Lesson Ideas:Grades 6 through 8Implement any of the following lesson ideas to teach your students about the eyes, visualsystem, eye health and safety. Each lesson idea can be completed as an independent learn-ing activity or incorporated into your existing curriculum.

Masters for photocopying a variety of fun Vision Quest materials to help students learn areincluded in this kit.

Lesson #1:Parts of the eye and workings of the visual systemSuggested Vision Quest materials: “Schematic of the Eye and Visual System” activity sheetand “Basic Eye Anatomy Quiz.”

Help students improve their note-taking abili-ties while studying the workings of the eyesand visual system by giving each a “Schematicof the Eye and Visual System” activity sheet(copy master included in this kit) to completewhile you lecture or show the video, “AJourney Through Your Eyes” (available on loanfrom the South Dakota Optometric Society bycalling 605-224-8199).

Key lecture points include:

• Vision requires three things: (1) light tosee objects, (2) eyes to absorb lightreflected from objects we see, and (3) abrain to interpret these light signals andperceive an image in our minds.

• Vision begins when light rays enter theeye through the cornea, the transparentfront surface of the eyeball.

• The cornea bends (or refracts) the lightrays so they can pass through the pupil,the small black hole in the center of thecolored part of the eye.

• The amount of light passing through thepupil is controlled, in part, by the mus-cles in the iris, the colored part of theeye, that can tighten or relax to make thepupil smaller or larger.

• The rays flow through the pupil then passthrough the eye’s lens which is very sim-ilar to a lens on a camera. The lens fur-ther bends (or refracts) the light rays sothat they focus on the retina, the nerve-rich lining at the back of the eye.

• Good visual acuity (visual sharpness)occurs when the eye’s lens focuses lightrays precisely on the retina. In some peo-ple, the lens of the eye may focus thelight rays at a point in front of the retina.This is called myopia (or nearsighted-ness) and makes close objects easier tosee clearly than those at a distance.

• In some people, the lens of the eye mayfocus the light rays at a point behind theretina. This is called hyperopia (or farsight-edness) and makes distant objects easier to

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see clearly than those nearer to the eyes.Myopia, hyperopia and many other visualconditions can be corrected with prescrip-tion eyeglasses or contact lenses.

• When light rays hit the retina, they stim-ulate millions of light-sensitive nervecells that create electrical impulses.Some of these cells are cone-shaped andconcentrated in the macula, the center ofthe retina. Others are rod-shaped andlocated outside the macula.

• Cones create impulses that allow thebrain to perceive clear, sharp centralvision and an awareness of color and finedetail. Rods transmit signals for peripher-al (side) vision and allow the eyes todetect motion and see in dim light.

• Impulses from both cones and rods aresent to the brain via the optic nerve. Thebrain interprets these impulses allowinga picture to form in the mind.

• It is a good idea to visit your doctor ofoptometry for an eye examination once ayear to make sure your eyes are healthyand working properly.

A copy master for a “Basic Eye AnatomyQuiz” covering this lesson is included inthis kit. Quiz answers: 1-F (change hyper-opia to brain), 2-T, 3-T, 4-F (change corneato retina), 5-F (change rods to cones), 6-T,7-F (change blocked to bent), 8-T, 9-F(change hyperopia to myopia or nearsight-edness),10-T.

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Begin the lesson by discussing the differ-ence between a visual screening and aneye examination. Include these key points:

• A visual screening is a quick test to seehow well a person can read letters or sym-bols at a distance. Visual screenings areoften given in schools and to drivers at themotor vehicle department. These screen-ings help detect obvious visual problems,but they cannot identify complex visualconditions or underlying health problems.

• For that reason, a comprehensive eyeexamination (which includes a thoroughexamination of the internal and externalstructures of the eye and a series ofsophisticated tests) performed at theoffice of an eye care professional is thebest way to diagnose visual conditionsand eye health problems and ensure theyare treated promptly.

• Eye care professionals include doctors ofoptometry (O.D.s) who diagnose andtreat eye health and visual conditionsand prescribe medications, contact lens-es, eyeglasses and other therapies. Theyalso include ophthalmologists (M.D.s)who specialize in performing eye sur-gery. Visual screenings are often per-

formed by school nurses and others whomake referrals to eye care professionals.

• Because the eyes are constantly growingand changing, doctors of optometry rec-ommend that you obtain a comprehen-sive eye examination every year.

