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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Star Search

For Teachers 7th
Seventh graders explore stars. In this star lesson, 7th graders apply generalities about space objects to constellations and explore the differences between radio waves and light waves by answering essential questions in their research.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

WAVES AND PHOTONS

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Learners examine the many types of electromagnetic waves, the concept of an EM wave, how James Clerk Maxwell proposed a slight modification of the equations of electricity, Heinrich Hertz and his radio-frequency, wavelengths, and light...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Space Cadet's Laboratory: Using Electromagnetic Energy to Study Astronomy

For Teachers 10th - 12th
Students 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.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Interactive Online Light Activity

For Teachers 7th - 8th
Students participate in an online interactive activity in which they discover types of light, wavelengths of light, and how astronomers use different wavelengths. Activity includes links for other activities and lab activities including...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Lenses and Mirrors

For Teachers 6th - 10th
Students investigate lenses and mirrors showing how they bend and reflect light waves.
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Lesson Plan
University of Texas

Multi-wavelength Astronomy

For Students 9th - 12th
Explore a land far, far away with a well-designed lesson that examines electromagnetic imaging as a way to obtain information about galactic structures. Learners begin to see the importance of looking beyond the visual spectrum to reveal...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

THE MANY COLORS OF SUNLIGHT

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students examine rainbow components, spectral colors, colors perceived by the eye, hot solids, glowing rarefied gas, absorption, that light is a wave, and optics.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Seeing Interference Fringes with a Telescope

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students construct an interferometer using a simple telescope. In this physics lesson, students explain how light waves create the fringe patterns. They observe patterns made by different objects in the sky and compare them.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Super Gelatin

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students measure angles of refraction as the light travels through gelatin.  For this experimental lesson students complete a refraction lab and plot their data.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Rover Races

For Teachers 7th - 9th
Learners identify the challenges encountered by astronauts in operating a planetary rover. In this space science lesson, students create a rover using their team members. They follow a command sequence from the driver and navigate...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Summer Research Program for Science Teachers

For Teachers 11th - 12th
Students analyze the optical region of the electromagnetic spectrum.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Super Gelatin

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students investigate the refraction properties of gelatin to calculate its index of refraction. They discover that as the light travels through the gelatin, its speed and wavelength also change. Students find th indes of refraction of an...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Practical Illustrations of Astronomical Concepts Relating to the Solar System

For Teachers 8th
Eighth graders are introduced to concepts related to the Solar System. In groups, they participate in an experiment in which they must describe a ray of light and how it travels. They draw a diagram of the electromagnetic spectrum and...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

(S-4) The Many Colors of Sunlight

For Teachers 9th - 12th
High schoolers observe and explore the characteristics of light.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Starring...Bears!

For Teachers K - 4th
Students illustrate a First Nations' legend.  In this legend of bears lesson, students read several legends which involve bears and groups of stars or constellations. After reading, students illustrate portions of the stories.  Also,...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Binary Numbers

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Middle schoolers explore how a battery-powered light box demonstrates how to transmi timages.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Sending Messages to Space

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students interpret a message sent to space using a radio telescope and draw inferences from the interpreted message. Working with a partner, they interpret data that scientists believe is a message from aliens. They work on organizing...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Universe

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Young scholars describe what scientists mean by an "expanding universe" in their own words. They explain how scientists comprehend the universie is expanding. Students comprehend the vast scale of the universe. They comprehend how...