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Unit Plan
University of Colorado

University of Colorado: Physics 2000: Temperature and Absolute Zero

For Students 9th - 10th
A thorough, multipage discussion of color and color television sets that explains how an image is formed on the television using red, green, and blue light. Understandable discussion, excellent graphics, and many interactive Java applets.
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Interactive
South Carolina Educational Television

Etv: Nasa Online: Light: Scattering Light

For Students 9th - 10th
An introduction to the concept of the visible light spectrum provided in an animated format.
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Interactive
CK-12 Foundation

Ck 12: Chemistry Simulation: Neon Lights

For Students 9th - 10th
[Free Registration/Login Required] Neon lights are a type of discharge tube. Observe how electrons create colored light in a hydrogen gas discharge tube. Can you figure out why hydrogen's emission spectrum contains more than one color of...
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eBook
Physics Classroom

The Physics Classroom: Light Waves and Color: Blue Skies and Red Sunsets

For Students 9th - 10th
Students will focus on the interaction of sunlight with atmospheric particles to produce blue skies and red sunsets.
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Unit Plan
Physics Classroom

The Physics Classroom: The Electromagnetic and Visible Spectra

For Students 9th - 10th
A tutorial on the electromagnetic and visible spectra. Discusses dispersion and how perceptions of white and black are related to the visible light spectrum.
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Activity
Physics Central

Physics Central: Physics in the Snow: Snowy Colors

For Students 6th - 8th
A simple experiment through which students observe the connection between color and heat and prove that dark-colored objects and light-colored objects heat at different rates, even when exposed to the same heat or light source.
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Activity
Exploratorium

Exploratorium: How to Build a Spectroscope

For Students 3rd - 5th
Instructions for how to construct a spectroscope from basic materials, which can be used to study colors produced by light from different sources. Adult supervision may be required for the use of the utility knife. Includes an...
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Lesson Plan
Utah Education Network

Uen: Enlightening Explorations, Part Iii

For Teachers 6th
This lesson contains the following labs: Rainbows, Refraction with Prisms, and What Color Is It? Students will study light by reading various nonfiction texts and viewing a video lesson. Then students will engage in the following labs:...
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Unit Plan
TED Talks

Ted: Ted Ed: Light Waves, Visible and Invisible

For Students 9th - 10th
Lucianne Walkowicz shows us the waves just beyond our perception: microwaves, radio waves, x-rays and more. [5:58]
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Graphic
Curated OER

Georgia State University: Color

For Students 9th - 10th
This site from Georgia State University discusses the location of visible light on the electromagnetic spectrum. Includes the wavelength values for various colors of light within the visible light spectrum.
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Handout
Science Struck

Science Struck: Wavelength of Visible Light Spectrum

For Students 9th - 10th
Explains where visible light fits into the electromagnetic spectrum and the wavelengths for the different colors we see.
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Activity
TeachEngineering

Teach Engineering: Waves Go Public!

For Teachers 9th - 10th
Students apply everything they have learned over the course of the associated lessons about waves, light properties, the electromagnetic spectrum, and the structure of the eye, by designing devices that can aid color blind people in...
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Website
NumberNut

Number Nut: Basic Topics: Shapes, Symbols, and Colors: Colors

For Students 3rd - 8th
A short explanation of how we see color and what each of the primary and secondary colors symbolize.
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Handout
Georgia State University

Georgia State University: Hyper Physics: Scattering Concepts

For Students 9th - 10th
A collection of several pages explaining the principles which underlie Rayleigh scattering of light.
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Activity
TeachEngineering

Teach Engineering: Designing a Spectroscopy Mission

For Teachers 10th - 12th
Students find and calculate the angle that light is transmitted through a holographic diffraction grating using trigonometry. After finding this angle, student teams design and build their own spectrographs, researching and designing a...
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Graphic
Curated OER

Georgia State University: Color

For Students 9th - 10th
This site from Georgia State University discusses the location of visible light on the electromagnetic spectrum. Includes the wavelength values for various colors of light within the visible light spectrum.
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Activity
Science Buddies

Science Buddies: Rainbow Fire

For Students 9th - 10th
Astronomers can determine the atomic composition of distant stars by measuring the spectrum of light emitted by the star. Sound cool? Well in this project you can do something similar by observing the color of flames when various...
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Interactive
University of Colorado

University of Colorado: Physics 2000: Spectral Lines

For Students 9th - 10th
Several pages from an excellent site which describe the science of spectroscopy. The unique atomic emission (and absorption) line spectrum of elements are illustrated and explained. Includes a Java applet depicting the quantum energy...
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Activity
Science Made Simple

Science Made Simple: Why Is the Sky Blue?

For Students 3rd - 8th
This website has three different projects from which to choose on the topic of why the sky is blue. Also, you can scroll up to learn more about why the sky is blue.
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Activity
Center of Science and Industry

Cosi Columbus: Coffee Filter Rainbows

For Students 3rd - 8th
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.
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Unknown Type
Khan Academy

Khan Academy: Understanding Spectra

For Students 9th - 10th
This is an 8-problem quiz/practice to increase students' understanding of spectra. Color is a property of light. Test your understanding of this concept and how light can be represented in with a spectral power distribution.
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Lesson Plan
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College

Serc: Mn Step: Why Is the Sky Blue?

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students will learn about refraction and the scattering of sunlight as it enters the atmosphere, which causes the colors in light to separate, giving us blue skies and colorful sunrises and sunsets.
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Activity
Optical Society

Optical Society of America: Optics for Kids: Release the Rainbow

For Students 3rd - 5th
A simple activity to demonstrate how light separates into colors when it passes through water acting as a prism.
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Handout
Optical Society

Optical Society of America: Optics for Kids: What Causes Rainbows?

For Students 3rd - 5th
An experiment to demonstrate how to make a rainbow and why they form.