Light Spectrum Teacher Resources

Host Phil Plait explains how telescopes work and offers up some astronomical shopping advice. In this episode, we learn how telescopes do two things: collect light, and increase our ability to resolve details. Learn the difference...

Investigate the Big Bang Theory of the origin of the universe by researching the light spectrum and the actions of light waves. Create models that illustrate red shift in a moving star and the expansion of the universe.

What is light? A detailed examination of what creates light, light spectrums, scientists' discoveries, and colored graphics. Appropriate for the older student or adult researcher.

Visible light waves are the only electromagnetic waves we can see. We see these waves as the colors of the rainbow. Each color has a different wavelength. Red has the longest wavelength and violet has the shortest wavelength. When all...

A discussion of the Advanced Light Source (ALS) facility and its use in material analysis and medicine.

This site from Georgia State University discusses the location of visible light on the electromagnetic spectrum. Includes the wavelength values for various colors of light within the visible light spectrum.

An introduction to the concept of the visible light spectrum provided in an animated format.

Students are introduced to the electromagnetic spectrum through this group research activity. Each group investigates a different wavelength range within the em spectrum and reports back to class. Discussion ideas also included.

This resource presents a discussion of the nature and properties of ultraviolet light. The manner in which minerals emit UV light is described and explained.

In this very detailed lesson plan from NASA, students investigate wavelength and frequency within the electromagnetic spectrum.

This site from the University Corporation of Atmospheric Research provides an illustrated article about the phenomenon of rainbows.

A simple experiment through which students observe the connection between color and heat and prove that dark-colored objects and light-colored objects heat at different rates, even when exposed to the same heat or light source.

A thorough, multipage discussion of color and color television sets that explains how an image is formed on the television using red, green, and blue light. Understandable discussion, excellent graphics, and many interactive Java applets.

This video episode of Crash Course Physics focuses on what we can learn from light. Light is everywhere but it's not as predictable as you might think. It's a wave that travels in straight lines, yet it also reflects off of surfaces,...

This high school resource shows how the blue of the skies and the red of the sunsets can be explained by the interaction of sunlight with atmospheric particles which causes scattering of light.

Students will focus on the interaction of sunlight with atmospheric particles to produce blue skies and red sunsets.

[Free Registration/Login Required] This flipchart introduces fifth grade students to the electromagnetic spectrum and focuses on the visible light spectrum, but all types of energy waves in the electromagnetic spectrum are touched on. It...

Read about the visible light spectrum and learn the frequencies and wavelengths for each of the primary and secondary colors.

This lesson discusses the light spectrum and its influence on living things. It is 2 of 3 in the series titled "Radiation and Energy."

This lesson discusses the light spectrum and its influence on living things. It is 1 of 3 in the series titled "Radiation and Energy."

Investigate how astronomers detect movements of stars by studying the Doppler effect on the star's light spectrum. Construct a model that illustrates this concept underlying red shift.

Site explores colors and how they are formed. Provides three different activities to explore color.

This website has three different projects from which to choose on the topic of why the sky is blue. Also, you can scroll up to learn more about why the sky is blue.

Informational site allows users to discover what makes a rainbow. Discover how they form and learn some interesting facts about them along the way.