Air is clear, so why do we see the sky as blue? The video explains the way light waves travel through the air and the result of our perceptions. It uses simple diagrams and illustrations to reinforce the variety of colors present versus what we view.

Concepts

visible light, light spectrum

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Additional Tags

science

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Instructional Ideas

• Introduce the lesson by giving pupils a small simple coloring sheet — grass, sun, sky, etc. — then discuss their color choices
• Extend the lesson by teaching that ancient humans didn't see the color blue

Classroom Considerations

• Relies on some prior knowledge of the way light travels and the varying wavelengths of colors

• This video is hosted on YouTube

Pros

• Includes subtitles in 10 languages
• Extremely short length fits well as an attention grabber to begin your class 

Cons

• None

Common Core

RST.9-10.4 RST.11-12.4