Encourage students to build their publicspeaking skills while becoming more aware ofconditions that can affect their vision and eyehealth. Distribute copies of the “Vision andEye Health Presentation Worksheet” (copymaster found in this kit) and review basic ele-ments of an oral presentation including:

• A short introduction that gets the attentionof the audience and introduces the topic;

• A statement of credibility that describeshow the student gathered his or her infor-mation and the resources that were used;

• The body of the speech which presentsthree to five main points about the topic(such as a definition of the disease orcondition, its prevalence, symptoms,how it can be diagnosed by eye care pro-fessionals and treatment options);

• A visual aid (such as computer-generatedslide presentation, chart, poster, diagramor model) to help illustrate key points; and

Lesson #2:Oral presentations on visual conditions and eye diseasesSuggested Vision Quest materials: “Vision and Eye Health Presentation Worksheet.”

Teach students about eye safety and visualcare while introducing them to journalismbasics by publishing a newsletter calledThe Eye Health Tribune (or another namechosen by your class).

Discuss your newsletter’s mission (toinform readers about the importance ofmaintaining the health of their eyes andvisual system) and target audiences (stu-dents, their parents and teachers).

As a group, brainstorm a list of eye andvision-related articles, and assign them tostudent reporters and editors who willresearch, write and edit them. Excellentsources of information include materials inthis kit, your school library, your local doc-tor of optometry and the Internet (includingthe American Optometric Association’sWeb site (http//www.aoa.org).

Some possibilities include:

• A story about the importance of caringfor the health and safety of the eyesincluding a sidebar column of “person-

on-the-street” interviews posing a ques-tion (such as, “What is your favorite wayto use your eyes?”) to random studentsand teachers at your school;

• A list of common visual conditions andeye diseases, their symptoms and treat-ments (see Lesson #2 for topics);

• An “Ask-the-Optometrist” column of ques-tions submitted by several students andanswered by a local optometrist;

• A list of interesting facts and statisticsabout the eyes and vision;

• A story about a teacher who wears eye-glasses or contact lenses and the differ-ence they have made in his or her life;

• A chart showing a recommended sched-ule for obtaining eye examinations at dif-ferent ages;

• A description of the main parts of an eyeexamination and the differencesbetween an eye examination and a visu-al screening;

Lesson #3: Publishing The Eye Health TribuneSuggested Vision Quest materials: (All program materials can be used as informationalresources.)

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points and presents any recommenda-tions for avoiding the condition orobtaining an early diagnosis.

Assign a topic from the following list to eachstudent and ask him or her to research it (at thelibrary or on the Web) and prepare a three-minute speech (including a visual aid) to bepresented to classmates. (An excellent infor-mation resource for vision and eye health top-ics is the Web site of the American OptometricAssociation at http://www.aoa.org.)

Suggested topics include:• Myopia (nearsightedness)• Hyperopia (farsightedness)• Astigmatism• Presbyopia• Strabismus (crossed eyes)• Amblyopia (lazy eye)• Color deficiency (color blindness)• Conjunctivitis (pink eye)

• Sties • Cataracts• Glaucoma• Diabetic retinopathy • Hypertensive retinopathy• Retinitis pigmentosa • Macular degeneration • Vitamin A and other nutritional deficiencies• UV radiation and the eyes (and the

importance of wearing UV protectivesunglasses)

• Impact of alcohol consumption on vision• Computer vision syndrome (eye fatigue

caused by computer use)• Trauma: blows to the eye (black eye)• Trauma: lacerations of the eye• Impact of allergies on the eyes• Blindness (common causes, treatment,

prevention)

Encourage students to ask questions andshare information after each presentation.

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• A story about how the eyes and visualsystem work (with a simple diagram);

• An article about the importance of wear-ing eyeglasses with ultraviolet protection(and a photo showing several studentsmodeling their sunglasses);

• A story about how animal or insect eyes(e.g., cats, birds, houseflies) differ fromhuman eyes;

• An interview with your school nurseabout how to remove dust and dirt safelyfrom the eyes;

• An interview with your physical educa-tion teacher or coach about sports eye-wear and headgear that can protect theeyes and head from injury;

• A list of the pros and cons of wearingcontact lenses including an interviewwith a contact lens wearer;

• A description of common instrumentsfound at the eye doctor’s office and theirpurposes (e.g., a phoropter, ophthalmo-scope, slit lamp and fundus camera);

• A story about how one would go aboutbecoming a doctor of optometry or aparaoptometric assistant;

• A short biography about a person whohas contributed to the visual welfare ofothers (e.g., Benjamin Franklin, inventorof bifocals) or who has raised publicawareness about visual disabilities (e.g.,Helen Keller);

• A list of famous people who wear eye-glasses;

• A column of eye health and safety DOsand DON’Ts; and

• A story about nutrients that are essentialto the visual system (such as vitamin A)and recipes featuring foods high in thesenutrients.

