9 Backward Design Plan Template

Title: The Penny Experiment Subject/Course: Science Time: 50 minutes

Level: Grade 4
Lesson Description
Students will first learn the basic concepts of refraction: light slows down when it enters a new medium (what is a
medium?); light bends in the new medium and might look closer or like theyve shifted out of place. Then theyll be
given instructions in order to conduct the penny experiment. Eleven groups, working with their elbow partner, will be
given the materials for the penny experiment in plastic bags. The penny experiment consists of stepping away from a
bowl until you cant see the penny and then having someone fill the bowl with water until it reappears. Both students
will get a chance to see the penny rise. They will then write what happened and explain why it happened on a
worksheet.
Stage 1: Desired Results
Big Question (link to the real world)
Why do objects appear closer in water?
Ontario Curriculum Overall Expectation

2. Investigate the characteristics and properties of light and sound.

Ontario Curriculum Specific Expectation

2.2 Investigate the basic properties of light.

Key Concepts and/or skills to be learned/applied: Prior Knowledge Activation:

Light slows down when it enters a new medium.
Air, water and glass are all examples of mediums.
Light travels fastest through air.
When light slows down, it bends. As a result,
objects in water appear closer or might look like
theyve shifted out of place.
Stage 2: Planning learning experience and instruction
Learning Goals: clearly identify what students are expected Instructional Strategies: See Chapter 6 Gregory and
to know and be able to do, in language that students can
readily understand.
Success criteria: describe in specific terms what successful
attainment of the learning goals looks like (Growing
Success p. 33).
1 Learning Goal: We are learning that light bends
when it reaches a new medium.
2 Why: So that we understand why objects
appear closer in water.
3 Success Criteria for this Lesson:
- I used water to make the coin rise in the bowl.
- I can describe what had just happened.
- I can say why it happened (light reaching the
water at an angle and changing speed, the light
bending, refraction)
Light travels in a straight line
Light can only change direction when it hits something
else.
Chapman, Beyond Monet PDF, Wees 56 different
examples of formative assessment.
Im going to review reflection with them at the
beginning and talk about how light travels in a straight
line. Then Ill talk about refraction and draw a picture of
light hitting the second medium (water) at an angle,
paying attention to where it hits and slows down. That
picture will be left up on the board so that everyone can
see it when theyre doing their worksheets. Ill have the
instructions for the penny experiment written on a
piece of chart paper so that the students can refer to it
when they need to, but well go over it one time as a
class before they get started. Then Ill call up one
student from the pair to get the materials and start
working.

Materials/Student Groupings Differentiation

I want students to be working in pairs with their Students who have a particular difficulty with
elbow partners. That means eleven groups. They writing will be given the opportunity to draw out
 will be given foam bowls, blue tack for securing the the penny experiment and refraction, or explain
coin, a coin each, and a small thing of water for it verbally while the teacher takes jot notes.
conducting the experiment.

Assessment For Learning, Checking for Understanding & Feedback

Anecdotal observation assessment for each student based off of specific expectations 2.2 and 2.6 in the Grade 4
Light and Sound Strand of the Science and Technology Ontario Curriculum. Students will fill out two-part
worksheet following the experiment to explain their understanding of the experiment.
Stage 3: Learning Activity
Motivational Hook (10-15 MINS.): What is Refraction?
Who was heard of the saying faster than the speed of light? We came to know this saying because, according to
Albert Einstein, nothing travels as quickly as light.

But believe it or not, the speed is changed depending on what the light is travelling through, or the medium. What is
light normally travelling through when its around us? Its travelling through air. So what is the medium then? Its air.

Now, what do you think happens when it hits another medium, like water? It travels fastest through air, and it slows
down when it hits another medium, so is it going to travel the same speed through water as through air? You can all
say it no. Bravo to everyone who got that answer right.

Does anyone have an idea of what happens when light hits the water? It makes the objects inside look like theyre
shifting or bending. Thats called refraction and that happens because the light is bending.

Draw the diagram of the light changing direction on the board, paying attention to where the light slows down as it
enters the new medium. That diagram will stay up all through class.

Refraction, or the bending of light, happens when light enters a new medium at an angle. Thats a really important part
of refraction, because if you look at this diagram, part of the light beam enters the medium before the rest, so it slows
down. Because part of it is slowing down while the other part is still moving at a normal speed, the light is forced to
change direction. Thats why it looks like the object inside the water is closer or has shifted.

Now were going to do a magic trick. Using refraction, youre going to make a penny rise. Heres what I want you to do.

Open (10-15 MINS):

The instructions will already be written on chart paper and will be hanging right in front of the board for their reference
during the class. Have the materials in a plastic back ready to go. Foam bowls, a penny, small things of water, blue
tack. 11 bags. There will be one group of three. They will be working with their elbow partners. Go over the instructions
with the class.

1. Place the blue tack in the middle of the coin.

2. Put the blue tacked coined in the center of the bowl so that it is secured down.
3. One student will walk away from the bowl until they cannot see the coin anymore.
4. Their partner will slowly pour water into the bowl until the coin becomes visible again.
5. Switch places and repeat the experiment.

Body (modeling, collaborative work, individual = gradual release of responsibility, synthesis) (10-15 MINS): The
Penny Experiment
 The class will then begin doing the penny experiment with their elbow partners. While they are working, walk
around with your observation assessment chart and make anecdotal records of what each student is doing
during the experiment, how they are contributing, what they are saying, if they are using proper terminology,
etc. Ask the students questions.
Close (success criteria visited) (10 MINS): Explain What Happened Worksheet After each pair is done, have them
throw the water outside and then theyll start the worksheet what happened and explain why it happened.

Stage 4: Reflection
Student Reflection of Learning (metacognition)

Teacher Reflection (WWW/EBI)

L. Radford & T. Hollweck, adapted from "Understanding by Design", Wiggins

and McTighe (2005).