Activity
Exploratorium

Cylindrical Mirror

For Teachers 7th - 9th
Using flexible mirror-like paper, physical scientists experiment with images produced by curving it and looking into its reflective surface. They find that concave mirrors cause reflected light waves to cross and actually flip the image...
Lesson Plan
Michigan Technological University

Giant Mirrors

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Did you know some retailers use curved mirrors in their fitting rooms to make customers look thinner? Pupils view themselves in convex and concave mirrors to understand the difference. The resource includes big ideas for multiple age...
Activity
Exploratorium

Antigravity Mirror

For Teachers 5th - 9th
Is it a bird? Is it a plane? It's super student! Physical science stars can fly during a unit on light as they see the reflection of one leg in a mirror, behind which the other holds them up. 
Activity
Exploratorium

Parabolas

For Teachers 9th - 12th
A parabolic mirror toy demonstrates how concave mirrors objects reflect light and produce a realistic image at their focal point. This resource probably doesn't explain any more than the printed insert that accompanies such an apparatus...
Activity
Teach Engineering

Acoustic Mirrors

For Teachers 10th - 12th Standards
Investigate sound waves with acoustic mirrors. Using audio software, groups make recordings of musical instruments, both with and without acoustic mirrors. They compare the recordings to see the effect of acoustic mirrors on sound...
Activity
Exploratorium

Touch the Spring

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Concave mirrors and the images they produce are traditional topics in the physics classroom. This resource explains how to set up an investigation of them, and it provides you with the explanation of concepts.
Activity
Howard Hughes Medical Institute

Classroom Activities: Mirror-Tracing Activity

For Teachers 9th - 12th
What does it take to train your brain? Learners explore the question as they experiment with their own memory and motor skills. They attempt to trace an object using a mirror and then score their results over several trials. They then...
Lesson Plan
Math by Design

Transformations – Reflections

For Teachers 7th - 8th Standards
Scholars use interactive resources to figure out how to mathematically draw a reflection of a geometric shape viewed in a mirror. To conclude the activity, class members are asked to deduce the result of multiple reflections across...
Lesson Plan
Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers

Telescoping Periscope

For Teachers 3rd - 12th Standards
Ahoy, matey! Here is an engineering expedition that mini mariners are sure to be swept away by! After reading a brief description and history of periscopes, they work in crews to construct one. Use this activity to enhance a lesson on...
Lesson Plan
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Science 4 Inquiry

Trick or Science: Catching the Light

For Teachers 6th - 8th Standards
Your class might be surprised to learn that mirrors have been around since the first century AD! Young scientists explore reflection and refraction of light through a series of challenges. They use this knowledge to design their own...
Unit Plan
Core Knowledge Foundation

Light and Sound Tell It Again!™ Read-Aloud Anthology

For Teachers 3rd Standards
Light and sound are the running themes of a read-aloud anthology. Over three weeks, third graders listen to discuss readings in preparation for completing extension activities. Pupils work through the writing process to compose an...
Unit Plan
Curated OER

Light and Geometric Optics

For Students 10th - 11th Standards
It's time to see the light  with a unit that focuses on light and geometric optics, including concave and convex mirrors. A variety of experiments, worksheets, and online activities are included. 
Lesson Plan
Chandler Unified School District

Art Masterpiece: Leonardo’s Inventions—Leonardo da Vinci

For Teachers 6th
Leonardo da Vinci is the focus of a hands-on activity that encourages scholars to become inventors. Pupils brainstorm and sketch their idea, compose a detailed depiction using a mirror writing technique, and antique the paper for a...
Activity
NASA

Build a Relay Inspired by Space Communications

For Teachers 8th - 12th
Learn how the professionals at NASA send information across space. Engineers use a microdevice, laser pointer, and mirrors as relays to model data transmission in space. Scholars program a microdevice to detect light received and test...
Handout
Curated OER

Reflection and Refraction

For Students 9th - 12th Standards
What is a prism? A place for light waves that commit minor refractions! The thorough resource includes three hands-on investigations covering light reflection and refraction; mirrors, lenses, and images; and optical systems. Subject...
Lesson Plan
Chandler Unified School District

Art Masterpiece—Leonardo da Vinci Inventions

For Teachers 6th
After getting to know the inventor, Leonardo da Vinci and his many inventions, scholars think up their own invention. Following a written description and a hand-drawn picture, learners use a method of mirror writing and antiquing to give...
Lesson Plan
National Gallery of Canada

Self-Portrait, Mirrors and Metamorphosis!

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Using M.C. Escher's Hand with Reflecting Sphere as inspiration, learners create their own set of self-portraits using various reflective surfaces. The lesson plan begins with a discussion about portraiture and ends with a presentation of...
Activity
Exploratorium

Pupil

For Teachers 4th - 7th
Give pupils a magnifier, a mirror, and a flashlight so that they can examine their own pupils. As they shine a light on their eyes, the light is shone on how this structure dilates and contracts to control how much is allowed into the...
Lesson Plan
August House

The Ghost Catcher

For Teachers 1st - 2nd Standards
Delve into a Bengali folktale with a series of reading comprehension activities. Before kids read The Ghost Catcher, they discuss the concept of reflections and mirrors. They then answer comprehension questions about the characters and...
Activity
DiscoverE

Laser Challenge

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Help your class become laser focused on the connection between sound and light. Scholars set up mirrors to bend and direct lasers that are connected to a music source. Music should start playing when the laser hits the photoresistor.
Lesson Plan
Space Awareness

Measure the Solar Diameter

For Teachers 7th - Higher Ed Standards
Scientists could measure the diameter of the sun before they knew its distance. Scholars construct a simple mirror box to measure the diameter for themselves. They compare this measurement with the official size, listed in a...
Activity
NOAA

Satellite Communications

For Students 3rd - 5th
How do satellites communicate? What types of satellites orbit Earth? Discover and mimic the way satellites communicate between two points in a hands-on activity that has pupils using mirrors, flashlights, and marbles.
Lesson Plan
Museum of Science

Mirror Writing: Writing Backwards

For Teachers 4th - 8th
Students experiment with writing backwards as Leonardo DiVinci did.
Activity
G. Turrell

Science Activity 2: Light & Sound

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Little learners experiment with sunlight and map out how light travels. Using a mirror and slotted card, they find out about items that can reflect or absorb the light. They experiment with a variety of materials to find out how light...

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