Be sure to introduce students to some basicjournalism terminology along the wayincluding:

• flag (name of your newsletter in typeas it appears across the top of the firstpage),

• masthead (a small box, often appear-ing on the second page, that containsinformation about the newsletter’sname, place of publication and edi-tors),

• headline (title in large type used toannounce each story),

• by-line (credit given to the authorunder the headline),

• lead (first sentence of a story contain-ing the most essential information),

• pics (photos and illustrations),

• captions (wording that appears underpics describing how they relate to sto-ries),

• sidebar (a smaller story with support-ing information which appears next toa related larger story),

• cub (a novice reporter),

• assignment (a specific story or jobgiven to a reporter),

• deadline (the last opportunity to finisha story), and

• dummy (a diagram showing the basiclayout planned for the newsletter).

As a team, work on the final layout and theduplication of your newsletter and distrib-ute it to other students in your schoolencouraging them to share it with their par-ents (or consider enclosing it in a routineschool mailing to parents).

Work with your students, in advance, toprepare a list of questions for theoptometrist such as:

• Why did you want to be a doctor ofoptometry?

• What is your job like on a day to daybasis?

• What kinds of eye and visual problemsdo you see in your practice and how doyou treat them?

• What are some of the elements of an eyeexam and why are they important?

• How is an eye exam different from avisual screening?

• What kind of education is required to bea doctor of optometry?

• How does being an optometrist differfrom being an ophthalmologist or anoptician?

• What is a paraoptometric? What do theydo and what kind of education isrequired?

• In what settings do doctors of optometrywork (e.g., private practice, hospitals,

Lesson #5:Optometry as a career (guest speaker or field trip)

Explore the eye care professions with your students by inviting a doctor of optometry tospeak in your classroom or by arranging a field trip to the doctor’s office. (You can getreferrals for optometrists in your area who enjoy speaking to students by calling the SouthDakota Optometric Society at 605-224-8199).

Ask students what sports they play andmake a list of the most popular ones.Discuss how athletes use their eyes whenplaying these sports noting all that theymust watch and consider during the gameor event.

Emphasize that, in addition to doing exer-cises to increase their speed, musclestrength and manual dexterity, athletes canimprove their performance by engaging inactivities that enhance their visual abilities.Invite students to create a “sports visionclinic” with stations were they can try outsome of these activities.

Prepare by distributing photocopies of the“Sports Vision Performance” activity sheetand assigning groups of students to bring inthe necessary items to recreate activities forimproving eye-hand coordination, visualconcentration, eye tracking and depth per-ception. On the day of the clinic, have thestudents take turns manning these stations

and participating in each event. Encouragestudents to recreate and practice the activi-ties they find most helpful on a daily basisfor one week.

You might also want to include a safety sta-tion where a physical education instructoror coach can show students different typesof sporting equipment that protect the eyesand head (such as masks, helmets and gog-gles) and the proper way to wear them.

As a follow-up assignment, ask students towrite a short paper about sports visiondescribing:

• how they use their vision in their favoritesport and the visual skills they’d like toimprove,

• how they can protect their eyes whenparticipating in the sport, and

• one or two of the techniques for enhanc-ing visual performance and how theyrecreated and practiced these techniques.

Lesson #4: Vision and sports performanceRecommended Vision Quest materials: “Sports Vision Performance” activity sheet.

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research, the military, and public healthservice)?

• Are there optometric practices that havea particular focus (e.g., sports vision, lowvision, visual therapy) and what servicesdo they offer?

• What is the best thing about being a doc-tor of optometry?

• How can a person my age best preparefor a career in eye care?

Follow up the visit by dividing students intoteams and asking them to collect informa-tion on optometry as a career from any ofthe following sources:

• your school’s guidance office,

• school library,

• public library,

• Internet,

• guidance/academic advising offices ofcolleges and universities in your area,

• schools and colleges of optometry,

• the South Dakota Optometric Society,

• the American Optometric Association, and

• doctors of optometry (and their staffs) inprivate practices, hospitals, the militaryand public health service.

Create a collage on “Eye Care as a Career”and post some of the findings on a bulletinboard in your school’s library or cafeteria.

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Let us help!

The South Dakota Optometric Society offers a video lending library, assistance locatingspeakers, traveling exhibits and photocopying assistance (where available). Contact thesociety at 605-224-8199 or www.sdeyes.org for more information.

South Dakota

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