Observation Deck
LIGHT CAN CHANGE YOUR VIEW 3RD & 4TH GRADE
BEFORE YOU GO…
Essential Question: What is the relationship between light, angles and how you view your world? Light has a source and travels in a direction. As a basis for understanding this concept, have students experience and discuss how sunlight can be blocked to create shadows and how light is reflected from mirrors and other surfaces. Then, have students conduct an experiment with light and color to experience that the color of light striking an object affects the way the object is seen. Discuss with students how an object is seen when light traveling from the object enters the eye.
Observation Deck | S.T.E.M.
MATERIALS Science Notebooks Pencil Digital Camera Protractors
WHILE YOU’RE THERE… Once you arrive on the observation deck located on the 69th floor, students should observe the way the light is interacting with the scenery. They are looking for various angles and colors they see based on the traveling light. They may pick one area to stay in, or they may move around the observation deck. The change in their relation to the sun will affect how they see the scenery. Students should make note of the differences in their notebook if they decide to move around the observation deck.
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LIGHT CAN CHANGE YOUR VIEW 3RD & 4TH GRADE Observation Deck | S.T.E.M.
• What angles are the sun rays making as they bounce off the building they are watching? • Direct them to look for various colors that are created by light striking an object. The light can come from the sun or artificial light that can be observed throughout the city. • If the students have electronic devices, encourage them to snap photographs of any examples of colors that are affected by shadows, reflection and refraction. Students will use their science notebooks to write down observations and illustrate diagrams of what they observe.
WHEN YOU RETURN… Once you return from your field trip, students will begin the engineering process to design a model that answers the question: Can you change how something looks by using light? Using their notes, students will begin working through the engineering process. Please note that this process works in a continuous fashion. Engineers are constantly working to improve their ideas. Therefore, designers (engineers and students) may work through all of these steps over and over. This process could go on for a very long time depending on the depth and complexity of their designs. The time given to the students is completely up to the teacher.
Ask/Figure out the Problem:
LEARNING STANDARDS
Science Grade 4: 4.PS4.B Engineering Design Grades 3 & 4: MS-ETS1-1, MS-ETS1-2, MS-ETS1-3, MS-ETS1-4 Math Grades 3 & 4: 3.G.1, 3.G.2; 4.MD.5a-c, 4.MD.6, 4.MD.7
Can you change how something looks by using light? What materials are you going to use? What will be your light source? How do you want it to look different? Will the angle of the light change how it looks? Does the size of the angle change how it looks?
Come Up With A Plan: In their notebook, students will use their knowledge of angles, shapes, light, and the way our eyes use light to illustrate and label a diagram of a model that can be changed using light.
Make a Model of Your Plan: Students will create a 3D model of their plan. Students may need to collect recyclable materials or bring in other materials they would like to use on their project.
Test Your Model: Students will use light on their model to test different angles and see if they have found a solution to their problem.
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LIGHT CAN CHANGE YOUR VIEW 3RD & 4TH GRADE Observation Deck | S.T.E.M.
LEARNING STANDARDS
Science Grade 4: 4.PS4.B Engineering Design Grades 3 & 4: MS-ETS1-1, MS-ETS1-2, MS-ETS1-3, MS-ETS1-4 Math Grades 3 & 4: 3.G.1, 3.G.2; 4.MD.5a-c, 4.MD.6, 4.MD.7
Looking Further Another step in the continuous circle of the engineering process is reflecting about your solution and redesigning. After students have tested their model, they can make changes and retest. This can continue until they get a solution to the problem. As they make changes, they should reflect their ideas by adding details to their original diagram or by creating a new diagram that illustrates their new plan.
Snapshot View Students can take pictures and create a storyboard of how light created contrast and colors on the scenery in their view. They can predict based on prior knowledge how light might be used to change the way they see their own world. Discuss how adding a new building might change the way the light interacts with others around it. Would the new building change the view of the others? Look for various angles of light while on the observation deck.
