Michael R. Matthews Sr.

Lesson Plan
Gwinnett County Middle School
21 November 2014

Light and the Electromagnetic Spectrum page 1

21Nov14

Time allotted 55 minutes

GA Standard S8CS1, S8CS5, S8CS8, SCCS6

Objectives: Understand that the sun's energy is transferred to Earth by electromagnetic waves,

which are transverse waves.

Understand that there are eight main types of electromagnetic waves, classified on the
electromagnetic spectrum according to their wavelengths.

Understand how each of the types of electromagnetic radiation is used or found in our
everyday lives.

7th Grade - Accelerated Mathematics

Essential Question: HOW are waves, matter and energy related?
Common Core Standards: S8CS1, S8CS5, S8CS8, SCCS6
Vocabulary: refraction, diffraction, reflection, amplitude, frequency and wave length
Bellwork: State the Objective, Essential Question and Vocabulary words.
Activity 1

Warm up
Why is the sky blue?
Student volunteer hand out activity sheets
Ask students to think about the question while the video is being
played and the activity sheets are being passed out
time 2:00

Activity 2
Play music video which describe the characteristics of the EM time 3:24
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P_PVz8HrrCI
Mr. Pharr Electromagnetic spectrum

Michael R. Matthews Sr.

Lesson Plan
Gwinnett County Middle School
21 November 2014

Activity 3
Students work on activity sheet A brief query of the EM spectrum

time 8:00

Stop work on the activity sheet

Light and the Electromagnetic Spectrum page 2

Activity 4
Power Point presentation begins

Stop the Power Point at eight slides (check with Mentor)

Activity 5
Play second music video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ay2VFGDsxac
Children Singing the Electromagnetic Spectrum
Activity 6
Students work on the writing task from the hand out
**** This will be given to the teacher as an exit ticket
Activity 7
Power Point play the remainder

time 12:00

time 4:18

time 5:00

time 15:00

Student volunteer collect Exit Tickets

Summary of Lesson The initial question why is the sky blue is intended to get the students
thinking. The use of the videos is designed to enable the students to hear the required content
regarding light and the characteristics of the light spectrum. The Power Point is designed to
teach the entire lesson of the Light Spectrum. Because the Power Point presentation is relatively
long it has been broken into two parts. The activity sheet is intended to have the students
actively engage in thinking and using the information that was presented to them. The writing
sample is used to engage the students in thinking and writing about their knowledge and
understanding of the concepts and content that was presented to them. Overall the goal is to
engage the students in multiple modes of seeing, engaging and learning the same information.
Rationale: engage students in multiple mode of learning to help them be able to recognize and
identify the components of the electromagnetic spectrum. The goal is to create opportunities for
the students to practice, demonstrate and be critiqued on their understanding, and ability to
communicate scientific concepts and ideas.

Michael R. Matthews Sr.

Lesson Plan
Gwinnett County Middle School
21 November 2014