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...
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Frozen Film
Students discover how light reflects off surfaces. In this hands-on demonstration, students examine how variations in color are produced by light interference.
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Help Wanted: A Lighting Engineer For Popular Rock Group
Learners 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 listen to a...
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An Awareness of Light Made Simply Fun
Learners with sensory perception issues discover the properties of light through a series of excellent hands on activities. They look at beams of lights in a darkened room; use a kaleidoscope and optical illusions as they experience the...
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Physical Principles in Living Systems
Seventh graders experiment with white light, plane mirrors, and curved mirrors in order to demonstrate the physical principles of living systems. In this physical principles lesson plan, 7th graders take 3 days to discover what happens...
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Light the Bulb
Students explore electricity. In this power experiment instructional activity, students determine what is required for lighting a bulb. Students develop an understanding of open and closed circuits, and how energy is formed
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Applied Science - Physics Lab
Learners define reflection and refraction. In this Physics lesson, students compare a variety of items to find properties of reflection or refraction. Learners record their findings.
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Enlightening Explorations, Part II
Sixth graders review their results from the previous experiments. After viewing a kaleidoscope, they make their own pattern on paper and describe the role of light. To end the lesson, they examine light being relfected and refracted and...
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Exploring Microscopes
Students explore the parts of a microscope. In this microscope lesson, students examine simple and compound microscopes. Students discover how the parts of a microscope work together to generate an image.
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Extreme Flashlight Tag
Fifth graders view a Powerpoint show about reflecting light. They experiment through a reflection simulation on the internet. Students complete the activity by using mirrors and light to complete send light to a specified spot.
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The Bending and Bouncing of Light
Students differentiate reflection and refraction. In this physics instructional activity, students perform a series of experiment on light behavior. They decipher the secret message provided by teacher.
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Waves, Sound, and Light
Ninth graders explain waves in terms of energy transfer and describe their basic types and characteristics. They solve mathematical problems involving wavelength and frequency. Students conduct experiments in reflection and refraction.
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The Color Spectrum: How Does it Work?
Create models of the infrared, visible, and ultraviolet portions of the electromagnetic spectrum. Working in small groups, your class can investigate metric conversions calculations. They will find the length of the waves in nanometers,...
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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...
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Healthy Eyes and Low Vision Care
Students explain how eyes function, how to prevent eye problems, the types of refractive errors, and the common low vision and eye disease problems. They receive professional development points upon successful completion of an assessment.
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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.
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How to Make a Kaleidoscope
Sixth graders create a kaleidoscope. In this light refraction lesson plan, 6th graders create a kaleidoscope to investigate the properties of light.
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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...
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The Earth's Energy Budget
Students study the Earth's energy budget. In this investigative lesson students observe a lab that shows all aspects of heat transfer and light processes.
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What’s That, I Can’t Hear You?
Students investigate forms of energy as well as light and sound. In this science lesson, students participate in hands-on activities that require them to evaluate how sound affects astronauts in flight. A video of this lesson being...
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Special Senses
In this special senses worksheet, 9th graders briefly describe the structure of a taste bud and the pathway a signal takes to the brain. Then they list the five basic taste sensations and homeostatic values of taste. Students also...
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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...
Discovery Education
It's Getting Hot in Here
Class members engage in a STEM experiment and investigate how materials affect heating in a house by creating models of houses and using different top surface materials. They record the temperature inside the models and consider what the...
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Online Exploration: Telescopes From the Ground Up
Students explore a web-based illustrated text and interactive graphics to determine the relationship between the operation of telescopes and light. optics. They work in small groups to become an expert on one of the ten eras of telescope...