Getting a Message Across
A 50-minute Grade 1 lesson on designing and testing a device that uses light or sound to send a message over a distance.
Getting a Message Across is a free 50-minute Grade 1 science lesson plan for Common Core standard 1-PS4-4 — build something that sends a message across a distance using light or sound. It is timed across 5 sections, gives the exact wording to use where the wording carries the mathematics, names 3 misconceptions with the teaching move that addresses each, and ends with an exit ticket and a printable worksheet with its answer key.
- Grade:
- Grade 1
- Length:
- 50 minutes
- Standard:
- 1-PS4-4
Grade 1 · Physical Science
1-PS4-4
Use tools and materials to design and build a device that uses light or sound to solve the problem of communicating over a distance.
Objective
Students will be able to build a light or sound signal and test whether the message gets through.
Students are successful when they can
- Agrees what the signal means before sending it.
- Tests it over the real distance.
- Changes one thing when it fails and tests again.
What you need
- Torches, bright card, whistles, sticks, a measured distance outside or along a corridor
- A tally sheet for hits and misses
- The printable practice sheet linked at the end of this plan
The lesson
Warm-up — send me a yes
5 min- Stand at the far end of the room and ask a pupil to send you 'yes' without speaking.
- Ask what had to be agreed first.
Teach — code, then distance
13 min- Agree a code together: one flash for yes, two for no.
- Send three messages across the room and check them.
- Now double the distance. Ask what happens to the torch signal.
- Try a sound signal at the same distance and compare.
- Say the test that matters: did the message arrive, at the real distance?
- Say what to change when it fails: make it brighter, bigger or louder — one thing at a time.
“Did the message get there? How do you know?”
Investigate — build and test a signal
17 min- Pairs choose light or sound and agree a code for yes and no.
- They test it ten times across the measured distance and tally hits.
- They change one thing and test ten more times.
- They say whether the change helped, using the two tallies.
Independent practice
12 min- Students complete the 'Getting a Message Across' page.
- Check answers judge the device by whether the message arrived.
Close
3 min- Ask which signal the class would use in a noisy hall, and why.
What goes wrong, and why
Each of these is a reasoning error rather than carelessness. The fix addresses the reasoning.
Tests the signal from close up.
Why: It is easier and it works.
Fix: The problem is the distance. Test it where it has to work.
Sends a message without agreeing a code.
Why: The meaning is obvious to the sender.
Fix: Ask the receiver what it meant. If they had to guess, there was no code.
Changes three things after a failure.
Why: Fixing everything is faster.
Fix: Change one and test. Otherwise you cannot tell what helped.
If they are not there yet
- A code of one signal, meaning 'come here'.
- A shorter distance to start with.
If they finish early
- Send a three-part message.
- Design a signal that works in the dark and in daylight.
- Say what would happen to your signal in fog.
Exit ticket
Your torch signal works at ten steps and fails at thirty. What would you change, and how would you know it helped?
What to look for: One change such as a brighter torch, tested again at thirty steps with a tally. A change with no retest means the evidence step is missing.
Printable practice for 1-PS4-4
Free to print and copy, answer key included. Each sheet can generate a fresh set of problems for a retake.
- Getting a Message AcrossCircle the best answer.
Questions about Getting a Message Across
How long does the Getting a Message Across lesson take?
50 minutes, split across 5 timed sections: warm-up 5 min, teach 13 min, investigate 17 min, independent practice 12 min, close 3 min. The minutes are stated per section and add up to the stated length, so the plan can be cut or extended at a section boundary rather than abandoned halfway.
Which standard does Getting a Message Across teach?
1-PS4-4 — 1-PS4-4, Physical Science for Grade 1: “Use tools and materials to design and build a device that uses light or sound to solve the problem of communicating over a distance.” In plain terms, build something that sends a message across a distance using light or sound.
What do I need to teach this lesson?
Torches, bright card, whistles, sticks, a measured distance outside or along a corridor, a tally sheet for hits and misses and the printable practice sheet linked at the end of this plan. Everything listed is either ordinary classroom equipment or a free printable from this site — there is nothing to buy and nothing to prepare beyond photocopying.
What mistakes should I expect in this lesson?
Three, each a reasoning error rather than carelessness: tests the signal from close up; sends a message without agreeing a code and changes three things after a failure. The plan gives the thinking behind each one and the teaching move that addresses the thinking rather than the symptom.
How do I know whether the lesson worked?
The exit ticket asks: “Your torch signal works at ten steps and fails at thirty. What would you change, and how would you know it helped?.” One change such as a brighter torch, tested again at thirty steps with a tally. A change with no retest means the evidence step is missing. That tells you whether the class needs a reteach or a thirty-second conversation before you plan tomorrow.
Is there a worksheet to go with Getting a Message Across?
Yes — 1 printable 1-PS4-4 worksheet, linked at the end of the plan and free like the rest of the site. Each one comes with an answer key and 25 versions, so the practice after the lesson can be a different paper on every desk.
Is Getting a Message Across free to use?
Yes. The plan, its printables and their answer keys are free to read, print and photocopy for your own class, with no account and no email capture. It was last reviewed on 8 September 2026. Please do not resell it or republish it as your own.
Last reviewed 2026-09-08. Aligned to 1-PS4-4 of the Next Generation Science Standards.