Science-Snowflakes

Teachers’ Lesson Plan Format

1. Standards
A. 3.2.3.B5 Recognize that light travels in a straight line until it strikes an object
or travels from one material to another
B. 3.2.4.B5 Demonstrate how light can be reflected, refracted, or absorbed by
an object
C. 3.2.4.A5 use models to demonstrate the physical change as water goes from
liquid to ice to vapor
D. 3.3.2.A Explore and describe that water exists in solid (ice), and Liquid
(water) form.

2. Essential Question
A. Why is snow white?

3. Objective(s)
A. Students will be able to investigate how to make clear materials look white.

4. Materials and Equipment

• Link to Mystery Science Site: https://mysteryscience.com/trending/mystery-3/light-
materials-color/164?r=43228794#slide-id-0
• Each person needs:
o Scissors
o A paper plate
o Snowflake maker worksheet
• Each Pair Needs
o An extra paper plate
o A bottle of white “drippy” glue
o Wax paper squares
o (Optional) Hole punch and string to hang completed snowflakes
5. Procedures
 Before Class
• Tear wax paper sheets off that are 8 inches wide and the Hight
of the roll (Around 2 per student)
 Introduction:
• Alright students, Today we have a fun activity from Mystery
Doug. Today he is going to be talking all about SNOW

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 because a student called into his show with a great question!
So lets watch..
• Play first Doug clip
 Anticipatory Set/Motivational Opener
• Hmm that is a good question! If liquid water is clear, what
makes it turn white when it turns into snow?
▪ Allow time for class to come up with an answer
• Alright lets see what Doug says
 Motivation/Activating Learning Strategy
▪ So Why was snow white?
▪ Due to the edges of the snow flakes reflecting the light
that hits it, aka the white sunlight
 Sequence of Lesson
• Alright so Doug has a craft for us to make so let’s watch the video to
see how we should proceed.
• Step one: lets get into partners (Either the person sitting next to them or
student choice)
• Step two: Alright have one person from your group quietly stand up and
come collect your supplies from the front table. Look on the board to know what you
need
1. Make sure you grab the right amount of supplies, each person
need 2 pieces of wax paper, so for a group of 2 people I would
need 4 pieces of wax paper all together
2. (Might only give each student 1 piece of wax paper to start to
experiment with and then give the second one out when it come
time to begin step 9-12)
• Step Three: Lay the snowman box on top of your paper plate with the
wax paper on top of that.
• Step four: Take a minute to talk to your partner about what you could do
to make the wax paper more white.
1. (Teacher walks around to inspire ideas and discussion.
2. Rub it?
3. Scratch it?
4. Bend it? Fold it? Etc.
• Step five: Begin to cut the wax paper into small pieces onto your paper
plate
• Step six: Choose a snowflake design you want to create, cut it out, and
cut your name out, place both onto your desk
• Step seven: Choose who will make their snowflake first and who will
help first (Both take turns)
• Step eight: Place the snowflake template onto a paper plate. Place a
fresh piece of wax paper onto the plate
• Step Nine: Helper holds the wax paper so that it becomes tight and flat,
while the maker tests the glue bottle in a corner of the plate
• Step ten: Glue your name tag to the test line of the wax paper
• Step Eleven: Helper continues to hold onto the wax paper, maker puts
down a thin line of glue onto the dark black lines of the snowflake (Make
sure they connect)
• Step twelve: Sprinkle the wax paper chips onto the glue so that they
completely cover the glue lines

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 • Step thirteen: Trade jobs and repeat steps 9-12
• Clean Up: Each partner has a job, First partner grabs the two
snowflake plates and carefully walks them over to the counter to dry.
Second partner grabs the left over materials and brings them to the
front of the room.
• Next day: snowflakes can be peeled off of the wax paper and hung up
or taken home (can be done by teacher or students)
 Assessment/Evaluation: Informal observations of student work and student
discussions

6. Special Considerations

 Early Finishers: Help a neighbor, start cleaning up early, use scrape paper to
free draw until time to move on
 Remediation: extra discussion time, extra teacher helps during discussions
 Enrichment: Students could look up other snowflake designs or create their
own.
 Special Accommodations: Help with cutting/gluing/fine motor activities.
Preferential seating, teacher selected groups (if needed)