Susan Champine - Jerome S. Bruner S Discovery Learning Model
Susan Champine - Jerome S. Bruner S Discovery Learning Model
Susan Champine - Jerome S. Bruner S Discovery Learning Model
Abstract
Jerome Bruner‟s discovery learning theory was applied to the lesson Light Bounces and
presented to third graders at a nearby suburban elementary school. A teaching approach using
discovery learning presents questions and activities that challenge students to utilize their prior
knowledge in order to build upon and improve their current understandings, as is demonstrated
in Light Bounces (Schunk, 2008). Bruner believed, from a constructivist perspective, that
"education is a process of personal discovery" (Clabaugh, 2009). This theoretical model was
used to enhance students‟ learning experiences. Research has shown that discovery learning
increases the likelihood of students retaining knowledge for future lessons. Further discussion
will show how discovery learning theory influenced the lesson Light Bounces.
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Introduction
Light Bounces is a single lesson that is part of a larger science unit designed to introduce
third or fourth grade students to the exploration of light as a natural phenomenon in our world
(Cusack, 2004). For this project, the teaching and learning aspects are based on Jerome S.
Bruner‟s discovery learning model of instruction (Schunk, 2008, p. 280-81). Discovery learning
seems appropriate for Light Bounces because the socially-based investigative activities and
materials motivate students to make inquiries such as “why does light bounce?” and “how does
light bounce?” (Schunk, 2008, p. 281). Students gain knowledge of how light travels, why it is
important to know this information, and also work with new vocabulary words to help structure
connections that promote memory retention and knowledge transfer as they progress through the
with its emphasis that students learn best when engaged in active social learning processes that
help them to form new ideas based on existing knowledge (Clabaugh, 2009; CUREE, n.d.).
Discovery can be designed as a minimally or more directly guided learning experience (Maderin
and Preckel, 2009; Schunk, 2008, p. 280-1). Light Bounces has been designed as a minimally
guided student centered lesson that, according to Bruner (1961), works best with activities
designed to encourage searching, manipulating, exploring, and investigating (as cited in Schunk,
2008, p. 280). Additionally, it is important that students possess prior knowledge of the subject
Bruner‟s discovery learning model was chosen as the theoretical basis for Light Bounces
because the theory seems well suited for science, as the subject ordinarily involves
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discovery learning, and this lesson, encourages students to observe, predict, experiment, record,
and then to actively think about why and how light bounces (Schunk, 2008, p. 280). The key to
discovery in Light Bounces is that students actively participate in constructing their own meaning
and work to find out why and how things happen allowing them to draw conclusions
independently, rather than being told by the teacher, and then being asked to memorize correct
answers for tests (General Teaching Council for England (GTC), 2006). Discovery learning also
allows students the opportunity to make thoughtful guesses and to ask questions. All of these
The Light Bounces lesson is modular in nature and is designed to facilitate active student
participation and encourage their full mental and physical engagement (Gorman, Plucker &
Callahan, 1998). As stated earlier, active student participation supports constructivist teaching
principles and subsequently supports the discovery learning model (Schunk, 2008). Although the
lesson seems basic on some levels, the overall hope is for students to grasp new concepts about
light and its importance and relationship to them and to the world around them.
Students interact with their socially constructed learning environment as they practice
and solve the problems of how light bounces. Sharing prior knowledge and working with new
ideas in small groups helps students to create more meaningful understandings with their peers
(Lewin, n.d.). The lesson can be planned over the course of one or two days depending on pre-
and post-assessment determinations as well as the interest level of the class, and as time permits.
Theorist, van Joolingen (1998) states that the learning environment should be arranged to
promote activities that motivate students to fully participate. Ideally, the teacher, as facilitator,
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should guide students toward developing a hypothesis and then to ask thoughtful questions and
A basic concept of discovery learning is that teachers should facilitate instruction that
allows students to discover predetermined outcomes according to the level of learning required
by the curriculum standards (Mandrin & Preckel, 2009). Hopefully, students will pose relevant
questions such as “what if there was no light?” or “how does light move from place to place?”
prior to beginning the light unit. Activating prior knowledge about the topic and reviewing
previous lessons in the unit should promote deeper understanding and can help knowledge
transfer happen in an organized manner so that future recall of information can occur (GTC,
2006). Bruner‟s vision about “spiral” curriculum becomes evident when learners can relate back
to pre-existing knowledge and then strive to build on that to construct new meanings when new
recall knowledge and experiences from previous lessons, and encourage student participation.
