Visual Processing 5E STEM Lesson

Overview

Students investigate how the visual system works and connects to the brain and other body systems. The lesson opens with the invisible gorilla video, in which students count basketball passes and encounter inattentional blindness. Students dissect a cow eye to identify its parts and compare it with the human eye, then watch a NOVA documentary on perception and build mind maps of the pathway from eye to brain. They collect reaction-time data through a classroom game, design and code their own game in a language such as Scratch or Python, and analyze the data with mean, median, mode, and graphs in a claim-evidence-reasoning report or presentation. The plan gives 20 minutes for Engage, then 45-minute class periods: 2 each for Explore, Explain, and Evaluate, and 2-3 for Elaborate.

Lesson Objectives

• Engage: Gorilla Illusion Experiment -Students will participate in a short in class experiment demonstrating “inattentional blindness” where students think they see what is going on in a video but miss key elements due to inattentional blindness. Exploration: Cow Eye Dissection -Students will be able to identify and describe the major parts of the eye and their role in the process of vision, comparing and contrasting the structure and function of the cow eye with the human eye through direct observation. Explanation: Optic Nerve/Nervous System Study -Students will be able to model/map the pathway of the optic nerve from the eye to the brain and explain its role in transmitting visual information. -Students will be able to discuss how the optic nerve integrates with other sensory and motor pathways of the nervous system, emphasizing its importance in coordinating vision with other body functions. -Students will be able to analyze the interaction of multiple body systems. Elaborate: Reaction Time Game with Data Collection -Students will be able to collect and record their reaction time data through the classroom game designed to measure how quickly they respond to visual stimuli. -Students will be able to design and code a reaction time game using a programming language (e.g., Scratch or Python), collecting data from multiple users. Evaluation: Data Analysis and Scientific Writing -Students will be able to use statistical methods (mean, median, mode) to analyze their reaction time data and interpret the results to identify patterns or trends. -Students will be able to create graphs to visually represent their own reaction time data, and compare their results with classmates to understand variability and distribution. -Students will be able to gather reaction time data from multiple users, analyze the results in written form, and present their findings through a written report or oral/digital presentation.