Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Every Color in the Rainbow

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Students brainstorm and discuss the amazing world of rainbows. They draw and color rainbows and look for natural rainbows that occur whenever white light is split into the spectrum and the rainbows that can form on soap bubbles and fish...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Flashlight Poems

For Teachers 1st - 6th
Learners read various forms of poetry and identify poets, both contemporary and traditional. They discover how Shel Silverstein rhymed great stories in his poems. Afterwards, they read Shel Silverstein's poems and write verse in a...
Lesson Plan
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Encoding Color Images

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Color me green. The fourth lesson in a unit of 15 introduces the class to color images and how to encode color images using binary code and hexadecimal numbers — and they will quickly notice that it is easier to code the...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Frozen Film

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Students are introduced to the topic of light interference through this hands-on activity. They observe how light reflects off two surfaces and then meets to form an interesting variation of color on a film surface.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Simple Spectroscope

For Teachers Higher Ed
Students make a spectroscope out of simple materials and are expected to view as many different light sources as possible to see the whole spectrum.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Relay Race

For Teachers 5th - 10th
Students program RCX cars to relay information to one another via Mail when triggered by light sensors. The light sensors are appropriately spaced to allow for timed triggers.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Telescope #2

For Teachers 8th - 12th
Students investigate parabolas as the shape of a telescopic lens.  In this Algebra I/Algebra II lesson, students explore the relationship between the coefficients of a quadratic function and the shape and position of the parabolic...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Energy Transformations

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Learners investigate energy and energy transformations. They compare the various forms of energy, create the circuit and sketch the connections. In addition, they label the circuit to identify areas where energy transformation is present.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Reflection, Refraction & Lenses

For Teachers 9th - 12th
High schoolers are able to describe what happens to light when it strikes different materials. They describe the law of reflection. Students are able to explain why a mirror froms a virtual image. They are able to describe diffuse...
Worksheet
Curated OER

Energy in a Cell

For Students 8th - 11th
In this cell energy worksheet, students are given clues about the light capturing process in plants and the energy producing reactions in animals to complete a crossword puzzle.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Infrared-Hot

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Students describe how the sun heats the Earth, explain the nature of infrared light, explain how thunderstorms are formed and use infrared maps to predict severe weather.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Changes Inside Planets

For Teachers 6th - 11th
Students relate meteorites to the mantle and crust of asteroids.  In this planetary instructional activity students complete experiments to model the separation of light.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Applied Science - Technology (5A) Lab

For Teachers 5th
Fifth graders explore electromagnetic waves and light. In this light lesson plan, 5th graders draw the parts of a wave of the electromagnetic spectrum. They compare a flashlight to a laser to see how the light looks when shined through...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Sources of Energy

For Teachers 4th - 5th
Students research various methods for preparing food and analyze energy sources. They explain that radiation, light, and heat are forms of energy used to cook food, treat diseases, and provide energy.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Extreme Flashlight Tag

For Teachers 5th
Fifth graders view a Powerpoint show about reflecting light. They experiment through a reflection simulation on the internet. Students complete the activity by using mirrors and light to complete send light to a specified spot.
Worksheet
Curated OER

Conservation of Energy

For Students 9th - 12th
In this energy learning exercise, students read about the Law of Conservation of Energy and compare the 6 forms of energy. Then students complete 20 matching, 2 short answer, and 6 word problems.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Geometry of Real Images

For Teachers 9th - 12th
In this math worksheet, students read the examples for using the techniques of mathematical modeling. They draw the angles in order to simulate the reflection of light while using a concave mirror.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Online Exploration: Telescopes From the Ground Up

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students explore a web-based illustrated text and interactive graphics to determine the relationship between the operation of telescopes and light. optics. They work in small groups to become an expert on one of the ten eras of telescope...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Rain and Rainbows

For Teachers K - 5th
Students explore the weather system by analyzing water properties. In this precipitation lesson, students review weather related vocabulary terms and discuss how rainbows are created by light hitting droplets at the right time. Students...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

200 Years and Counting: How the U.S. Census Tracks Social Trends

For Teachers 4th - 8th
Students examine the process of census taking in the United States. In this "200 Years and Counting" lesson, students examine the data collection process, look at an example of a census form, analyze data, and learn what the information...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Black Holes Revealed

For Teachers 5th - 9th
Students explore the concept of black holes through an interactive program. They explore how they form and what materials form them. They can also visit websites in which they can research radio transmission between the Earth and space.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Iron in Foods

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students determine the amount of iron in a sample of cereal. In this iron lesson plan, students use a computer colorimeter to measure the amount of light absorbed by the solutions. They create a calibration curve using standard solutions...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Models of the Earth and Moon

For Teachers 2nd - 3rd
Students explore the earth's rotation and phases of the moon. In this planets lesson, students rotate and revolve around a light representing the sun. Students use movement and props to simulate what causes the phases of the moon as well...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Investigating the Types of Energy in Different Objects

For Teachers 3rd - 4th
Students investigate forms of energy. In this physical science energy lesson, students work with a partner classifying household items according to the type of energy they have. Students complete a related worksheet.