03
BEFORE YOU GO…
Essential Question: What is the relationship between light, angles and how you view your world? Light has a source and travels in a direction. As a basis for understanding this concept, have students experience and discuss how sunlight can be blocked to create shadows and how light is reflected from mirrors and other surfaces. Then, have students conduct an experiment with light and color to experience that the color of light striking an object affects the way the object is seen. Discuss with students how an object is seen when light traveling from the object enters the eye.
Observation Deck | S.T.E.M.
MATERIALS Science Notebooks Pencil Digital Camera Protractors
WHILE YOU’RE THERE… Once you arrive on the observation deck located on the 69th floor, students should observe the way the light is interacting with the scenery. They are looking for various angles and colors they see based on the traveling light. They may pick one area to stay in, or they may move around the observation deck. The change in their relation to the sun will affect how they see the scenery. Students should make note of the differences in their notebook if they decide to move around the observation deck.
01
LIGHT CAN CHANGE YOUR VIEW 3RD & 4TH GRADE Observation Deck | S.T.E.M.
• What angles are the sun rays making as they bounce off the building they are watching? • Direct them to look for various colors that are created by light striking an object. The light can come from the sun or artificial light that can be observed throughout the city. • If the students have electronic devices, encourage them to snap photographs of any examples of colors that are affected by shadows, reflection and refraction. Students will use their science notebooks to write down observations and illustrate diagrams of what they observe.
WHEN YOU RETURN… Once you return from your field trip, students will begin the engineering process to design a model that answers the question: Can you change how something looks by using light? Using their notes, students will begin working through the engineering process. Please note that this process works in a continuous fashion. Engineers are constantly working to improve their ideas. Therefore, designers (engineers and students) may work through all of these steps over and over. This process could go on for a very long time depending on the depth and complexity of their designs. The time given to the students is completely up to the teacher.
Ask/Figure out the Problem:
LEARNING STANDARDS
Science Grade 4: 4.PS4.B Engineering Design Grades 3 & 4: MS-ETS1-1, MS-ETS1-2, MS-ETS1-3, MS-ETS1-4 Math Grades 3 & 4: 3.G.1, 3.G.2; 4.MD.5a-c, 4.MD.6, 4.MD.7
Can you change how something looks by using light? What materials are you going to use? What will be your light source? How do you want it to look different? Will the angle of the light change how it looks? Does the size of the angle change how it looks?
Come Up With A Plan: In their notebook, students will use their knowledge of angles, shapes, light, and the way our eyes use light to illustrate and label a diagram of a model that can be changed using light.
Make a Model of Your Plan: Students will create a 3D model of their plan. Students may need to collect recyclable materials or bring in other materials they would like to use on their project.
Test Your Model: Students will use light on their model to test different angles and see if they have found a solution to their problem.
02
LIGHT CAN CHANGE YOUR VIEW 3RD & 4TH GRADE Observation Deck | S.T.E.M.
LEARNING STANDARDS
Science Grade 4: 4.PS4.B Engineering Design Grades 3 & 4: MS-ETS1-1, MS-ETS1-2, MS-ETS1-3, MS-ETS1-4 Math Grades 3 & 4: 3.G.1, 3.G.2; 4.MD.5a-c, 4.MD.6, 4.MD.7
Looking Further Another step in the continuous circle of the engineering process is reflecting about your solution and redesigning. After students have tested their model, they can make changes and retest. This can continue until they get a solution to the problem. As they make changes, they should reflect their ideas by adding details to their original diagram or by creating a new diagram that illustrates their new plan.
Snapshot View Students can take pictures and create a storyboard of how light created contrast and colors on the scenery in their view. They can predict based on prior knowledge how light might be used to change the way they see their own world. Discuss how adding a new building might change the way the light interacts with others around it. Would the new building change the view of the others? Look for various angles of light while on the observation deck.
03
