Curated OER
Light and Elements
Here is a full-fledged investigation of light waves, the electromagnetic spectrum, and element spectra. Physicists research a scientist that contributed to our understanding of the behavior of light. They take notes on your lecture, and...
Curated OER
Light Week
First graders experiment with prisms to explore sequence of colors of light created.
Curated OER
Exploration of Light
Fifth graders observe the video, Exploring Light and Color. They access a website to create their own light show. They conduct lab experiments to investigate refraction, reflection,and other light-related topics.
Curated OER
Light and Optics
Third graders utilize the scientific method to explain light and optics in this five lessons unit. Through experimentation and discussion, 3rd graders canvass the concepts of light traveling, reflection and refraction.
Exploratorium
Blue Sky
Use a container full of water as a prism and show that as light is bent, the individual colors from different wavelengths become visible. This explains why the sky appears to be blue midday, and why as the sun nears the horizon, it looks...
Curated OER
The Components of Light
Students are given a mnemonic device to review the light spectrum as it relates to the different components of refracted light. In this components of light lesson, students read Light Magic and review the properties of light. Students...
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The Bending and Bouncing of Light
Young scholars investigate refraction and reflection of light. In this light lesson, students perform 3 activities to observe light interacting with matter by using a flashlight. They explore refraction using a glass of water and...
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Water Works Wonders
Students examine where water is found in the world, how we use it, and the various forms it takes. They observe the refraction of light through a prism, record the day and night sky over a week's time, and create a topographic model of...
Curated OER
Light
Students examine how light waves travel. In this properties of light lesson, students observe how light travels in water, how light is reflected and refracted, and how light is pure energy.
Curated OER
Reflect and Refract
Students explore light. In this properties of light lesson, students define the terms refract, reflect, and diffract after listening to the teacher's description. Students listen to the book Light Magic and observe a spoon in a glass of...
Cornell University
Spectral Analysis with DVDs and CDs
Build a spectrometer to analyze properties of light. Scholars examine the spectrum from CDs and DVDs from two different light sources. Using the spectrum, they work to identify different elements.
Curated OER
The Energy of Light
Students discuss different ways engineers use light. In this engineering lesson, students are introduced to the properties of light and the way light is used. They view a demonstration of light waves using a slinky, and practice using...
Curated OER
Physics: Light and Sound
Students explore the concepts of light waves and sound waves. In this physics lesson, students complete activities that require them to investigate how light and sound waves travel.
Curated OER
Light
Students observe how light can be reflected, refracted, and absorbed. In this light lesson, students discover that light travels in a straight path. This lesson contains a "bonus" activity that explains how to make a kaleidoscope.
Curated OER
Applied Science - Physics Lab
Learners define reflection and refraction. In this Physics instructional activity, students compare a variety of items to find properties of reflection or refraction. Learners record their findings.
Curated OER
Stations of Light
Student groups rotate through four stations to examine light energy behavior: refraction, magnification, prisms and polarization. They see how a beam of light is refracted (bent) through various transparent mediums. Students investigate...
Curated OER
Lesson Plan Outline for Rainbow Science
Young scientists study light reflection and refraction as they determine the critical angle, the rainbow angle, and color separation in rainbows. Teams record the data they collect in a shared spreadsheet and discuss results with the class.
Curated OER
Reflection, Refraction & Lenses
Students 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 reflection.
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Water Prism
Students using a glass prism filled with water are able to see all of the visible colors found the sunlight.
Curated OER
Reflecting Light
Students are introduced to the reflective properties of light and use mirrors to make light from a source reflect onto a specific target. They take turns and record the amount of time it took to correctly reflect the light.
Curated OER
THE MANY COLORS OF SUNLIGHT
Students examine rainbow components, spectral colors, colors perceived by the eye, hot solids, glowing rarefied gas, absorption, that light is a wave, and optics.
Curated OER
The Color Spectrum: How Does it Work?
Create models of the infrared, visible, and ultraviolet portions of the electromagnetic spectrum. Working in small groups, your class can investigate metric conversions calculations. They will find the length of the waves in nanometers,...
Curated OER
Enlightening Explorations, Part III
Sixth graders continue their examination of light. In groups, they make rainbows and examine the spectrum of visible light. They travel between various stations recording their observations about the behaviors of light. To end the...
Curated OER
Lighten Up!
Third graders observe light as a form of energy, that it can be reflected/bounced, refracted/bent and absorbed. They explore how different types of light affect our lives as a whole. Songs are researched that involve light (ex. "You...