Curated OER
Radiation From Space
In this space worksheet, students will review different aspects of light, sound, and radio waves in space and the use of different types of telescopes. This worksheet has 17 fill in the blank statements.
Curated OER
Super Gelatin
Students measure angles of refraction as the light travels through gelatin. In this experimental lesson students complete a refraction lab and plot their data.
Curated OER
Reflection & Refraction
In this online interactive reflection and refraction worksheet, students respond to 7 multiple choice and fill in the blank questions regarding the information included in the provided paragraphs.
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.
Jefferson Lab
Optics: Mirrors and Lenses
Did you see that or did I imagine it? Optical illusions are often created with mirrors and lenses, and here is a presentation that covers many different types of mirrors and lenses and how they work. Flat, concave, and convex mirrors, as...
Rice University
College Physics for AP® Courses
Take a look at an organized physics course. The 34-section electronic textbook covers material in AP® Physics 1 and 2. Teachers use the text to supplement lectures and have the class work through the labs. Each section contains...
Curated OER
Applied Science - Physics (5B) Post Lab
Fifth graders analyze optical images. in this optical lesson, 5th graders look at how light reflects and refracts. They discuss different types of lenses and how they change the picture that is taken.
Curated OER
Wave Action
In this wave worksheet, students compare the different ways a wave can react: absorption, reflection, refraction, and diffraction. Students also read about constructive and destructive interference. This worksheet has 13 matching, 10...
Curated OER
Wave Actions
In this waves worksheet, students read about the ways waves react depending on the boundary they encounter. They read about natural frequency, resonance, phases and interference in waves. They match 13 terms with their definitions, they...
Curated OER
Electromagnetic and Physical Waves
Students compare and contrast electromagnetic and physical waves. In this wave instructional activity, students discover that all waves reflect, refract, and diffract energy. Students work in small groups to experiment with waves and...
Curated OER
Hot Air
Students conduct an experiment to determine how hot air affect the path of laser. In this physics lesson, students explain why stars appear to twinkle at night. They discuss how light travels from space to Earth.
Curated OER
Mirrors and How They Reflect
Young scholars experiment with mirrors. In this Mirrors and How They reflect lesson plan, students read how mirrors reflect light. Then young scholars perform over ten experiments and record their conclusions about mirrors and...
Curated OER
Basic Space
Three basic slides cover information about light years and how images of space are viewed. Some facts about light years are given and then a labeled diagram of a telescope is shown. One basic slide is included with definitions of...
Curated OER
Radiation from Space
In this radiation worksheet, students review the different types of radiation waves that come from space and the different telescopes used to detect this radiation. This worksheet has 17 true or false questions.
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
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...
Curated OER
Light And Shadows
Fourth graders explore the properties of shadows. In pairs they trace each other's shadows in chalk and re-draw their shadow outlines every three hours, design their own shadow investigation, and complete various worksheets related to...
Curated OER
What's Up?
Students compare and contrast the various heavenly bodies found in the sky at night. They identify the moon and stars in the sky as well as how the stars form pictures called constellations. Students also experiment with reflection and...
American Institute of Physics
Optics and Anthony Johnson
Message sending has come a long way since the days of Morse code's dots and dashes. Young scientists study the research of optical physicist Anthony Johnson and his work in fiber optics, lasers, and the principle of total internal...
Curated OER
Help Wanted: A Lighting Engineer For Popular Rock Group
Middle schoolers are assigned to groups, and determine each member's role in the group. They will design an experiment to determine a way to produce the three primary and five secondary colors. Students discuss color and mood. They...
Curated OER
Why is the Sky Blue?
Students explore diffusion or scattering of light. In this physics lesson, students explain why the sky is blue and sunsets/sunrises are red.
Curated OER
Jell-O Optics
Students observe an activity with Jell-O to learn about optics. In this investigative lesson students fill out a handout on the activity that helps them to investigate the index of refraction and the speed of light.
Curated OER
The Space Cadet's Laboratory: Using Electromagnetic Energy to Study Astronomy
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.
Curated OER
Fiber Optics
Students explore the uses of optical fibers, are exposed to the principles of refraction and total internal reflection, solve problems relating to the design of fiber optic cables, and compare them to copper transmission lines.