The teacher should then guide students in applying already existing knowledge to new
information to construct deeper levels of meaning and understanding (CUREE, n.d.). This gives
students an active opportunity to apply what they already know about the topic to the new
After introducing the purpose of the lesson, the teacher describes the materials that will
be used in the experiment and then models the actions and procedures for the students (GTC,
2006). Ongoing observation and feedback by the teacher during the experiment can help clear up
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Students begin the actual lesson by asking questions, guided by the teacher prompts, and
then try to guess at possible right answers. They move to actively observing light and
experimenting with it in small groups. Ultimately, they discover that when light hits an object, it
can reflect directly back in one direction, or it can scatter in many directions (Cusack, 2005).
The lesson should wrap-up with a short written assessment (see appendix D) in order for the
Preparation for Light Bounces can be modified depending on the needs of the students.
It is also a lesson that might inspire teachers to be creative and experiment with instructional
drawn vocabulary web that allows students to make appropriate word connections (see appendix
C). According to Schunk (2008), these types of instructional visual aids support constant
vocabulary review and memorization that link to the larger concept of light bouncing (Mandrin
& Preckel, 2009). Using Bruner‟s “spiral curriculum” as a reference, the web can be a highly
effective way to connect ideas from the past and present learning of the topic (CUREE, n.d.;
GTC, 2006). Lessons that are well-organized and build upon one another may enhance the
For the Light Bounces lesson to be most effective, additional visual aids such as
flashlights, ping pong balls, and other objects will help to demonstrate the principles of how light
seems to move. Visual aids also help students to see first-hand how light behaves as opposed to
having to think about how light might behave after reading from a text or listening to the teacher
describe the process (Mandrin & Preckel, 2009). A higher rate of knowledge transfer is more
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likely to occur when students engage in hands-on meaningful activities such as these (GTC,
2006). When students see first-hand how light reacts when it encounters certain objects, the
combination of physical and mental processes working together create more opportunities for
lasting and meaningful understanding to develop (Brown and Abell, 2007; Schunk, 2008).
Active learning also promotes memory connection as new knowledge links to earlier ideas and
experiences (Brown and Abell, 2007). As the lesson progresses, the teacher, as facilitator, should
observe and question students to ensure that correct new information is being learned and
A complementary model to discovery learning is called “the learning cycle” and is based
concepts, “explore and deepen that understanding, and then apply the concept to new situations”
(Walbert, 2003). Re-stated, the learning cycle allows for exploration, concept introduction, and
concept application (Brown & Abell, 2007). It was designed by David Walbert for use as a key
Light Bounces incorporates some aspects of the learning model. For example, the teacher
introduces the concept of light by asking questions to promote student engagement and to
provide opportunities for students to recall what they already know. Students will hopefully add
new information to their existing base of knowledge and will be able to construct deeper
meanings than they had before participating in the lesson (Brown & Abell, 2007). Brown &
Abell (2007) suggest that exploration allows students to visualize and understand science
concepts better than had they just read text about the subject, took notes, or listened to lectures.
The small group work phase of the student centered learning experience places emphasis on
progress (Brown & Abell, 2007). Additionally, the learning cycle, as part of discovery‟s
problem-solving aspect, helps to facilitate the process of information storage from short-term to
Further analysis of the instructional aspects of Light Bounces follows the review of the
historical development of discovery learning theory as well as its most common uses in the
educational realm.
