Curated OER
P & P "Portraits and Perspective" Digital Photography for Kids
Students use digital photography as a lesson on portraits and perspective. For this photography lesson, students explore their school grounds and take pictures using their cameras. Students' goal is to create architectural and...
Curated OER
Moon Phases
Middle schoolers engage in a study looking for the differences found during the cycle of one lunar month. They conduct research using a variety of resources. Then the information is used to construct a lunar calendar to observe daily...
Curated OER
Make a Sound Viewer
Students see, and thus better understand, the vibrations that sound makes through this simple project.
Curated OER
Mineral Madness Crossword
In this earth science worksheet, students find the missing vocabulary words related to the minerals of the earth found in the crust layers.
Curated OER
What Shape Is It?
Students predict the shape of an unknown object by bouncing a ball on it. For this physics lesson, students relate this activity to how dolphins use echo-location to navigate. They analyze their lab result and discuss findings.
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....
Florida State University
Florida State University: Molecular Expressions Microscopy Primer: Light and Color Refraction of Light
Comprehensive and sophisticated overview of light refraction includes an historical overview of the subject and explanations of the mathematics that underpin refractive indexes, the relative index of refraction, Snell's law, and light...
Optical Society
Optical Society of America: Exploring the Science of Light: Easy Activities
A collection of simple experiments for exploring the basic properties of light and color.
Utah Education Network
Uen: Enlightening Explorations, Part Ii
This lesson engages students in learning about light. Studets will describe how light is produced, reflected, refracted, and separated.
University of Colorado
University of Colorado: Ph Et Interactive Simulations: Bending Light
Explore bending of light between two media with different indices of refraction. See how changing from air to water to glass changes the bending angle. Play with prisms of different shapes and make rainbows.
Exploratorium
Exploratorium: Critical Angle
Students can see light reflected and refracted in this demonstration. They will also discover the total internal reflection of light.
Scholastic
Scholastic: Study Jams! Science: Light Absorption, Reflection, & Refraction
A video and a short quiz on the properties of light.
Other
Gcse.com: Physics: Reflection
Informational site provides illustrated tutorial of light reflection. Also discusses the law of reflection.
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College
Serc: Light & Sound, Light Reflection Relay
In this exploration, students will investigate how light reflects off smooth surfaces, learn about angles of reflection, and apply that knowledge in a relay experiment.
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...
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.
Physics Classroom
The Physics Classroom: The Law of Reflection
The law of reflection is discussed and explained, accompanied by an animation depicting this law. Includes a list of links to detailed information about certain types of reflections.
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College
Serc: Mn Step: Reflection Race: Exploring Reflection of Light
An interesting and engaging activity where students work in groups with a laser pointer and small mirrors. They must use their knowledge of angles of reflection to bounce the laser beam from mirror to mirror until it hits a target at the...
My Science Site
Reflection Experiments [Pdf]
Looking for some hands-on activities to use with your students to teach reflection? This resource offers a couple of experiments on the angle of reflection and light absorption. This resource is in PDF form; requires Adobe Reader.
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...
University of Colorado
University of Colorado: Ph Et Interactive Simulations: Bending Light
Manipulate variables and measure angles as light is refracted in this interactive simulation.
Optical Society
Optical Society of America: Optics for Kids: Mirror, Mirror on the Wall
A simple experiment that clearly demonstrates angles of reflection when light hits a mirror. Accompanied by a good explanation of what's happening, and a link to an article on reflection.
Physics Classroom
The Physics Classroom: Reflection and Ray Model of Light: The Law of Reflection
Through an illustrated tutorial and some interactive practice problems, students learn about the law of reflection of light.
Physics Classroom
The Physics Classroom: Refraction and Ray Model of Light: The Critical Angle
Illustrated examples and interactive practice problems that introduce students to the concept of the critical angle, the angle of incidence that provides an angle of refraction of 90-degrees.