Is light related to insulation? An informative hands-on STEM activity demonstrates how light affects temperature. First, the class investigates how light passes through different mediums and how that relates to temperature. Then,...

Filters provide amusing changes to images in applications other than just Instagram! High school pupils apply their knowledge of colored filters to three different interactive sets of puzzles. They identify light colors that pass through...

Objects contain pigments that selectively absorb a wavelength of light, and our eyes only observe a very small range of these wavelengths. Scholars apply these two facts to three different activities. They identify the pigment in an...

Looking for a sun-sational multi-lesson plan full of videos, simulations, and discussion? Introduce your young scientists to all things solar with a four-part hands-on adventure. Pupils learn the basics of solar anatomy, space weather,...

Your class might be surprised to learn that mirrors have been around since the first century AD! Young scientists explore reflection and refraction of light through a series of challenges. They use this knowledge to design their own...

Quantum physics relies on Heisenberg's Uncertainty Principle, yet many don't fully understand it. A brief video installment from a larger playlist explores the principle with a laser light and a slit for it to pass through. It describes...

Nature inspiring technology isn't new, but butterflies inspiring new nanotechnology excites everyone. As part of a larger playlist, an engaging video explains how we see color and the relationship with both magnetic and electric fields....

Many types of cancer treatments now depend on nanotechnology—a big "little" discovery. Scholars begin by removing "malignant" tissue from simulated brains, one using fluorescent markers thanks to nanotechnology and one without. This...

What do Saturn's rings, electromagnetism, and the first color photograph all have in common? James Clerk Maxwell discovered them all! Learn about one of the founders of modern physics with a video biography of his academic discoveries...

Young scientists observe the spectra of elements and compare that to the Doppler effect. Hook scholars from the beginning all the way to the extension activities in this 5E-format lesson plan. 

Gummy bears are tasty, but did you know they are also used to determine color and light properties? Use the activity as a way to demonstrate light absorption, light reflection, and refraction with high schooler. Pupils conduct small...

Stop wasting energy searching for physics resources, this comprehensive collection of worksheets has you covered. Starting with introductions to the scientific method, dimensional analysis, and graphing data, these skills practice...

Photocopy single-color images onto acetate transparencies and either demonstrate or have your class experience the combination of colors to produce images. Children will learn that cyan, magenta, yellow, and black combine to make all of...

Using a pinhole in an index card, learners of light find that it can be used as a magnifier. 

An illuminating activity demonstrates how interference of light waves creates a pattern. Using Plexiglas™ and construction paper, participants see rainbows appear as they twist or press against the plastic plates. After the activity, you...

The inverse square law is revealed when your class participates in this activity. They move a graph paper or perfboard square back and forth in a square of light to see how the intensity changes. You will definitely want to add this...

Kindle knowledge of how light travels by using this activity in your physical science curriculum. By setting up a candle flame or flashlight bulb and viewing it through a slit, observers of light see evidence of its wave characteristic....

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...

The mind-bending concept of space-time is further discussed by two cartoon scientists in this second of three animated films. Assign each part and the accompanying Think questions as homework or as an enrichment when working on motion...

To illuminate how afterimage occurs, create a star, square, or other geometric-shaped light for learners to look at for 30 seconds. Then, have them explain what they see as they shift their focus to a blank wall. A full explanation of...

The conversion of sound into light is a fascinating phenomenon that is a side effect of pistol and mantis shrimp stunning their prey. It is known as sonoluminescence, and it is thoroughly delineated in this fascinating little video. Add...

Let there be light in your classroom with a video that explains that light travels in waves, the electromagnetic spectrum contains seven colors, and the color of an object depends on which light waves it reflects and absorbs. With...

Ahoy, matey! Here is an engineering expedition that mini mariners are sure to be swept away by! After reading a brief description and history of periscopes, they work in crews to construct one. Use this activity to enhance a lesson plan...