Jerome Seymour Bruner‟s prolific texts, The Process of Education (1960) and Toward a
Theory of Instruction (1966), enlightened twentieth century educators and influenced a sweeping
movement of change in the way American school curricula were designed and taught (Smith,
2002). The latter publication essentially launched the popularization of “cognitive learning
theory as an alternative to behaviorism” that had, up until then, been the predominantly used
educational theoretical model of the time and, in effect, it “had a direct impact on [educational]
policy formation in the United States” (Sass, 2009; Smith, 2002). His educational and
educational instructional design models which subsequently evolved into his widely adopted
Bruner was born in New York City in 1915 to Polish immigrant parents; blind at birth,
two cataract surgeries as an infant corrected his vision (Smith, 2002). Following the death of his
father when he was just twelve years old, Bruner and his mother frequently moved causing
continuous interruption to his early education. From this obscure beginning emerged an
influential scholar who was awarded his first academic degree from Duke University and in
1947, a Ph.D. in psychology from Harvard University (Smith, 2002). Although his early career
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focused on social and developmental psychology, including exploratory work for the U.S. Army
Intelligence during World War II, he is famed for his innovative work in educational theory,
most of which he undertook during his years at Harvard‟s Center for Cognitive Studies (Smith,
2002). There, as co-founder and director, his concern with “cognitive psychology led to a
particular interest in the cognitive development of children (and their modes of representation)
and just what the appropriate form of education might be” (Smith, 2002). He “has been at the
forefront of what is often called the Cognitive Revolution [taking off in the 1960s] - which today
Bruner‟s theory of discovery learning evolved from this research and from his interest in
two other prominent educational theorists. The first was Lev Vygotsky‟s (1978) Zone of
Proximal Development (ZPD) that showed “developmental processes lag behind the learning
processes pointing out that children can often complete tasks with the help of others that they
could not accomplish working independently” (CDI, 1998-2009; Schunk, 2008, p. 246-7).
Vygotsky theorized that social influences affect cognitive development (Schunk, 2008). The
second was Jean Piaget, a twentieth century developmental biologist who formulated four age-
years and up” (CDI, 1998-2009; Schunk, 2008). Piaget determined that children were not “empty
vessels” and were able to actively construct meaning (Schunk, 2008). These widely known and
be noted that Bruner‟s theory goes beyond the fundamental philosophies of Vygotsky and Piaget
and is more associative with contemporary models of constructivist teaching and learning
Bruner‟s theory aligns with constructivist principles because it evidences the idea that
children learn best when actively and collaboratively engaged (Clabaugh, 2009). His theory
transcends Vygotsky‟s ZPD and Piaget‟s somewhat limited cognitive operational stages of
development by suggesting the idea that learning takes place through “active transmission,
conducted via discovery learning” (Clabaugh, 2009). While the discovery model incorporates
essential aspects of Vygotsky and Piaget‟s work, it is fundamentally based on Bruner‟s own
learning [philosophy] that takes place in problem-solving situations where the learner draws on
his or her own past experience and existing knowledge to discover facts and relationships and
new truths to be learned;” in essence, “obtaining knowledge for oneself” (Clabaugh, 2009; as
cited in Schunk, 2008). When children interact with their environment through exploration of
objects and then work together to form hypotheses, they are actively engaged in the process of
developing problem-based learning skills (Clabaugh, 2009; Schunk, 2008). Bruner believed that
as a result of this learning process, students were “more likely to remember concepts and
knowledge discovered on their own” (Clabaugh, 2009). Further, Schunk emphasizes that the
discovery model “is a type of inductive reasoning” that allows students to move from “studying
specific examples to formulating general rules, concepts, and principles…. through a minimally
guided instructional approach [that] involves direction; teachers arrange activities in which
mature, they progress through three stages of learning that he termed “enactive,” “iconic,” and
“symbolic” that describe how “people represent knowledge” (Clabaugh, 2009; Schunk, 2008).
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Described more fully, the enactive stage involves motor responses that opportune learning
through active manipulation; the iconic stage involves the “capability to think about objects that
are not physically present and to recognize objects;” and, the symbolic stage allows for the
Bruner‟s “scaffolding theory” promotes learning through these three developmental stages with
sufficient support in the form of resources, tasks, guidance, and social interactions when
Bruner “advocated learning through inquiry,” with the teacher providing guidance to
accelerate children‟s thinking, and recommended that the early teaching of any subject should
emphasize grasping basic ideas intuitively. After that, he believed, the curriculum should revisit
these basic ideas, repeatedly building upon them until the pupil understands them fully as is
defined by his spiral curriculum (GTE, 2006). The most important aspect of the spiral idea is
that children need to exhibit a “readiness to learn” and, that is why it becomes vital that teachers
Education, the theorist who was on the leading edge of the radical educational change-over from
behaviorism to cognitivism in the 1960s, reveals that his thinking has broadened from focus on
individual brain development and learning experience to a more inclusive view that culturalism
is key to the process and progress of human brain development and subsequent learning (Bruner,
1996). Culturalism, as he explains, is the idea that human evolution and socio-cultural
interactions are the predominantly determining factors that fuel the progression of human
learning (Bruner, 1996). He goes on to explain that learning in schools should embrace the socio-
cultural aspects of human learning in order to view learners on a broader, more all-encompassing
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basis rather than focusing on stringent models of cognitive development alone (Bruner, 1996).
