Curated OER
Science Trivia
This science trivia activity gives the students 66 science trivia questions and answers. Students are to cut out the questions an fold them in half. The question is on one side and the answer is on the other side. This could be fun...
Read Works
Read Works: The Whys of Weather the Colors of the Rainbow
[Free Registration/Login Required] A Native American legend explaining the origin of rainbows. A question sheet is available to help students build skills in reading comprehension.
PBS
Pbs Kids Afterschool Adventure!: Operation: Rainbow Math Activity Plan
Red apples, orange candles, yellow stars, green frogs, and blue, indigo, and violet flowers-they all add up to Rainbow Math fun! During this adventure children learn the colors of the rainbow as they practice counting, adding and...
Starfall
Starfall: Rainbow, Rainbow
This interactive nonfiction ebook focuses on the colors in the rainbow. Children can choose to read independently or listen to each sentence read to them.
Science Struck
Science Struck: Colors of the Rainbow in Order
Learn the seven colors of the rainbow in order and what each of them symbolizes. Includes a helpful mnemonic.
NASA
Nasa: Sci Jinks: What Causes a Rainbow?
Find out whatever you wanted to know about rainbows and how they form. Check out the section on folklore regarding rainbows too.
BioEd Online
Bio Ed Online: Rainbow in the Room
Students investigate the properties of visible light and the sequence of colors in the spectrum using light shone through water and prisms. The lesson and accompanying slideshow can both be downloaded.
University Corporation for Atmospheric Research
Ucar: About Rainbows
This site from the University Corporation of Atmospheric Research provides an illustrated article about the phenomenon of rainbows.
Optical Society
Optical Society of America: Optics for Kids: What Causes Rainbows?
An experiment to demonstrate how to make a rainbow and why they form.
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College
Serc: Rainbow Milk
This activity is designed for students to learn that primary colors mixed together make secondary colors. They will also experiment with how fat and soap molecules repel each other in water.
Writing Fix
Writing Fix: Writing Rainbows
Students begin this lesson by reading several books about colors such as Cat's Colors by Jane Cabrera, My Many Colored Days by Dr. Suess, Hailstones and Halibut Bones by Mary O'Neil, and A Color of His Own by Leo Lionni. After discussing...
HotChalk
Hot Chalk: Lesson Plans Page: Planting a Rainbow
A simple lesson plan on rainbows. Objectives are to learn the colors of a rainbow, to reinforce shapes and colors, and to become aware of how flowers are planted and how they bloom.
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: Quantum Dots and Colors
Students are introduced to the physical concept of the colors of rainbows as light energy in the form of waves with distinct wavelengths, but in a different manner than traditional kaleidoscopes. Looking at different quantum dot...
Better Lesson
Better Lesson: Over the Rainbow
Students review and conclude our color unit. Students graph their favorite colors.
Center of Science and Industry
Cosi Columbus: Coffee Filter Rainbows
Science experiment that demonstrates chromotography. Includes full list of materials, procedures, and scientific explanation of what happens with different colors when they are soaked with water.
Science and Mathematics Initiative for Learning Enhancement (SMILE)
Smile: Mixing Primary Colors
Primary elementary lesson plan about primary colors. One rainbow activity and one blending activity.
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: Graphing the Rainbow
Students are introduced to different ways of displaying visual spectra, including colored "barcode" spectra, like those produced by a diffraction grating, and line plots displaying intensity versus color, or wavelength. Students learn...
Utah Education Network
Uen: I'll Build You a Rainbow
In these three activities, students explore the colors of the spectrum in white light.
Other
Tooter4kids: Light and Color
You'll find a wealth of resources at this site dedicated to color! Easy-to-read discussions can be found on topics ranging from the science of light to complementary colors and the color wheel. All special terms are highlighted and...
Math Science Nucleus
Math/science Nucleus: Light Magic
This animation discusses light and the properties of light in a storybook format. The animations cover the colors of the rainbow (ROYGBIV) along with prisms, light waves, reflection, and refraction.
South Carolina Educational Television
Know It All Media: Light and Color
Why do we see certain colors? This interactive animation demonstrates the concept of the visible spectrum, and how we see the different colors of the rainbow.
Optical Society
Optical Society of America: Optics for Kids: Release the Rainbow
A simple activity to demonstrate how light separates into colors when it passes through water acting as a prism.
University of Illinois
University of Illinois Urbana Champaign: Light and Optics
Rainbows and sunsets are called "atmospheric optics". They can be caused by light being absorbed, reflected, scattered, refracted, or diffracted by particles in the atmosphere. Learn all about different atmospheric optics along with...
Science Buddies
Science Buddies: Leaves and Light
Leaves use sunlight to make food for the plant. Sunlight contains all of the colors of the rainbow, but are all of those colors used by the leaf? Can you find out if some colors of light are more important than others?