Werklund School of Education

University of Calgary | Undergraduate Programs in Education

Lesson Overview

Dates March 2025 Subject Science (Integrated)
Grade Level Grade 2 Length 60 Minutes
Unit Energy Exploration Lesson # 7
Teacher Lucas Johnson

Identify Desired Results

Learner Outcomes

  • Compare and contrast properties of light and sound energy transfer.
  • Identify key differences in speed, medium requirements, and sensing organs.
  • Understand that light can travel through a vacuum while sound cannot.

Objective (Student-Friendly)

  • I Know: Light and sound are both forms of energy.
  • I Understand: Light is much faster than sound and doesn't need "stuff" to travel.
  • I Can: Sort behaviors and objects into light or sound categories.

Assessment Strategies

Formative:

  • Observe group reasoning during the "Light vs. Sound" sorting task.
  • Ask: "Why do we see lightning before we hear thunder?" (Speed).
  • Review T-charts for accurate classification of characteristics.

Differentiated Learning & Resources

Resources

  • Thunderstorm video clip
  • Venn diagram or T-chart paper
  • Sorting cards (Vacuum, Medium, Ears, Eyes, Fast, Slower)

Personalization

  • Challenge: Discuss interaction (e.g., seeing a speaker vibrate).
  • Support: Provide a chart with visual icons for eyes and ears.
  • Engagement: Timed sorting "race" to build engagement.

Lesson Sequence

1. Hook: Lightning and Thunder (2 min)

  • Show a thunderstorm video. Ask: "What do you see first? What do you hear second? Why don't they happen at once?"

2. Explicit Instruction (10 min)

Feature Light Sound
Speed Super Fast Slower
Medium None needed (Vacuum) Needs "Stuff" (Medium)
Sensor Eyes Ears
Wave Type Electromagnetic Mechanical

3. Activity: The Big Sort (30 min)

  • Groups receive sets of 20+ cards (Mirror, Echo, Shadow, Vibration, Space, Air, etc.).
  • Task: Sort cards into a Venn Diagram.
  • Prompt: "Can light be absorbed? How? Can sound? How?" (Both can, but with different materials).

4. Wrap-up and Reflection (15 min)

  • "Why can we see stars but not hear them?" (Space is a vacuum).
  • Journal: "Draw a lightning bolt and a thunder cloud. Label which is fast and which is slow."

Glossary

  • Vacuum: Empty space with no air or "stuff."
  • Electromagnetic: A wave that can travel through empty space.
  • Mechanical: A wave that needs a material to wiggle through.
  • Speed: How fast something moves.