More simply stated, Bruner supports the idea that people do not fit into strict modes of
intelligence and learning potentials and that schools should strive to design more flexible and
socio-cultural based models of instruction (Bruner, 1996). These ideas are rooted in what is
known as cultural psychology that has recently drawn the interest of educators with its shift from
logical scientific thinking to narrative thinking which arises from cultural aspects of song, drama,
Bruner‟s perspectives continue to evolve and that is to be expected from a man who has
devoted his life‟s work to the belief that the human mind is not a fixed entity but is, in essence, a
mobile mechanism that is full of potential and is always actively seeking opportunities to
explore, manipulate, experiment, and inquire. In this light, discovery learning can be viewed as
enabling the continued process of learning in a natural and meaningful progression. Discovery,
then, seems an enduring theoretical application that is as relevant today as it was at its first
dawning.
Light Bounces
Designed for a third or fourth grade class, this lesson on light meets expected state
content standards for scientific inquiry and literacy, and addresses the content standards
concerning the role of light as energy in our world (Connecticut State Department of Education
(CTSDE), 2009). This lesson serves as the fourth lesson in a unit that explores various aspects of
light as a natural phenomenon in our world. All explorations conducted by the students are
recording, and interpreting (Cusack & Gayle, 2005). Talbut and McLaughlin (1993) explained
that in today‟s society, students need to be able to build on and improve current understandings
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of subject matter (as cited in Bransford, 2000, p.132). Appropriately designed science lessons,
At the beginning of this light unit, the teacher administers a My Model of Light pre-
assessment (see appendix B) to gauge each student's initial understanding about the role of light
in our world. This pre-assessment is designed to spark students' questions about light, and the
hands-on activities incorporated into each lesson allow students to "search, manipulate, explore,
and investigate” (Schunk, 2008, p. 280). After the final lesson in the unit, and after gaining a
better understanding of light as a natural phenomenon in our world, the students will make
revisions to their initial Model of Light. Prior knowledge about light synergizes with the new
knowledge, allowing students to generalize the concepts more globally (Clabaugh, 2009).
The exploratory nature of this light lesson reflects Jerome Bruner's discovery learning
method. The big idea encompassing this light lesson is that students begin to understand when
light hits an object; it can bounce off the object, go through the object, or be absorbed by the
object. John Bransford explains that children carry with them their own beliefs about how the
world works (Bransford, Brown, & Cocking, 2000, p.15). Light is an abstract concept. Thus,
To begin the lesson, the teacher initiates a discussion by asking students to describe what
they think happens when light hits an object, based on what they have learned about light in
previous lessons. It is important for students to continually share their beliefs and knowledge so
that their ideas can be altered or developed (Bransford et al., 2000, p. 15). After allowing
students to share their ideas and respond to others, the teacher provides the essential question for
students to discover through exploration: What happens when light hits objects?
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challenging the students to use or call upon their prior knowledge and instincts to resolve the
problem as it is in Light Bounces (Schunk, 2008). Presenting an essential question also provides
a kind of structure for students because discovery learning can be designed as a "minimally
guided instructional approach" to solving a problem (Schunk, 2008, p.280). Learning activities
are not directed by the teacher. Rather, learning activities are structured by the teacher so
students receive guidance and support, but are left to utilize their own strategies (Schunk, 2008,
p.283).
After posing the essential question, the teacher introduces new vocabulary words –
bounce, reflect, scatter – and adds these words to the concept vocabulary web (see appendix C)
begun during lesson one. Jerome Bruner believed that cognitive growth depended on "increasing
language facility" (Schunk, 2008). Therefore, providing students with these vocabulary words
gives them a common language to communicate their understandings. It also challenges and
expands upon their initial comprehension of the meanings of these vocabulary words. Bouncing
and scattering are usually observable events but, in this lesson, students will discover that these
specific examples of a concept and then have opportunities to actively manipulate materials
before being able to fully comprehend the information (Clabaugh, 2009). In this lesson, the
teacher can begin with a demonstration where students drop three balls on a flat, hard surface.
