Curated OER
Changing Planet: Black Carbon - a Dusty Situation
Introduce your young meteorologists to black carbon produced by the burning of fossil fuels by showing the video, "Changing Planet: Black Carbon." Viewers discover that deposition of this carbon on polar ice impacts the absorption of...
Curated OER
Light Can Heat Too!
Third graders explore absorption and reflection of light energy. In this solar energy instructional activity, 3rd graders explore how light energy transfers to heat energy through the construction of a solar water heater. Students will...
Curated OER
Atomic Absorption Determination of Zinc and Copper in a Multivitamin
Advanced lab apprentices prepare zinc and copper solutions to which they will compare the same minerals from a multivitamin. Using absorption spectroscopy, they analyze the contents of the multivitamin for concentration. This lab can be...
Chicago Botanic Garden
Albedo, Reflectivity, and Absorption
What is reflectivity, and what does it have to do with the Earth's climate? As reflectivity is measured by albedo, scientists can gather information on Earth's energy balances that relate to global warming or climate change. Budding...
US Department of Energy
Effects of Solar Radiation on Land and Sea
Earth science enthusiasts experiment to compare the heating rates of soil and water. They relate their findings to the weather conditions near bodies of water. Consider also having middle schoolers measure the cooling rates to...
Curated OER
Urban Heat Islands: An Introduction to Energy Transfer and Transformation
Elementary school physical scientists explore kinetic mechanical energy by dropping a golf ball on different surfaces. They discuss how human made materials might react to light differently from nature made materials. This lesson plan...
NASA
Here Comes the Light!
Look beyond the light! An engaging activity introduces young scholars to the application of a spectroscope. The lesson is the fifth in a series of six and focuses on the analysis of the elements of the sun.
Curated OER
Blinded by the Light
Students recognize that the colors they see are a result of the reflection of light. In this light and color lesson, students predict what color will be produced when lights are mixed. They identify the three primary colors and secondary...
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An Introduction to Light Unit-Third Grade
Third graders are introduced to light in an eight part unit which includes activities, additional resources, and rubrics for each part. Students address topics such as energy, reflection, absorption, and refraction through hands-on...
Curated OER
Light Reflections
Young scholars explore light. In this physical science light lesson, students display objects on a projection screen and investigate how light absorbs, refracts, transmits and reflects. Young scholars discuss common features of...
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Heat Absorption and Radiation
Middle schoolers experiment with the concepts of absorption and reflection of radiant energy.
Curated OER
The Space Cadet's Laboratory: Using Electromagnetic Energy to Study Astronomy
Young scholars build their own spectrophotometer to study light. In this physics lesson, students explain the dual nature of light. They calculate the angle of incidence and refraction using Snell's law equation.
Curated OER
Reflection and Absorption of Light
Students use a microcomputer connected to a light sensor and temperature probe to explore the reflection and absorption of radiation for different surfaces. Students follow instructions in this guided inquiry based lab and are then asked...
Wild BC
The Greenhouse Effect: Warming the Earth Experiment
First in a two-part lesson on the greenhouse effect, this lesson involves a classroom demonstration of the phenomenon, and a lab group experiment with color and absorption. Although there are easier ways to demonstrate the greenhouse...
Curated OER
Light Week
First graders experiment with prisms to explore sequence of colors of light created.
Curated OER
Spectroscope
Learners examine how to apply conservation of energy and properties of matter to a spectroscope. In this energy lesson students build their own spectroscope and observe three kinds of spectra.
Curated OER
Radiation Budget Lesson: Exploring Albedo
Students experiment with sunlight and temperature. They study the definition of albedo, or the percentage of incoming sunlight that is reflected, rather than absorbed.
Curated OER
Black and White Bottle Experiment
Students investigate solar energy and color. In this solar energy instructional activity, students assess the benefits of solar energy. Students discover that solar energy is attracted to darker colors and conduct an experiment...
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Modeling Hot and Cold Planets
Young scholars, in teams, design and construct models of two planets, one hot and the other cold, using a variety of materials. They attempt to create the models out of substances that will actually show the greatest temperature...
Curated OER
Heat Absorption
Learners examine how heat moves from substance to another. In this heat absorption lesson students identify ways that heat is transferred and analyze data.
Curated OER
WorldWatcher Activity: What Happens to Sunlight?
Students examine a set of data to try to determine the amount of cloud cover. In groups, they make a list of items that reflect light in the atmosphere and how different amounts of it can change the temperature. Using WorldWatcher,...
Curated OER
It's All In The Surface: The Effects Of Color & Texture On The Ability Of A Surface To Absorb Solar Energy
Ninth graders examine how dark surfaces absorb more light than light surfaces. They perform an experiment that compares various surfaces abilities to absorb heat, then record and analyze the results.
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How the Amount of Solar Energy Absorbed by the Earth is Dependent Upon the Earth's Position
Students investigate the angle of light and how it faces the earth. They conduct a series of investigations with the following two objectives. Students determine if the angle of light is a factor in the absorption of heat. They correlate...
Curated OER
Obtain a visible spectra of chlorophyll a
Students become familiar with the concept of spectroscopy or the study of the interaction of matter with electromagnetic radiation. They prepare solutions and measure absorbance at different wavelengths. Pupils comprehend that mater and...