NASA
What's the Frequency, Roy G. Biv?
While all light travels at the same speed, each color in the visible light spectrum contains a different wavelength and frequency. Scholars determine the relationship between frequency and wavelength as they complete the activity. They...
Curated OER
Light and Optics
Third graders utilize the scientific method to explain light and optics in this five lessons unit. Through experimentation and discussion, 3rd graders canvass the concepts of light traveling, reflection and refraction.
Curated OER
Communication Delay
Construct a maze in your classroom and have a blindfolded scientist act as a space rover, maneuvering unfamiliar terrain while another scientist plays commander. Classmates record the number of occurrences of the commander having to...
K12 Reader
Waves and Currents
Waves, currents, crests, and troughs. Using information provided in an article about waves and currents, readers define terms used to describe how energy travels.
Curated OER
Light My Fire!
Students draw a diagram that shows the law of reflection. For this physics lesson, students investigate the relationship between the angle of incidence and angle of reflection. They explain how light travels as it reflects on a surface.
Curated OER
Capturing Light: The Science of Photography
Learners explore light, and how it travels in straight path, recognize that light-sensitive chemical processes can be used to create images using light as catalyst, discover that light can be refracted by convex lens to focus camera,...
Curated OER
The Light in the Forest by Conrad Richter
For this literature worksheet, students respond to 10 short answer and essay questions about Richter's A Light in the Forest. Students may also link to an online interactive quiz on the novel at the bottom of the page.
Curated OER
Light and Shadows
Young scholars participate in an online activity to determine how light travels from a source, and to explain that shadows form when light travelling from a source is blocked.
Curated OER
How Will We Get There?
Students discuss and make a T chart of how to travel in Hawaii and understand that it is a group of islands that you cannot drive to. In this Hawaii lesson plan, students also discuss the kinds of transportation we use on the main land.
It's About Time
Communication Through Space
If humans do find aliens, how would we communicate with them? An intriguing lesson walks through some of the challenges associated with this question. How long would a message take to reach a specific destination, what language...
Curated OER
Refraction B2—When is Light Reflected Internally?
Physics is phun in this lesson. Young physicists use a lightbox to test how and where light is refracted and reflected as it travels through transparent materials. Angles of incidence and refraction, sine of both angles, and the...
National Nanotechnology Infrastructure Network
Understanding Wave Motion - Slinky vs. Snaky: Which Spring is Dominant?
Ride the wave to an understanding of refraction! The first in a series of two inquiry-based lessons challenges learners to create transverse waves with two different types of springs. As their wave hits an object, they observe the change...
NASA
From Smoke Signals to Cell Phones: Tracing How Technologies Evolve
Explore the science of space exploration. Pupils consider technological advances in propulsion, communication, power, navigation, and imaging. They select one of these areas and create a timeline of historical progress that contributed...
Curated OER
Using Bubbles to Learn about Light Interference
Students explain the wave properties of light.
Curated OER
Got Light!
Sources of light, and the reflection of light off of objects, are the focus of this brief and simple science worksheet. Learners must trace the path that light takes which enables a boy to read a book. A suggested activity is to have the...
Exploratorium
Laser Jello
The concepts of refraction and reflection gel with your physical science class during this colorful exploration. Shining lasers through Petri-dish-shaped gelatin desserts, they will notice how the light travels and bounces off the sides....
Curated OER
Light and Shadows
Pupils explore shadows. In this shadow and light lesson, students predict what will happen to a shadow when the light source is dimmed. Pupils participate in a whiteboard interactive lesson.
Curated OER
Working With Scientific Notation
In this scientific notation worksheet, students read about the discovery of new planets. They use scientific notation to identify the number of miles from one planet to the next. Students determine how long it would take to travel, when...
Messenger Education
My Angle on Cooling—Effect of Distance and Inclination
When exploring Mars, spacecrafts are exposed to 5-11 times more sunlight than when near Earth. Groups of pupils complete a hands-on activity to explore how distance and angle of the sun affect temperature. Through discussions, they then...
Cornell University
Diffraction Demystified
Study diffraction patterns using CDs and DVDs! Scholars measure the diffraction patterns of a light wave as it hits a CD or DVD. Using the information, they can measure the distance between the tracks.
Curated OER
Light and Vision
In this light and vision worksheet, students will review the characteristics of light including how the eyes use light to see. This worksheet has 9 fill in the blank, 8 true or false, 9 multiple choice, and 1 short answer question.
Curated OER
Light and Shadow
Students compare and draw items with shading based on where a light source is in relation to the object.
Curated OER
The Fed Ex Problem
In this Fed Ex activity, students read a word problem about air travel and time to deliver packages and solve it. Students complete 1 problem.
NASA
Build a Relay Inspired by Space Communications
Learn how the professionals at NASA send information across space. Engineers use a microdevice, laser pointer, and mirrors as relays to model data transmission in space. Scholars program a microdevice to detect light received and test...