Students should note the similarities between the balls and then discuss how the balls traveled
after hitting the flat, hard surface. Next, students drop three balls on a rough, uneven surface and
students discuss how the balls traveled after hitting the surface. This model provides students
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with a specific, concrete example of how materials can bounce, reflect, and scatter, thus creating
a connection to the abstract concept of how light travels. According to Bruner, "students must
(Clabaugh, 2009).
personal discovery" (Clabaugh, 2009). He affirmed that students progress through three stages of
development: enactive, iconic, and symbolic. In this first stage – enactive – students need to
manipulate concrete materials to make sense of a concept (Schunk, 2008). The enactive stage of
learning during this lesson begins with the aforementioned teacher and student demonstration,
and then carries over to the discovery learning activity introduced by the teacher.
Using a piece of smooth tin foil, crumpled tin foil, and a flashlight, the teacher models
how students will use these materials to discover the answer to the essential question: What
happens to light when it hits objects? During independent work time, students work in pairs, and
in their science journals, use well-structured questions to guide their investigation and encourage
application of scientific inquiry skills. Throughout this activity, students move into the iconic
stage of learning, where students "mentally transform objects and think about their properties
separately from what actions can be performed with the objects" (Schunk, 2008). As students
shine flashlights onto the tin foil and make observations about how light bounces, reflects, or
scatters, they begin to "visualize concrete information" and make connections to the concrete
example shown during the demonstration done prior to the main activity (Clabaugh, 2009).
Following the students' exploration, the class reconvenes for a demonstration of how light
bounces. The teacher initiates a synthesizing discussion, where students share the observations
they made during their discovery learning activity. The teacher should direct the students'
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attention back to the concept vocabulary web and discuss how the words bounce, reflect, and
scatter relate to how light travels. The teacher should encourage students to make connections
between their explorations with tin foil and flashlights and the demonstration done prior to the
discovery learning activity. The discussion allows the students to communicate their
understandings about how light travels. Because "the understandings that children bring to the
classroom can already be quite powerful," students are likely to hold onto some of their current
Bruner believed that making mistakes and then working to correct them are essential for
learning to take place (Schunk, 2008). Thus, all activities designed to address how light travels
must be active discovery processes conducted by students so they can "uncover the
interrelationships between concepts and ideas" (Clabaugh, 2009). Students' knowledge about the
abstract idea of light develops over time through repeated discovery learning experiences
(Clabaugh, 2009). The ultimate goal of this lesson is to move the students closer to achieving a
symbolic representation of how light behaves in our world. According to Bruner and his beliefs
about a spiral curriculum, “students should address topics at increasing levels of complexity as
they move through the curriculum rather than encountering a topic only once” (Schunk, 2008, p.
344).
Assessment for this discovery learning activity should include ongoing observations by
the teacher while the students are engaged in their explorations, as well as a short written
assessment following the synthesizing discussion (see appendix D). During the lesson, the
teacher should be assessing the students on how they conduct simple investigations to understand
the essential question of the lesson. The teacher should listen to the students‟ conversations to
gauge how they use relevant light vocabulary, as well as whether students need further
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instruction due to misunderstanding. On the short written assessment following the lesson, the
teacher will check how students are able to communicate their understanding about how light
travels through words and pictures based on their explorations during the discovery learning
activity. The written assessment also serves as an exit slip so the teacher knows what level of
understanding the students have achieved regarding how light travels. This way, the teacher
knows whether he/she needs to spend more time reviewing this scientific concept before moving
on to other lessons.
experiment, and inquire. The lesson activates students‟ prior knowledge and allows students to
build on, improve, and reconstruct current understandings in a natural, meaningful progression.
knowledge as they construct their own beliefs about the world around them.
.
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REFERENCES
Bransford, J., Brown, A., & Cocking, R. (Eds.). (2000). How people learn: Brain, mind,
Brown, P. & Abell, S. (2007). Examining the learning cycle. Science and Children. (58-59).
