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Unit Plan
BBC

Bbc: Gcse Bitesize: Why Do Scientists Think That Light and Sound Are Waves?

For Students 9th - 10th
Light travels as transverse waves and can travel through a vacuum. Sound travels as longitudinal waves and needs to travel through a solid, liquid or gas. Read about the properties of light and of sound, and learn the differences between...
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Activity
Optical Society

Optical Society of America: Exploring the Science of Light: Classroom Activities

For Students 9th - 10th
Experiments and activities for investigating the science of light, as well as in-depth explanations of some of the light principles.
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Interactive
Other

Open School Bc: Sound and Light

For Students Pre-K - 1st
The Sound and Light interactive investigates these two forms of energy. Students will enjoy exploring how sound and light are created, travel, and can be controlled.
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Website
Ducksters

Ducksters: Physics for Kids: Behavior of Light as a Wave

For Students 1st - 9th
Kids learn about the behavior of light as a wave in the science of physics including reflection, refraction, and diffraction.
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Handout
Georgia State University

Georgia State University: Hyper Physics: Reflection and Refraction

For Students 9th - 10th
Reflection and refraction are explained with an experiment that uses a sheet of paper, cardboard, and other common materials.
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Unknown Type
Khan Academy

Khan Academy: An Experiment With Light Rays and a Prism

For Students 9th - 10th
This passage will test your knowledge on reflection and Refraction - Passage 2.
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Activity
Bill Nye

Bill Nye: Bending Light

For Students Pre-K - 1st
Try this at-home science experiment to learn about bending light.
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Unit Plan
University of New South Wales (Australia)

University of New South Wales: School of Physics: Physclips: Geometrical Optics

For Students 9th - 10th
Physiclips thoroughly presents geometrical optics concepts like rays, refraction, Snell's law, total internal reflection, dispersion, mirrors, and lenses with animations and film clips.
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Handout
University of Maryland

Optics Highlights: The Telescope

For Students 9th - 10th
Part of an anecdotal history of optics and the study of light. Extremely thorough treatment of the invention of the telescope. Includes a short biographical sketch and discusses the work of Isaac Newton which focuses on his contribution...
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Activity
Exploratorium

Exploratorium: Science Snacks: Disappearing Glass Rods

For Students 9th - 10th
In this activity, you will make a glass object disappear by eliminating the reflection from and the refraction by the glass object.
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Activity
Center of Science and Industry

Cosi Columbus: Two Lenses in One

For Teachers 3rd - 8th
Investigate the behavior of a water filled vial, and discover why it acts like a magnifier. Includes full list of materials, procedures, and scientific explanation of what causes light rays to change direction.
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Article
Mocomi & Anibrain Digital Technologies

Mocomi: What Is Scattering of Light?

For Students 2nd - 8th
Do you know why the sky is blue? Article defines scattering and how it works. Explains the difference between the scattering of light and reflection or refraction.
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Website
Kidport

Kidport: Light

For Students 3rd - 6th
Did you know that light is a form of energy and always travels in a straight line? Discover some more interesting facts about light.
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Unit Plan
Synopsys

Synopsys: Optics for Kids: What Is Light?

For Students 3rd - 5th
An explanation of what light is and some of its properties.
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Handout
Optical Society

Optical Society of America: Optics for Kids: Guiding Light Optical Fiber

For Students 3rd - 8th
This experiment demonstrates the concept of total internal reflection, using basic materials. Accompanied by a detailed explanation of what's happening, and links to articles on reflection and refraction.
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Interactive
Physics Classroom

The Physics Classroom: Reflection and Mirrors: Optics Bench Interactive

For Students 9th - 10th
Find out about the physics behind those fun-house mirrors. Students manipulate a virtual optics bench to explore the images formed by mirrors and lenses.
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Lesson Plan
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College

Serc: Helping Students Discover Total Internal Reflection

For Teachers 9th - 10th
After students have learned the basic relationship of Snell's Law, they practice applying it to a situation. Then they are given another situation where it doesn't work, which turns out to be one in which total internal reflection occurs.
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Interactive
Walter Fendt

Walter Fendt: Reflection and Refraction of Light

For Students 9th - 10th
Defines the refraction of light and provides an applet for investigating it.
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Lesson Plan
Science and Mathematics Initiative for Learning Enhancement (SMILE)

Smile: Light (K 4)

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
This site provides two activities that students can do in class. One uses mirrors to reflect light beams whole another is making a kaleidescope.
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Whiteboard
ClassFlow

Class Flow: Introduction to Light

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
[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...
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Activity
My Science Site

My Science Site: The Light for Sight [Pdf]

For Teachers 9th - 10th
This resource offers a hands-on activity for science teachers to teach about the eye and it's ability to see images. Also discusses refraction and reflection. This resource is in PDF form; requires Adobe Reader.
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Article
Other

Lighthouses: Lighting the Lights

For Students 9th - 10th
A description of the early lights used in lighthouses and how these lights evolved into what they are today. Explains the contributions of Fresnel to the development of these lights; discusses the Fresnel orders.
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Handout
Georgia State University

Georgia State University: Hyper Physics: Methods of Polarization

For Students 9th - 10th
At this college physics department site, the polarization of light is explained and illustrated as well as the primary methods of polarization (scattering, reflection, and refraction).
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Activity
Discovery Education

Discovery Education: 3 M Young Scientist Lab: Gelatin Optic Fibers

For Students 3rd - 8th
Strips of gelatin dessert and a laser pointer demonstrate total internal reflection.

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