Activity
Exploratorium

Bridge Light

For Teachers 8th - 12th
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...
Activity
American Museum of Natural History

See the Light

For Students 6th - 12th
It's time to see the light! Scholars perform three different experiments with light to reveal properties using a great remote learning resource. The pupils see how light reflects from a surface and refracts through different materials....
Activity
101 Questions

Speed of Light

For Students 6th - 8th Standards
How quickly does light travel long distances? A short video simulates light going from the earth to the moon at two different paces. Scholars relate the distance to the rate to understand which simulation is correct.
Activity
American Museum of Natural History

Light Quest

For Students 6th - 12th
Grab a partner and shed some light on light. A remote learning resource has scholars play a board game to answer trivia questions about light. They also read about how Einstein contributed to the understanding of light as both a wave and...
Activity
Las Cumbres Observatory

Plotting a Supernova Light curve

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Supernovas burn for a short time but can give scientists extensive information about the universe. Learners analyze given data about the change in the light magnitude of a supernova. They look for patterns in the data and use them to...
Activity
It's About Time

Reflected Light

For Teachers 7th - 12th Standards
The lesson allows young scientists to use lasers and mirrors to study reflected light. A reading passage and homework question assess learning, while additional material introduces extension activities. 
Activity
Museum of Science

Three Colors of Light

For Teachers K - 6th
It only takes three colors. Using three-colored glow sticks, pupils observe what happens when colors of light mix together. Learners use the material from a red, green, and blue glow stick to mix together. By mixing small amount of the...
Activity
NASA

Taking Apart the Light

For Students 9th - 12th
Break down light into spectra. Scholars learn how atoms emit and absorb photons and come to understand how this process allows scientists to identify different atoms based on either absorption lines or emission lines. Learners then...
Activity
It's About Time

Refraction of Light

For Teachers 7th - 12th Standards
Don't shine like a diamond, refract light like a diamond. Young scientists use an acrylic block and a laser light to observe refraction. Advanced scholars figure the sine of the angles of reflection and incidence as well as mastering...
Activity
Las Cumbres Observatory

Plotting an Asteroid Light Curve

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
Data can tell us a lot about celestial objects that are just too far away to study otherwise. Learners examine data on the brightness of an asteroid to predict its rotation rate. Graphing the data reveals a periodic pattern that allows...
Lesson Plan
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Baylor College

Measuring and Protecting Skin

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Several subjects are addressed within the context of a science lesson about the sun's ultraviolet rays. Elementary earth scientists consider protection of the skin with sunscreens (health), estimating and measuring surface area or an...
Activity
G. Turrell

Science Activity 1: Light & Sound

For Teachers 3rd - 4th
Are you looking for lab sheets to go with your class experiment on plant response to light? You are no longer in the dark! This is a lesson that was written for a unit on light, but could easily be used to demonstrate plant behaviors in...
Activity
G. Turrell

Science Activity 2: Light & Sound

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Little learners experiment with sunlight and map out how light travels. Using a mirror and slotted card, they find out about items that can reflect or absorb the light. They experiment with a variety of materials to find out how light...
Lesson Plan
Serendip

UV, Mutations, and DNA Repair

For Teachers 9th - 12th
How effective are cells at repairing UV damage? An inquiry-based lesson has learners experiment with organism by exposing them to various levels of UV light and then examining their DNA after a period of time. Pupils test different...
Lesson Plan
Trash For Teaching

The Light-House Project

For Teachers 11th - 12th
Groups work together to design a lighthouse, from designing and drawing the wiring diagram, to creating prototypes of the switch and circuit, to envisioning and building a scale model along with a blueprint. By including different...
Activity
Teach Engineering

Light vs. Heat Bulbs

For Teachers 6th - 8th Standards
Careful, that light bulb is hot! Compare heat and light energy using a simple light bulb. The exercise addresses energy conservation and presents actual calculations to determine the most cost-effective light bulb.
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Teach Engineering

Light Intensity Lab

For Students 9th - 12th Standards
Let there be light. The last installment of a seven-part series has pupils conduct an experiment on light attenuation through different numbers of transparency sheets. They then relate the results back to how X-rays measure bone density.
Activity
Curated OER

Reflection and Refraction

For Students 9th - 12th Standards
Life is only a reflection of what we allow ourselves to see. The lesson includes three experiments on light reflection, light refraction, projection, lenses, and optical systems. Each experiment builds off the ones before and...
Activity
International Technology Education Association

Singin' the Black and Blues

For Students 5th - 9th
How does the color of the sky change from blue to reds and oranges to black? An illuminating lesson explains how light travels through different mediums using the sun's light as an example. By examining diagrams and illustrations, pupils...
Activity
Curated OER

Light Saver

For Teachers K - 6th
Turn off the lights! That's right it's time to start thinking about conservation and saving electricity. Here is a very quick and very simple Earth Day craft that kids can do in a wink. They'll make light-bulb-shaped door hangers that...
Activity
Exploratorium

Diffraction

For Teachers 6th - 8th
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....
Activity
Exploratorium

Afterimage

For Teachers 4th - 8th
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...
Activity
Exploratorium

Inverse Square Law

For Teachers 9th - 12th
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...
Activity
Exploratorium

Pinhole Magnifier

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Using a pinhole in an index card, learners of light find that it can be used as a magnifier. 

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