Bruner, J. (1996). The culture of education. Harvard University Press. Cambridge, MA.
Clabaugh, G.K. (Ed.). (2009). New foundations. Jerome Bruner‟s educational theory. Retrieved
http://helium.com/items/343559-the-spiral-curriculum.
Cusack, R. B. & Gayle, W. (Eds.). (2005). Light (Rev.ed.). Chicago Science Group.
Gorman, M., Plucker, J. & Callahan, C. (1998). Turning students into inventors: Active
Kinnes, T. (2009). Jerome Bruner –tableau. Retrieved November 14, 2009 from
http://oaks.nvg.org/jerome-bruner.html.
Lewin, G. (n.d.). Constructivist: Major theoretical themes in Bruner‟s writing. Santa Barbara
City College: Disabled Students Programs & Services. Retrieved November 4, 2009 from
http://www.west.net/~ger/Orientation/constructivist.html.
London, S. (1998). Book review: The culture of education (Bruner, 1996). Retrieved November
Mandrin, P.A. & Preckel, D. (2009). Effect of similarity–based guided discovery learning on
19
Schunk, D.H. (2008). Learning theories (5th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education,
Inc.
Smith, M.K. (2002). „Jerome Bruner and the process of education,‟The encyclopedia of informal
education http://infed.org/thinkers/bruner/htm.
van Joolingen, W.R. & Orey, I. (1998). Cognitive tools to support discovery learning. Retrieved
http://www.springerlink.com/content/5qa0nag08qncr0qy/fulltext.pdf?page=1.
Walbert, D. (2003). The learning cycle. LEARN NC, a program of the University of North
http://www.learnnc.org/lp/pages/663.
EXTERNAL LINKS
from http://coe.sdsu.edu/eet/Articles/discoverylearn/index.htm.
curriculum standards including grade level expectations. Retrieved November 18, 2009
from
http://www.sde.ct.gov/sde/lib/sde/pdf/curriculum/science/PK8_sciencecurriculumstandar
ds2009.pdf
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http://tip.psychology.org/bruuner.html.
CUREE. (n.d.). Summary of Jerome Bruner‟s work. Retrieved November 1, 2009 from
http://www.curee-paccts.com/files/publication/1224601725/Bruner.pdf.
General Teaching Council for England (GTC). (2006). Research for teachers. Jerome Bruner’s
constructivist model and the spiral curriculum for teaching and learning. Retrieved
How inquiry differs from discovery learning. Retrieved October 29, 2009 from
http://www.thirteen.org/edonline/concept2class/inquiry/index_sub1.html.
Jerome Bruner and the process of education. Retrieved November 2, 2009 from
http://www.infed.org/thinkers/bruner.htm.
theories.com/discovery-learning-bruner.html.
Trinity College. (2002). Constructivism: Constructivist theory and social development theory.
https://www.cs.tcd.ie/crite/lpr/teaching/constructivism.html.
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Appendix A
In this lesson, students investigate what happens when light bounces off objects. The students engage in
experiments to discover that when light hits an object, it can reflect directly back in one direction, or it can scatter in
many directions. Students will also use a model to describe what happens when light hits objects.
Connecticut Standards
5.1.b: Light is a form of energy that travels in a straight line and can be reflected by a mirror, refracted by a lens, or
absorbed by objects.
Grades 3-5 Core Scientific Inquiry, Literacy, and Numeracy: How is scientific knowledge created and
communicated?
National Standards
N.S.K-4.1. Science as Inquiry: All students should develop: abilities necessary to do scientific inquiry; and
understanding about scientific inquiry
N.S.K-4.2 Physical Science: All students should develop an understanding of :properties of objects and materials,
position and motion of objects; light, heat, electricity, and magnetism
Objectives
1. conducting scientific explorations, making observations, and recording discoveries in science journals
2. describing what happens when light hits an object using the terms bounce, reflect, and scatter.
3. illustrating how light reflects and scatters using labeled diagrams and arrows.
4. modeling what happens to light when it hits objects using ping pong balls and discussing the connection
to their exploration.
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Materials
Flashlights
Tin foil
Ping pong balls & assorted balls
Science journals
Pencils
Assessment Masters
Smart Board & accompanying technology
Procedure
Introduction
1. Begin with a class science discussion. Activate students' prior knowledge by asking, "Based on what you
have learned about light through previous explorations, what do you think happens when light hits an
object?" Allow students to share and respond.
