Subject taught
- Physics

Link
https://www.britannica.com/technology/lens-optics/Manufacturing-optical-lenses

Type of Product
- Articles
- Videos
- Web Site/Portal

Language Skills Developed
- Interaction
- Listening
- Reading
- Speaking
- Writing

Description
The students will learn more about optical principles for lences, images formed by convex and concave lenses and expand their active and topic related vocabulary.
Linguistic aims:
- to practice reading skills,
- to expand active vocabulary,
- to expand topic related vocabulary,
- to improve speaking skills,
Subject specific aims:
- to understand optical principles for lenses,
- to revise the laws of light reflection and refraction.

Target group age: 16 – 18 years old secondary school students.
Level of competence in English is (CEFR) B1/B1+.
Time required to use the source with students: 45 minutes.
How to use it
Before reading the text, the teacher introduces new words and translates them. Students write new words and their translation into their notes. While students are reading the text, the teacher writes questions on the board: What is a lens? What are the different types of lenses? What properties describe lenses? How does the image change when position of the lens and the object changes? When students finish reading the text, they work in pairs and help each other to answer the questions. Teacher listens to the answers and comments them.
The teaching resource also contains two digital lessons. Students watch the digital lesson, learn about the concave and convex lenses explained through various diagrams and make notes. Working in pairs, students compare their notes. Students, who have poor knowledge of English and find it difficult to make notes while watching a digital lesson, may use a transcript of the digital lesson.
The teaching resource helps to better understand the theoretical material on lenses. It helps students to revise the laws of light reflection and refraction. Student also learn that light only travels in straight lines if the light is travelling in the same substance and it bends when it is travelling in different substances.
Students practice key vocabulary (focal point of the lens, front and rear optical points, optical axis, minor optical axis, focal plane, a principal plane) talking about lenses, asking and answering the questions. Students will expand their active vocabulary, improve speaking skills and will be able to speak about topic with more confidence. The teaching resources could be used with 14 – 18 years old students whose level of competence in English (CEFR) is B1 and higher.

Comments
Strength: The source helps to improve reading, listening, speaking and interacting skills. It encourages students to actively participate in the lesson and develop their communicative skills. It can be used in a class with mixed ability students. The information is presented in an attractive way and the teaching resource is easy to use. The source is reliable and it is a perfect additional material teaching about lenses. The content prepared professionally. Weakness: Students whose level of English is poor may have difficulties understanding the content. Pedagogical value: the teaching material can improve student’s collaborative learning and peer assisted learning skills.

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