Light in Motion

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Curriculum Alignment:

Learning Area: Science
Strand: Physical World – Understanding the physical world involves the principles and concepts of physics.
Curriculum Level: Level 4 (typically Year 9)
Big Idea: Energy is conserved and transformed: Light behaves in predictable ways.

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Achievement Objective

Investigate the behaviour of light, including reflection, refraction, and how it can be modified using lenses and prisms.

Aligned with the Aotearoa New Zealand Curriculum and links to the NCEA Level 1 Science pilot Big Idea: The physical world can be described, understood, and predicted using patterns, models, and theories.

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Learning Intentions

By the end of this lesson, ākonga (students) will be able to:

• Describe how light behaves when it passes through different transparent materials.
• Understand the concept of refraction and observe how light changes direction.
• Identify the function of concave and convex lenses and how they affect light paths.
• Collect and interpret data through hands-on investigation.

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Success Criteria

Ākonga will show successful learning when they:

• Explain with diagrams how light refracts through different mediums.
• Accurately set up and complete a refraction investigation using light boxes and lenses.
• Collaborate effectively and make predictions based on scientific understanding.

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Materials and Resources (for 5 groups of 5 students)

• Light boxes with ray slits (5 sets)
• Semi-circular perspex blocks
• Rectangular perspex blocks
• Concave and convex lenses
• Rulers and protractors
• A3 Investigation sheets for drawing and annotating ray diagrams
• Whiteboards and markers for group thinking
• Safety guidelines sheet (Science/Pūtaiao Safety practices as per NZ schools)

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Lesson Duration: 60 Minutes

Adapted for a class of 25 Year 9 students.

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Lesson Outline

1. Karakia and Whanaungatanga Check-in (5 mins)

Begin with a short karakia, followed by a brief check-in using Te Whare Tapa Whā model prompts (physical, mental, social, spiritual). This grounds the class in hauora, and opens up the space for ako and collaboration.

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2. Hook/Engage: Magic Disappearing Straw (5 mins)

Demonstration on the board/table: A straw is placed halfway in a beaker of water. Ask:

• “Why does the straw look bent or broken?” Use this to introduce the word refraction – the bending of light.

Let students voice their initial ideas and wonderings.

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3. Explain & Explore: Mini-Workshop on Refraction (10 mins)

Provide explicit teaching with visual aids:

• Define refraction using diagrams.
• Discuss refraction at air–glass and air–water interfaces.
• Introduce real-world applications: glasses, microscopes, cameras, underwater perception.

Use a simple whakataukī to connect Mātauranga Māori:

Ka kitea te marama kei tua o te pō
Light can be seen beyond the darkness
Reflect on knowledge as illumination – science as a way of seeing differently.

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4. Investigate: Group Refraction Experiments (25 mins)

Students rotate through two stations in collaborative groups:

Station A – Perspex Block Investigations

Focus: Investigate light pathway through:

• Rectangular perspex – does it shift but not bend?
• Semi-circular perspex – does light bend with a curve?

Tasks:

• Diagram the incident ray and refracted ray on A3 sheets.
• Measure the angles of incidence and refraction.
• Predict before observing. Annotate: Why is the ray bending?

Station B – Lenses (Convex vs Concave)

Focus: Explore how lenses focus or spread light:

• Observe the light converging or diverging.
• Use words like focal point and curvature.

Tasks:

• Record the lens shape and light beam reaction.
• Annotate key words: refract, converge, diverge.
• Challenge: Which lens would help a short-sighted person?

Kaiako (teacher) circulates, prompting with questions and supporting vocabulary where needed.

Note: Ensure safety protocols are followed with all powered equipment.

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5. Reflect & Share (10 mins)

Gather back for a Mā te whānau ako session:

• What did we discover?
• Group spokesperson shares one new idea or diagram from their work.
• Revisit the straw demo: what’s the new explanation?

Encourage peer feedback using "Two Stars and a Wish" structure.

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Assessment for Learning

Formative:

• Observation of group interaction and scientific discussion.
• Accuracy of diagrams on investigation sheets.
• Contributions to reflection and final discussion.

Self-assessment exit slip (Optional if time allows):

“Today I learnt that light...” “Next, I wonder how light behaves when...”

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Differentiation and Extensions

• Support: Provide pre-labelled diagrams with parts to annotate for students needing scaffolding. Allow oral responses.
• Extension: Challenge keen learners to design an optical device using these principles (e.g., periscope, magnifier).

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Culturally Responsive Practice

• Incorporate ākonga identities by allowing discussion in te reo Māori or their preferred language during collaboration moments.
• Use real-life comparisons relevant to students’ lives (e.g., glasses, phone cameras, fish tanks).

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Related Future Learning

This lesson primes students for:

• Exploring lenses and mirrors in greater detail (optics unit).
• Applying mathematical relationships in ray behaviour (Snell’s Law).
• Physics strands at future NCEA levels - particularly the achievement standard 1.2: Demonstrate understanding of a physical phenomenon through investigation.

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Teacher Reflection Prompt

“How did my ākonga engage with scientific thinking today?”
“Where can their natural curiosity lead us next in the Physical World strand?”

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Ka rawe! Let the light guide your next steps – one beam at a time.