Curated OER
How We See Things
Students explain that when a beam of light is reflected from its surface, it changes direction. In this virtual science experiment lesson plan, students complete an activity that requires them to investigate how flat mirrors reflect...
Curated OER
Elementary Exploration: Seeing the Light
Students use critical thinking skills to learn about light, sound, and matter. Students follow the procedure steps to complete a light, sound, and matter experiment.
Curated OER
How We See Things
Students explain that mirrors reflect light. They examine how when a beam of light is reflected from a surface, its direction changes.
Florida State University
Florida State University: Light and Color: Reflection of Light
An in-depth discussion on reflection of light can be found here. Among the topics discussed include are the difference between specular and diffuse reflection, concave and convex mirrors, facets, total internal reflection, and much more....
PBS
Pbs Learning Media: Laser Waterfall
In this video from the Encyclopedia of Physics Demonstrations, students will observe how a laser beam is trapped in a water jet because the light reflects against the surface of the water. [1:03]
Smithsonian Institution
Smithsonian Learning Lab: Turn About's Fair Play! Mirrors and How They Reflect
Teachers can download this teaching package that looks at light and symmetry through the use of mirrors. Students will enjoy the nine mirror challenges, along with the hands-on activities described in the lessons. Teachers will...
Georgia Department of Education
Ga Virtual Learning: Geometric Optics
This interactive unit will help students to understand the basics of geometric optics. Learn what happens when light strikes the boundary between two media as well as the difference between a real and virtual image? Also explore the law...
Physics Classroom
The Physics Classroom: Lesson 3: Concave Mirrors
Lesson 3 of this tutorial on refraction is on concave mirrors. Content that is covered includes the anatomy of curved mirrors, reflection of light and image formation, ray diagrams, image characteristics for concave mirrors, plus more.
Physics Classroom
The Physics Classroom: Reflection and the Ray Model of Light
A four-lesson tutorial on the reflection and the ray model of light. These complete tutorials include informational text, interactive activities, animations, and quick, interactive comprehension questions.
CK-12 Foundation
Ck 12: Light as a Ray and the Law of Reflection
[Free Registration/Login may be required to access all resource tools.] Students explain the ray model of light, describe the law of reflection, and investigate how images are formed from flat mirrors.
CK-12 Foundation
Ck 12: Total Internal Reflection
[Free Registration/Login may be required to access all resource tools.] Students learn about total internal reflection. More specifically, they will learn what the critical angle is, how it is derived and how to solve for it in real life...
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.
Exploratorium
Exploratorium: Up Periscope!
Children can look around corners with this homemade periscope. Great instructions at this Exploratorium site on how to build a periscope.
Georgia State University
Georgia State University: Hyper Physics: Behavior of Incident Light
This site from Georgia State University is an indexing page for several other pages on the topic of reflection. Topics are treated in an understandable manner and utilize meaningful graphics.
Texas Instruments
Texas Instruments: Reflectivity of Light
In this activity, students can use a Light Sensor to measure reflection values from paper of various colors and compare these values to reflection values of aluminum foil. They will also calculate percent reflectivity.
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College
Serc: The Reflection of Light
In this science lab, students work with a partner and complete four investigation activities that experiment with reflection using plane mirrors.
Open Curriculum
Open Curriculum: Light and Matter: Images by Reflection
An illustrated article helps students understand the concept of reflection of images and the differences in reflection with different optical devices.
Other
Easyphysics: Chapter 10 Light Waves
Learners investigate light waves. Some topics examined are reflection of light, illuminance, and refraction of light. The resource includes example problems with solutions and a chapter quiz.
Other
Propagation of Light Using Geometry
A discussion of Christian Huygens' contribution to wave optics, and particularly to our understanding of the reflection and refraction of light. Excellent diagrams and a geometric proof on why the law of reflection is mathematically...
Scholastic
Scholastic: Study Jams! Science: Light Absorption, Reflection, & Refraction
A video and a short quiz on the properties of light.
Other
Reflection of Light
Educational site provides activities to compliment a unit on the reflection of light. Offers challenge activities that are designed to motivate and stimulate interest in the classroom.
Exploratorium
Exploratorium: Soap Bubbles: Create Geometric Art With Soap Films
In this lesson plan students will learn about reflection of light using soap bubbles.
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.