Curated OER
Changing Planet: Black Carbon - a Dusty Situation
Introduce your young meteorologists to black carbon produced by the burning of fossil fuels by showing the video, "Changing Planet: Black Carbon." Viewers discover that deposition of this carbon on polar ice impacts the absorption of...
Curated OER
Mixed Breed Fantasy Animals
Ever seen a crockapeep or a giraffule? How about a catmel? Elementary school artists are encouraged to let their imaginations roam and create images of imaginary creatures by combining parts of two or more animals,
Jefferson Lab
Optics: Mirrors and Lenses
Did you see that or did I imagine it? Optical illusions are often created with mirrors and lenses, and here is a presentation that covers many different types of mirrors and lenses and how they work. Flat, concave, and convex mirrors, as...
Curated OER
Gel-O-Colors!!
What distinguishes the differences between refraction and reflection? Learners identify the properties of light as they mix colored light to create new color variations. As they work they gather data about the properties of light and...
Curated OER
Making a Pinhole Camera #1
Students make a pinhole camera and see the effects of light travelling in straight lines have on images.
California Mathematics Project
Reflections
Reflections are the geometric mirror. Pupils explore this concept as they discover the properties of reflections. They focus on the coordinates of the reflections and look for patterns. This is the third lesson in a seven-part series.
American Chemical Society
Combustion and Burning
On Earth, a candle flame points up, but on the International Space Station, it forms a sphere. Young scientists practice their skills by recording observations before, during, and after a candle burns. Chemical and physical...
University of Colorado
Using Spectral Data to Explore Saturn and Titan
Saturn's rings are made of dust, ice, and solid chunks of material. Individuals use spectrographs in this final installment of 22 lessons to determine the atmospheric elements. They analyze spectrums from Titan's atmosphere and...
Code.org
Check Your Assumptions
Always check your assumptions when interpreting data and data visualizations. That's the take away from this exercise. Class members examine a failed project that looks at search trends to predict flu outbreaks and consider the...
Curated OER
Drawing with Thread
After a study of work by Wassily Kandinski, have your aspiring artists recreate "Drawing with Yarn." It was one of his works made in 1913 that demonstrates his abstract style. What a beautiful work of art to make with your class!
Georgia Aquarium
The Ocean's Nursery
Linear perspective, estuaries, and water ways converge in a science-inspired art project. The class uses what they've learned about eco-systems, estuaries, and the food chain to create scale models of a local marsh. While the lesson...
Curated OER
Using Vegetation, Precipitation, and Surface Temperature to Study Climate Zones
Using NASA's Live Access Server, earth scientists compare the temperature, precipitation, and normalized difference vegetation index for four different locations. They use the data to identify the climate zone of each location using...
National Gallery of Canada
Who Are You?
What can a self-portrait reveal about an artist? Discuss various self-portraits before tasking your pupils with creating their own. Learners research artists, develop an idea of their own individuality, and create photo collages with...
Curated OER
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...
Curated OER
Frozen Film
Students are introduced to the topic of light interference through this hands-on activity. They observe how light reflects off two surfaces and then meets to form an interesting variation of color on a film surface.
Curated OER
All Those Seeing Color, Say Eye!
Learners research and discuss the roles of the eye and brain in the perception of color. They watch a slideshow and complete a worksheet.
Curated OER
Invisible Rays
Students explore physical science by completing a lab assignment. For this sunlight lesson, students define a list of scientific vocabulary terms and complete fill in the blank questions. Students conduct a photographic experiment in...
Curated OER
Fiber Optics
Students explore the uses of optical fibers, are exposed to the principles of refraction and total internal reflection, solve problems relating to the design of fiber optic cables, and compare them to copper transmission lines.
Curated OER
As the Sun Burns
Pupils examine the types of light the sun gives the Earth. They describe the electro-magnetic spectrum and how to protect themselves from different types of light. They identify the layers of the atmosphere as well.
Curated OER
Looking Blue
Students participate in a research project that is exclusively using the internet. The author states that traditional labs are hard to conduct for a light lab. This one uses the internet with the intention that students can manipulate...
Curated OER
Remote Sensing
Ninth graders participate in a variety of activities designed to reinforce the concept of light and the electromagnetic spectrum. They research and analyze data from remotely sensed images. They present their findings in a PowerPoint...
Curated OER
Tread Lightly
Learners investigate the use of carbon fuels and how they effect the environment. They conduct research using a variety of resources. The information is used from the reading to calculate one's personal influence upon the environment.
Curated OER
We Must Not Be Enemies: Lincoln's First Inaugural Address
Students complete a unit of lessons on the historical context and significance of Lincoln's inaugural address. They analyze archival documents, campaign posters, historical photographs, and primary source documents, and listen to songs...
Curated OER
Values Practice Activity
How many values can one colored pencil create? This is the question your budding artists are going to find out. They choose three colored pencils, use the provided boxes to create a light-to-dark value strip, and then answer three...