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South Carolina ETV
1101 George Rogers Boulevard
Columbia, SC 29201-4761
Phone: 803-737-3545

Eye Spy (Grade 4)

Master Teacher

Tammie Jackson

Time Allotment

One 45-minute class period

Overview

In this lesson, your students will be examining how the human eye receives and transmits light from the environment. Through an activity, the students will discuss the importance of sight in our everyday lives. One video presentation will guide students in the understanding of the functions of the human eye and record various parts of the eye. Students will view an Internet site of the function of the eye and record the uses of different parts of the eye.

Subject Matter

Science

Learning Objectives

Students will be able to:

• Have an understanding of the importance of sight in everyday life.
• Have an understanding of various parts of the human eye.
• Explain the uses of different parts of the eye.

South Carolina Curriculum Standards

(These Standards are available online at http://www.myscschools.com/offices/cso )

Grade 4: Physical Science

IV. A. 3 Describe how the human eye receives and transmits light from the environment.

Media Components

Video

The Five Senses : "sight" (03:15) from ETV's StreamlineSC video at www.streamlinesc.org . In this video, students are given an explanation of the structure and function of the human eye.

To access this video clip, log on to your account at ETV's StreamlineSC Web page ( http://etv.streamlinesc.org ). In the search by keyword box, type in the series title and hit go. Click the video segment you want and download it to your desktop.

(Note to Teacher: If you don't have an account with ETV's StreamlineSC , check with your media specialist about signing up for an account.)

Web Sites

St. Lukes Eye

http://www.stlukeseye.com/Anatomy.asp

This Web site shows the structure of the human eye and allows an interactive view that explains the functions of the eye.

Materials

• Pencils
• The Structure of the Eye and The Uses of the Eye Activity sheets
• Chart paper and markers
• Bubble map

Equipment

• Computer
• TV
• AverKey converter
• Computer CD with previously saved videos
• Overhead or dry erase board
• Bubble map

For the class:

• Monitor
• Desktop computer
• The Structure of the Eye and The Uses of the Eye Activity sheets

Prep for Teachers

• Prior to presenting the lesson, download the video segment to your computer desktop or burn to a CD and preview.
• Prior to teaching this lesson, bookmark the Web site used in the lesson on each computer in your classroom or use a Web site organizer, such as Portaportal ( http://www.portaportal.com ). Download Flash and Quick Time plug-ins (available at http://www.macromedia.com ) on each computer.
• Download the activity sheets, " The Structure of the Eye and The Uses of the Eye" from Streamline a blackline masters with the video The Five Senses . The students will use this sheet to record information from the website from St. Lukes Eye ( http://www.stlukeseye.com/Anatomy.asp )
• When using media, provide students with a Focus for Media Interaction , a specific task to complete and/or information to identify during or after viewing of video segments, Web sites, or other multimedia elements.

Introductory Activity

Step 1: Ask students, "Why do you think seeing is important to humans?" Using an overhead or dry erase board complete a circle map with the students showing their responses. (I have included a copy of a circle map. You will find it at the end of this lesson.) During this process, question the students as to why they feel their answer is essential to humans being able to see.

Step 2: Tell students they are going to go on a "sighted" (eyes open) walk and a "non-sighted" (blindfolded) walk. The students choose partners and take turns being blindfolded. Explain to the students that they will be required to compare the two walks, stressing the important role the eyes play in our everyday lives.

Step 3: Teacher writes the student's responses to their walking experiences on a chart to be displayed in the room.

Learning Activity

Step 1: Explain to the students that you are going to take a "tour" through the eye to see how light from the environment is received and transmitted by eyes.

Provide a Focus for Media Interaction by providing students with the activity sheet, "The Structure of the Eye." Explain to the students that they will watch a video about the major parts of the eye. At various times throughout the video the video will be paused to offer them an opportunity to complete the sheet as each of the different parts of the eye are discussed. Allow the students to become familiar with the information by having an opportunity to read the passage before the video begins. Remind the students that they will only complete the section of the passage that is being discussed.

Step 2: Cue the video segment "hearing" from the video The Five Senses : "sight" (03:15)

Provide a Focus for Media Interaction by explaining to the students that they will locate where the "iris" should be in the passage and point to that specific place.

Step 3: PAUSE the video when you hear, "The colored part of the eye is called the iris."

Observe their responses for understanding. (Students should choose the second blank; "When you look at someone's eyes, you will see a colored part called the iris .") Confirm the correct answer and have students to write the answer in the blank.

Provide a Focus for Media Interaction by explaining to the students that they will locate where the "pupil" should be in the passage and point to that specific place.

Step 4: Press PLAY on the video. PAUSE the video when you hear, "Light comes into the eye through this hole. Observe their responses for understanding. (Students should choose the third blank, "In the middle of this colored part is a black opening that allows light into the eye; it is called the pupil .)

Provide a Focus for Media Interaction by explaining to the students that they will view how the opening of the pupil can cause the iris to become small or large.

Step 5: Press PLAY on the video. PAUSE when you hear, "If we are in bright light, the pupil is smaller than if we are in darker conditions." At that time have the students go back to their partner. They will observe how their partner's pupils become larger and smaller as the lights in the room are turned off and on.

Provide a Focus for Media Interaction by explaining to the students that they will locate where the "muscles, lens, cornea, and retina" should be in the passage and point to that specific place.

Step 6: Press PLAY on the video. PAUSE the video when you hear, "Behind the iris is a lens that helps to focus the light onto the retina at the back of the eye." Observe their responses for understanding. (Students should choose the answers; "The lens is held by muscles and focuses light on the back of the eye. The back of the eye is called the retina .")

Provide a Focus for Media Interaction by explaining to the students that they must explain what would happen if there were no cones or rods in the eye.

Step 7: Press PLAY on the video. PAUSE the video when you hear, "They also see black and white." Reiterate the use of having cones and rods in the eye. Discuss with the students what the effect would be if there were not room for cones and rods in the eye. Have the students locate the information in the passage that tells about "blind spots." Students will then need to write the answer in the blank.

Step 8: PLAY the rest of the video.

Culminating Activity

Step 1: Tell the students it is now time for them to examine the function of the eye by reading information on the website, St. Lukes Eye. They will be required to complete a diagram of the eye and explain additional information they have learned about the eye from the web site.

Step 2: Click on the Web site http://www.stlukeseye.com/Anatomy.asp .

Step 3: The students will read the information on the web site and as they are reading they will use The Eye, worksheet you have downloaded from ETV StreamlineSC and distributed to label various parts of the eye. Next, they will navigate through the site and locate additional information about the parts of the eye.

Step 4: Students will share what they have learned from this activity in a class discussion.

Cross-Curricular Extensions

Language Arts: The student will integrate various cues and strategies to comprehend what he or she reads. They will respond to texts written by others . In addition, the student will create legible work. The students initiate oral communication during appropriate times and situations.

Writing: Communication Skills: Write descriptions of investigations, using observations and other evidence as support for explanations.

Community Connections

• An optometrist could be invited to come speak to the class about the organ of the eye and its functions as well as issues of eye loss.

Student Materials

• Artifacts, 1 copy for each student of the activity sheets, The Eye and The Structure of the Eye (These artifacts are located on ETV's StreamlineSC Web site as blackline masters with the video The Five Senses .) These sheets are correlated with the video, The Five Senses : "sight."
• Pencil
• Computer