Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College
Serc: Investigating Light: A Form of Energy You Can See
Students will investigate how light is a form of energy that travels as waves away from the source. The basis for this lesson is taken from the Houghton Mifflin science curriculum. In the lesson experiments, students will predict if...
![Discovery Education: Science of Everyday Life: Light and Shadow [Pdf] Lesson Plan](https://static.lp.lexp.cloud/images/attachment_defaults/resource/large/FPO-knovation.png "Discovery Education: Science of Everyday Life: Light and Shadow [Pdf] Lesson Plan")
Discovery Education
Discovery Education: Science of Everyday Life: Light and Shadow [Pdf]
In this lesson plan, students experience how light interacts with the environment by investigating relationships between shadows and light. Students will experiment with light by observing how light travels through materials and distances.
Science is Fun
Science Is Fun: Floating Soap Bubbles
In this experiment you learn how to generate carbon dioxide inside a container, and float soap bubbles above the gas. Once the bubbles are suspended, it is possible to observe them closely, which is normally very difficult to do....
ClassFlow
Class Flow: Introduction to Light
[Free Registration/Login Required] This flipchart introduces fifth graders to the science of light. Principles such as transparent, translucent, opaque, reflection, and refraction are covered. Concave and convex mirrors and lenses are...
Science and Mathematics Initiative for Learning Enhancement (SMILE)
Smile: Light (K 4)
This site provides two activities that learners can do in class. One uses mirrors to reflect light beams whole another is making a kaleidescope.
CK-12 Foundation
Ck 12: Physical Science: Wave Interactions
[Free Registration/Login may be required to access all resource tools.] Ways that waves can interact with matter and examples.
Georgia State University
Georgia State University: Hyper Physics: Polarization by Absorption
The operation of Polaroid filters on a pair of sunglasses is shown.
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: Beating the Motion Sensor
Lighting is responsible for nearly one-third of the electricity use in buildings. One of the best ways to conserve energy is to make sure the lights are turned off when no one is in a room. This process can be automated using motion...
Exploratorium
Exploratorium: Bubbularium
What colors do you see in a bubble? Why do you see colors in a bubble? Use this site to find out the answer to these questions with this easy experiment.
Oklahoma Mesonet
Oklahoma Climatological Survey: Overview of Radiation
This site details what radiation is, the physics of radiation, and radiative transfer as it occurs in nature. Content explores the electromagnetic spectrum, electromagnetic waves, properties of radiation, and solar radiation.
University of St. Andrews (UK)
University of St. Andrews: Augustin Fresnel
A short biographical sketch on the life and work of Augustin Fresnel (1788-1827). Comments on a few of his scientific accomplishments.
ClassFlow
Class Flow: Introduction Lesson on Light
[Free Registration/Login Required] This flipchart is an introduction lesson on light. It explains absorption, transmission, and reflection. It contains real pictures that allow students to see how matter in an object determines how much...
Walter Fendt
Walter Fendt: Apps Zur Physik
This site, in German, offers numerous apps that illustrate common physics principles. Apps are organized into categories: mechanics, oscillations and waves, electrodynamics, optics, thermodynamics, the theory of relativity, physics of...
Exploratorium
Exploratorium: Science Snacks: Soap Film Interference Model
In this experiment, students construct models of larger red and smaller blue waves on index cards, and use them to investigate how light behaves when it is reflected off the front and the back of soap film.
Exploratorium
Exploratorium: Science Snacks: Soap Film Painting
Investigate the constructive and destructive interference of waves as they reflect off the front and back surfaces of soap film. See what colorful effects can be created on a large, vertical soap film surface where gravity comes into play.
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: Energy
Through nine lessons, students are introduced to a range of energy types--electrical, light, sound and thermal-as well as the renewable energy sources of wind, hydro (water) and solar power. Subjects range from understanding that the...
Boston University
Bu: Optics: Geometric Optics
Several short descriptions of demonstrations which illustrate principles of geometric optics (many of which focus upon refraction).
Synopsys
Synopsys: A Gentle Intro to Optical Design: Why Is the Sky Blue?
Discusses Rayleigh scattering in plain language and attributes the blueness of the skies to this phenomenon. Discussion of scattering is just one topic of many on this lengthy page of optical topics.
CK-12 Foundation
Ck 12: Plix: Wave Interactions: Law of Reflection
[Free Registration/Login Required] Move the light source to see what happens to the reflected ray as you change the angle of the incident ray.
Exploratorium
Exploratorium: Science Snacks: Water Sphere Lens
Demonstrate for students how a round bowl of water can act as both a magnifier and a lens.
CK-12 Foundation
Ck 12: Fourth Grade Science
This customizable digital textbook covers topics related to fourth-grade science. It is Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) aligned.
Other
Architectural Acoustics and Lighting: Room Acoustics
This site from Architectural Acoustics and Lighting provides a discussion of various factors affecting the acoustics of a given room. Room dimensions, the wavelength of the sound wave, the physical characteristics of the walls, the...
Wolfram Research
Wolfram Science World: Young, Thomas
This site from ScienceWorld provides a very short but factual biographical sketch of Thomas Young (1773-1829 CE) and describes his most notable scientific discoveries and contributions. Links are also provided throughout for additional...