OpenSciEd Unit 6.2 · Lesson 08 · 8.A
Look for: how differences in light’s interaction with t…
From Teacher Edition
Facilitation guidance from the lesson plan — what to notice in student thinking and how to respond while teaching.
Building towards
8.A Develop and use models to describe how light transmission through, reflection off, and absorption by cup walls causes changes in the temperature (effect) of water inside the cup.
What to look / listen for
Look for ideas such as the following:
how differences in light’s interaction with the cup wall account for the observed temperature differences
how differences in light’s interaction with the water inside the cup account for the observed temperature differences
how the process of absorption is described in words and represented in the models
What to do
If students have difficulty explaining the difference between cups, ask students what is different between the two cups and how that might correspond with our class dataset. Ask students to look back at previous models developed that might help explain other ways that the water could have changed temperature in a dark condition. Provide students the option to orally explain what is occuring, especially if students have not engaged in the One-way Mirror Unit and the light representations are new to students.Students will revisit light in Lesson 15 to develop a more complete explanation of how light absorption by particles is a transfer of energy from light to movement of particles, which results in particles with more kinetic energy. For now it is OK if students refer to absorption as a general transfer of energy at the macroscale as opposed to the particle scale.
Discuss students’ models. Ask students to share their models with a partner seated near them for about 2-3 minutes. Encourage students to add to their models as they share.