray, the
angle of incidence and the angle of refraction on any ray Remembering
diagram with refraction.

6. Justify that light is actually able to bend under certain

Affective Organization
conditions.

7. Demonstrate lateral displacement and angle of deviation of Guided

Psychomotor
using a rectangular block and a triangular glass prism. Response

PROCESS SKILLS
Identifying/formulating a problem 0
Designing and Planning an experimental procedure 0
Setting-up and executing experimental work 0
Observing and measuring 0
Recording of data and observations 0
Interpreting and evaluating data and observations 1
Communicating scientific ideas, observations and arguments 1
Applying scientific ideas and methods to solve qualitative and quantitative problems 0
Decision-making on examination of evidence and arguments 1
Extracting from available information data relevant to a particular situation 0

Introduction:
School of Education, The University of the West Indies, St. Augustine.

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Teacher positions a container of water below the document camera so that the students have a top view of the
beaker of water.
Teacher then positions the laser pointer at an angle towards the side of the container so that when the switch is
turned on, the light refracts.
Before the switch is turned on the Teacher ask the students to predict what they will observe by drawing a line,
on the diagram provided, to show the path of light ray. (in pencil)
(Students’ expected responds: “light will travels in a straight line”)
Teacher turns on the laser pointer and demonstrates the refraction or bending of light.
Teacher ask students to explain what they see and identify the factors that cause the bending of light to take
place.
(Students’ expected responds: “the presence of the water”)
Teacher removes one factor (water) to prove that light will travel in a straight line without it.
Teacher seeks another factor from the students by placing the laser point perpendicular to the surface of the
container.
Students observe that no bending takes place.
Teacher identifies the other factor needed for refraction to take place: an angle of incidence greater than zero.
Transitional statement:
Teacher introduces the topic of the lesson as the refraction or bending of light.

Development:
Teacher allow student to formulate the definition for the refraction of light using the previous observations.
Teacher ask students to identify the media involved in the demonstration and list them in order of increasing
optical density. (Air, water and glass)
Teacher ask students if light is able to travel through a vacuum and to give a reason for their answer.
(Students’ expected responds: “yes, sunlight”)
Teacher then ask students to list the four media mentioned in order of decreasing speed of light.
Teacher provides each student with a rectangular glass block and a laser pointer.
Teacher instructs students to outline the glass block on a sheet of paper
Students are then told to shine the light through the glass block and observe the path of the light ray.
Teacher tells the students to draw a ray of light to represent the path of laser light through the block.
Teacher instructs students to insert the normal at the two points of refraction.
Teacher then ask students to compare the bending of the light, when it travelled from air to glass and from glass
to air.
Teacher explains that the change in speed resulted in the type of bending.

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Teacher use computer simulation to demonstrate that the decrease in speed will cause the light to bend towards
the normal and an increase in speed will cause the light to bend away from the normal.
Teacher identifies the incident ray, the refracted ray, the angle of incidence and the angle of refraction on the
diagram and instructs student to label them.
Teacher explains what lateral displacement is and demonstrates it, using the computer simulation.
Teacher then ask students to measure illustrate lateral displacement in their diagram.

Consolidation:

Teacher recaps the notes covered

Teacher gives students a sheet with a light ray entering a triangular glass prism and ask the students to complete
the path of the light ray and label the rays, the normal and the angles.
On completion of the diagram teacher provides the students with a triangular glass prism to verify their
drawing.

TEACHER’S EVALUATION OF LESSONS

TUTOR'S COMMENTS

School of Education, The University of the West Indies, St. Augustine.

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