Grade 5 Science TEKS 5.8C:Properties of Light

Learning Target: I can demonstrate and explain how light travels when it is reflected, refracted, and absorbed.

Focuses On:

• Reflection, refraction, and absorption

Builds On:

3.8A:

identify everyday examples of energy, including light, sound, thermal, and mechanical

Next Level:

This is the last time light is taught until high school level courses.

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This lesson is designed to introduce students to the behaviors of light, including reflection, refraction, and absorption.

The lesson begins with an introduction to reflection, emphasizing how light bounces off a surface at a predictable angle. It then explores refraction, examining how the bending of light can alter the perceived appearance of objects. Finally, the lesson concludes with absorption, explaining how this process determines the colors we see, including black and white.

This lesson builds upon the brief introduction to light energy from standard 3.8A and serves as the cumulative study of this topic until high school-level science courses.