KUTZTOWN UNIVERSITY

ELEMENTARY EDUCATION DEPARTMENT

LESSON PLAN FORMAT

Teacher Candidate:

Erin Orth & Alyssa Sedor

Cooperating Teacher:
Group Size:

25

Subject or Topic:

Date:

3/19/15

Coop. Initials
Allotted Time

Grade Level 3rd

Science- Pollution

Section

STANDARD:
4.5.3.C: Identify different types of pollution and their sources.
S4.B.3.3.5: Describe the effects of pollution (e.g., litter) in the community.
I. Performance Objectives (Learning Outcomes):
A. The third grade students will understand the sources of light pollution and the
impact of light pollution on the environment.
B. The third grade students will be able to describe and demonstrate methods of
decreasing light pollution.
II. Instructional Materials
Copy of There Once Was a Sky Full of Stars by Bob Crelin
Video about light pollution (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tjsFC2Q77FY)
Guided notes sheet
Black trash bags, to block out light from the windows/hallway
Five small flashlights
Five paper cube planetariums (cardboard cube with small hole on one side and
pinhole stars on the opposite side, with an additional small flashlight inside)
PVC pipes
PVC pipe caps, cardboard sheets, other items to act as shields
Light Pollution handout
III. Subject Matter/Content (prerequisite skills, key vocabulary, big idea, outline of
additional content)
A. Prerequisite skills
1. General understanding of pollution
2. Fine motor skills required to use a small flashlight
3. Basic understanding of the night sky
B. Key Vocabulary

1. Sky Glow: Light scattering off particles, making the sky look like it is
glowing
2. Glare: The effect when eyes are exposed to bright lights, reducing
vision
3. Light Spillover: Light that goes beyond its intended range
C. Big Idea
1. How to manage light pollution
D. Additional content
1. Where light pollution is most prevalent
IV. Implementation
A. Introduction
1. The teacher will ask the students what they see when they look at the sky at
night.
a. Do you see stars and the moon?
b. Do you see lights from human sources? Like houses and buildings?
c. Do you see more stars when youre in the city or the countryside?
d. Why do you think that is?
2. The teacher will read There Once Was a Sky Full of Stars by Bob Crelin
3. The teacher will lead the students in a discussion about the book, by asking
prompting questions
a. Why do we see fewer stars at night now?
b. What do you think the author would want us to do about the problem of
light pollution?
c. Where would we see the most light pollution? In cities or in rural areas?
d. Why do you think it is important to lessen the amount of light
pollution?
B. Development
1. The teacher will show the video about light pollution, stopping the video at
1:45
2. While watching the video, the students will complete the guided notes sheet
3. The teacher will ask questions to prompt the students to review the videos
main ideas
a. What are causes light pollution?
b. What are the effects of light pollution?
4. The teacher will tell the students that it is now up to them to propose a
solution for reducing light pollution, starting with the light pollution of street lights
5. The teacher will break the students into teams of five
6. The teacher will give each group a flashlight, a paper cube planetarium, and
a variety of items that can be used as shields to lessen the upward impact of the light
7. The teacher will explain how to use the paper cube planetariums to create
the illusion of stars in the classroom (windows should be blacked out before the
inquiry begins)
8. The teacher will instruct the students to turn on their paper cube
planetariums

9. The teacher will prompt the students to take note of the stars that are now
filling the dark classroom
10. The teacher will instruct the students to turn on their small flashlights and
rest them standing up, so the light is shining upward
11. The teacher will ask the students if they notice any change in the amount
of stars in the class
12. The students will respond by raising their hands and answering questions
on the Light Pollution handout
13. The teacher will explain that the students are responsible for creating a
solution that will allow them to see more stars
14. The students will work collaboratively in their groups to find a solution for
the classroom light pollution
15. The students will answer questions on the Light Pollution handout as they
work
16. The teacher will circulate and assist until all groups have come to a
solution
17. The teacher will bring the group back together and lead a discussion about
how the students worked towards a solution, what they decided upon, and how that
relates to real life
18. The teacher will provide a review of the days lesson, asking the students
to contribute answers from the Light Pollution handout
C. Closure
1. The students will paste the Guided Notes and the Light Pollution handout in
their science notebooks
2. The students will record two addition facts that they learned about light
pollution in their science notebooks
D. Accommodations/Differentiation
1. Guided notes and detailed instruction will be provided to all students
2. To accommodate Johnny, a boy who is completely blind, his materials will
be provided is braille and tactilely.
3. Strategic grouping will be used to create groups that work well and have
both advanced and struggling students
E. Assessment/Evaluation Plan
1. Formative
b. Light Pollution handout
c. Teacher check sheet completed during inquiry
2. Summative
a. Science journals will be collected at the end of the unit

V. Reflective Response

How can this lesson be improved?

Were the students able to appropriately apply the purpose of the inquiry to the
real world issue of light pollution?
Remediation Plan

VI. Resources (in APA format)

Light Pollution Video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tjsFC2Q77FY
Crelin, B. (2007). There Once Was a Sky Full of Stars. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Sky
Publishin.