2. Provide the essential question for the lesson's exploration: What happens when light hits objects?
3. Introduce new vocabulary terms: bounce, reflect, scatter
4. Encourage students to help define the terms and place them on the ongoing concept vocabulary web
(begun during lesson 1) using the Smart Board.
Modeling
1. Provide a concrete example for students to develop their understanding of what happens when light hits
objects.
2. Show students a ping pong ball, a tennis ball, and a small bouncy ball. Ask students to describe what these
items have in common. Ask the students to describe the floor of the classroom. Guide the students'
responses toward commenting on how the balls travel and what happens when they hit the flat surface of
the classroom.
3. Choose 3-4 students to hold the balls above the smooth, hard floor. The students drop the balls and the
teacher asks students to describe what happens when the balls hit the smooth hard surface.
4. Next, choose 3-4 other students to hold the balls above a rough, uneven surface (place piled books, blocks,
etc on the floor where the balls will drop). Have the students describe the surface now. The students then
drop the balls and the teacher asks students to describe what happens when the balls hit the rough, uneven
surface.
Explanation of activity
1. Introduce the discovery learning activity, and explain that the students' explorations will help them better
understand the answer to the essential questions: What happens when light hit objects?
2. Model for students how to use the flashlight, smooth tin foil, and crumpled tin foil to discover the answer to
the essential question.
3. Discuss with students how they can use light-related vocabulary words from the concept vocabulary web to
communicate their understanding during their exploration.
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4. Explain to students how they will use the questions in their science journals to guide their explorations and
to record their observations.
Main Activity
1. Students receive one piece of smooth tin foil, one piece of crumpled tin foil, and a flashlight.
2. Students shine the flashlight onto the smooth tin foil and record their observations. Students answer the
following questions in their science journals: What does the smooth tin foil look like when you shine the
flashlight on it? What does the area around the smooth foil look like when you shine the flashlight on the
foil? What do you think happens to the light that hits the smooth tin foil?
3. Students shine the flashlight onto the crumpled tin foil and record their observations. Students answer the
following questions in their science journals: What does the crumpled tin foil look like when you shine the
flashlight on it? What does the area around the crumpled tin foil look like when you shine the flashlight on
the foil? What do you think happens to the light that hits the crumpled tin foil?
Synthesizing Discussion & Modeling Technique
Assessment
Assessment for this discovery learning activity includes both ongoing observations by the teacher, as well a short
written assessment following the activity and the synthesizing discussion. The teacher should assess how the
students conduct their exploration to understand the essential question of the lesson: What happens to light when it
hits objects? The teacher should be listening for how students use light-related vocabulary to communicate their
observations, as well as how students recorded observations in their science journals. Any misunderstandings
recognized by the teacher can be discussed during the exploration.
The written assessment following the lesson checks how the students can communicate their understanding of the
essential question through words and pictures. The assessment serves as an exit slip so the teacher can gauge the
students' level of understanding about what happens to light when it hits objects. The teacher can address any
misunderstandings during the next lesson in the sequence.
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Extension Activities:
1. Science – relate light bouncing off of various objects to the topic of the moon. How does the moon get light?
Is the moon a light source? How are we able to see the moon at night?
a. Create a model (with volunteers) of what makes day and night, focusing student attention on the
moon.
b. Visit www.discoveryeducation.com and/or www.brainpop.com to allow students to watch short
video clips about the moon. Brainpop also provides students with various on-screen activities and
graphic organizers.
2. Language Arts – Writing prompt: Imagine what the world would be like without light. Describe how the
world would be different.
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Appendix B
My Model of Light
Lesson 1
Light is everywhere! Below, draw your model of light. What does light mean to you? In
Where does the light you see in the room come from?
Appendix C
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Appendix D
Directions: Use the words from the word bank to describe on the lines what happens
when light hits objects.
Draw a picture of the flashlight pointing down on the smooth foil. Draw arrows to show what
happened to the light.
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
Draw a picture of the flashlight pointing down on the crumpled foil. Draw arrows to show
what happened to the light.
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
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Appendix E
4: 3: 2: 1: