1-PS4-3 lessons
Plan and conduct investigations to determine the effect of placing objects made with different materials in the path of a beam of light.
The Next Generation Science Standards code 1-PS4-3 asks students to: “Plan and conduct investigations to determine the effect of placing objects made with different materials in the path of a beam of light.” These Fieldbook lessons teach it hands-on, with everyday materials, a printable teacher guide and a student sheet.
Earth and Sky at Home Grades K–5 · partly supports this standard
- Where do rainbows come from? 45 min, plus 10 min outside on a sunny day
Children split sunlight into colours with a glass of water, test whether the water is what makes the rainbow, and make their own rainbow with a hose mist. They finish able to explain that white light is a mix of colours that water bends apart.
Bouncing Light: Mirrors, Water and Colour Grades 3–5 · partly supports this standard
- Why does a pencil look broken in water? 50–60 min
Teams look at a pencil in a cup of water, make a hidden coin appear by pouring in water, and turn a water drop into a magnifying lens. Then they explain that light changes direction when it passes from air into water.
- What colours are hiding in white light? 55–65 min
Teams spread a flashlight beam into a band of colours with a CD or a plastic prism, then shine coloured light on coloured paper. They explain that white light is a mixture, and that an object looks the colour of the light it reflects.
Light and Shadows Grades K–2
- Why does my shadow follow me? 30–40 min
Children go outside on a sunny day and try everything to escape their shadow: running, jumping, spinning and hiding in the shade. They find out that a shadow is the dark shape where their body blocks the sunlight, so it has to go wherever they go.
- What can light go through? 35–40 min
Pairs shine a flashlight through everyday materials, from plastic wrap and wax paper to foil and cardboard, and sort them into 'lots of light', 'a little light' and 'no light'. Then they use what they found to choose the right material for a window, a lamp shade and a curtain for a sleepy bear.
NGSS is used as written in Arkansas, California, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Hawaii, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, so the code 1-PS4-3 matches there. Other states word and number their own versions: see curriculum alignment for your state's codes.
More NGSS standards for Grade 1
All standards we teach · Curriculum alignment by state and province
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