Waves Lesson Plan: Energy

Grade Levels: 6-8, 9-12

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This lesson accompanies the BrainPOP topic Waves, and supports the standard of describing that waves are reflected, absorbed, or transmitted through various materials. Students demonstrate understanding through a variety of projects.

Step 1: ACTIVATE PRIOR KNOWLEDGE

Ask students:

  • What do waves make you think of? 
  • What kinds of waves have you heard of besides waves in the ocean?

Step 2: BUILD KNOWLEDGE

  • Read the description on the Waves topic page.
  • Play the Movie, pausing to check for understanding. 
  • Have students read one of the Related Reading articles. Partner them with someone who read a different article to share what they learned with each other.

Step 3: APPLY and ASSESS 

Students take the Waves Challenge and Quiz, applying essential literacy skills while demonstrating what they learned about this topic.

Step 4: EXTEND and DEEPEN

Students express what they learned about waves while practicing essential literacy skills with one or more of the following activities. Differentiate by assigning ones that meet individual student needs.

  • Make-a-Movie: Produce a commercial for a Slinky toy that explains how mechanical waves make the Slinky move.
  • Make-a-Map: Create a concept map comparing and contrasting electromagnetic and mechanical waves.
  • Creative Coding: Code a learning game that challenges players to sort objects and vocabulary terms as relating to electromagnetic or mechanical waves.

More to Explore 

Simulation: Bending Light: Manipulate prisms and bend light waves to create rainbows in this simulation game.

Energy Unit: Continue to build understanding around energy transmission by exploring more BrainPOP science topics.

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    Filed as:  6-8, 9-12, BrainPOP, Energy, Lesson Plan, Science, Teacher Resources, Waves