Science Struck
Science Struck: How Does Light Travel Through Space and Other Media?
A detailed discussion of the nature of light, how it can travel through a vacuum, and how the speed of light is affected when light travels through a medium.
Ducksters
Ducksters: Physics for Kids: Behavior of Light as a Wave
Kids learn about the behavior of light as a wave in the science of physics including reflection, refraction, and diffraction.
Open Curriculum
Open Curriculum: Refraction
Students can study this article to help them understand the concept of refraction and index of refraction.
Exploratorium
Exploratorium: Science Snacks: Disappearing Glass Rods
In this activity, you will make a glass object disappear by eliminating the reflection from and the refraction by the glass object.
Optical Society
Optical Society of America: Optics for Kids: Make Money Appear Before Your Eyes
A simple experiment that clearly demonstrates how light bends when it passes through water. Accompanied by a good explanation of what's happening, and a link to an article on refraction.
American Museum of Natural History
American Museum of Natural History: Ology: See the Light
Reflection, refraction, and the colors that make up white light is explored through lab activities after reading a brief background about light energy.
Center of Science and Industry
Cosi Columbus: Bent Toward Science Refraction
Learn about refraction in this hands-on science experiment. Includes full list of materials, procedures, and scientific explanation of what happens when light moves from one material to another.
Better Lesson
Better Lesson: Properties of Waves
In this direct instruction lesson, students draw sketches in their science notebooks in order to make sense of wave properties. Resources include a slideshow presentation on the properties of waves and multiple examples of student work.
CK-12 Foundation
Ck 12: Fourth Grade Science
This customizable digital textbook covers topics related to fourth-grade science. It is Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) aligned.
Florida State University
Florida State University: Science, Optics & You: Willebrord Snell
Biography of Willebrord Snell (1580-1626), a Dutch mathematician known best for his work in refractive indices.
Utah State Office of Education
Utah Science: Properties and Behaviors of Heat, Light and Sound
How can scientists lump heat, light and sound together when investigating properties and behaviors? This learning module will address that question through a series of activities.
Optical Society
Optical Society of America: Optics for Kids: Bending Light
An experiment using a water lens that demonstrates how the eye sees an image. Accompanied by an explanation of what's happening, and a link to an article on refraction.
Optical Society
Optical Society of America: Optics for Kids: Lose a Glass in a Glass
This is an activity that should only be done outdoors or in a well-ventilated area, with adult supervision, as it involves paint thinner. It demonstrates the concept of the index of refraction for different materials, in this case that...
Other
60 Second Science: Little Drops of Water Experiment
Explore the properties of water and observe how drops of water can act as a magnifying lens.
Georgia Department of Education
Ga Virtual Learning: Geometric Optics
This interactive unit will help students to understand the basics of geometric optics. Learn what happens when light strikes the boundary between two media as well as the difference between a real and virtual image? Also explore the law...
My Science Site
Optics: Energy and Control [Pdf]
A very comprehensive unit including topics such as light and its source, visible sources of light, transparency of objects and much more. Also offers a resource list, blackline masters, and expectation list, expectation summary and a...
Center of Science and Industry
Cosi Columbus: Two Lenses in One
Investigate the behavior of a water filled vial, and discover why it acts like a magnifier. Includes full list of materials, procedures, and scientific explanation of what causes light rays to change direction.
Cosmo Learning
Cosmo Learning: Applied Science and Technology 210: Electrical Engineering
A collection of video lectures from a course that explores the application of electrical engineering topics. Webpage includes twenty-eight lectures from a professor at the University of California, Berkeley. Lectures vary in length and...
Florida State University
Florida State University: Science, Optics & You: E Tienne Louis Malus
Biography of Etienne-Louis Malus (1775-1812), a famous French mathematician and physicist, best known for his work in double refraction and in polarization.
Kidport
Kidport: Light
Did you know that light is a form of energy and always travels in a straight line? Discover some more interesting facts about light.
Optical Society
Optical Society of America: Optics for Kids: Total Internal Reflection
An investigation into the total internal reflection of light, using a laser pointer. Accompanied by an explanation of what's happening, a discussion of Snell's Law, and links to additional information.
Exploratorium
Exploratorium: Science Snacks: Convection Currents
Get a visual of convention currents with this activity. This activity allows students to observe the currents by bending light due to cold and warm water.
Optical Society
Optical Society of America: Optics for Kids: Interference in a Ripple Tank
An investigation, using a ripple tank, into how waves behave when they collide with each other. With an explanation of what is observed, and a link to an article on refraction.