OPTICS and SOUND
Light:
Students observe, predict, and experiment to learn about how light travels
through different materials. In the fifth grade there is a focus on
writing explicit conclusions after experimenting.
The Eye:
Students learn the locations and functions of the different parts of the eye
through lectures, readings, and a dissection.
Sound:
Students learn about how sound travels through hands-on experiments introduced
in Science Court.
We began our study of optics with a discussion of how to design a good
experiment. Experiments consist of six parts: questioning, rules
(hypothesis), predicting, collecting data, observing, and analyzing data.
Students then brainstormed investigable questions (questions that can be
investigated) based on a class demonstration. Students will use these skills
throughout the optics unit.
Next, the fifth grade participated in an optics exploration day, where
students rotated through five stations with materials related to light and
wrote down an investigable question based on the materials at each station.
Each exploration station contained materials related to key concepts that we
explore over the course of the unit: reflection, refraction, light and
materials (opaque, transparent, and translucent), shadows, lenses, and the
eye. The unit also includes dissections of sheep eyes, using ophthalmoscopes,
and a trip to the Museum of Science!
