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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Light and Elements

For Teachers 9th - Higher Ed
Here is a full-fledged investigation of light waves, the electromagnetic spectrum, and element spectra. Physicists research a scientist that contributed to our understanding of the behavior of light. They take notes on your lecture, and...
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Lab Resource
Colorado State University

What's the Difference Between Blue Light and Red Light?

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Finally, an electromagnetic spectrum lab that will get glowing reviews from your class! Explore the nature of light using red and blue LED sources and fantastic phosphorescent paper. Young scientists compare the effects of blue light...
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Lesson Plan
California Institute of Technology

Physics of Light

For Students 9th - 12th
Gummy bears are tasty, but did you know they are also used to determine color and light properties? Use the activity as a way to demonstrate light absorption, light reflection, and refraction with high schooler. Pupils conduct small...
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Lesson Plan
American Institute of Physics

The Black Scientific Renaissance of the 1970s-90s: African American Scientists at Bell Laboratories

For Teachers 9th - Higher Ed Standards
A two-part instructional activity asks young scientists to research the contributions of African American scientists at Bell Laboratories. After presenting their findings, class members watch two demonstrations that introduce them to...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Grow an Alum Crystal

For Teachers 9th - 12th
What an exciting lab experiment to conduct with your high school chemistry class! Crystals are formed naturally in the environment. However, allow your blossoming chemists to create their own unique crystals using alum and water. You may...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Using the Spectrophotometer to Analyze a Mixture

For Teachers 9th - 12th
General chemistry classes practice spectroscopy. They grasp the relationships between wavelength, absorbance, and solution concentration. Additionally, they gain valuable practice using laboratory equipment such as burets and pipettes....
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Lesson Plan
Cornell University

LEDs Rainbow Connection

For Students 6th - 12th
View LED lights through the eyes of a scientist. Young scholars learn to view light as a wave frequency and connect various frequencies to different colors on the light spectrum. A lab activity asks groups to measure the frequency of...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Electromagnetic and Physical Waves

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students compare and contrast electromagnetic and physical waves. In this wave lesson plan, students discover that all waves reflect, refract, and diffract energy. Students work in small groups to experiment with waves and evaluate the...
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Lab Resource
Colorado State University

Can You See Beyond the Rainbow?

For Teachers 6th - 12th
There's more to light than ROYGBIV! An enlightening laboratory investigation has learners explore the world of infrared light. When they use goggles that take away visible light, they experience how things look with only infrared light.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Electromagnetic Radiation

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students explore the nature of electromagnetic spectrum through a series of experiments. For this physics lesson, students determine how light behaves under certain circumstances. They explain how humans perceive colors.
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Lab Resource
Colorado State University

Why Does it Get Colder on a Clear Night than a Cloudy Night?

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Clouds are nature's insulator! A lab investigation asks learners to use an infrared thermometer to measure differences in infrared temperatures. They find that pointing the thermometer at a cloud has a much different result than pointing...
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PPT
Curated OER

What Wavelength Was That?

For Teachers 7th - 12th
A combination of informative text, photos, and graphics comprise this sharp show on electromagnetic radiation. Some slides mention hands-on activities for demonstrating concepts, so if you want to include them you will need to figure out...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Super Gelatin

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students measure angles of refraction as the light travels through gelatin.  In this experimental lesson students complete a refraction lab and plot their data.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

What's the Frequency, Roy G. Biv?

For Teachers 6th - 9th
Students examine the concept of frequency and wavelength. They analyze how frequency and wavelength relate to each other by conducting an experiment involving measuring and timing wavelengths by pulling adding machine tape through an...
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Lab Resource
Colorado State University

How Can I Turn a Solar Oven into a Refrigerator?

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Whether you want to heat things up in science class or cool things down a bit, an intriguing lab's got you covered! Science scholars explore the principles of thermodynamics using a solar oven, then change the conditions to turn their...
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Unit Plan
Curated OER

Physical Optics: The Wave Nature of Light

For Teachers 11th - 12th
Students are introduced to the wave nature of light. In groups, they discuss Young's experiment and how diffraction and interference demonstrate the wave nature of light. Using examples, they show constructive and destructive...
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Unit Plan
Curated OER

Geometrical Optics: Reflection and Refraction of Light

For Teachers 11th - 12th
Students define and discus the concepts of wave fronts and rays. In groups, they distinguish between specular and diffuse reflections and use Snell's Law to predict the path of light rays. They calculate the speed of light through...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Transmitter Hunt

For Teachers 5th - 7th
Students experiment with radio transmitters. In this transmission of waves instructional activity, students use an FM radio, an attenuate, and the frequency to locate a radio transmitter. Students discuss outcomes. 
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Mixtures

For Teachers 6th
Sixth graders experiment with mixtures. In this chemistry lesson, 6th graders determine which mixtures are considered heterogeneous, a suspension, a solution or a colloid. Students create a data sheet of what they discover.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Snell's Law (And Then Some)

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students conduct an experiment to test Snell's Law using a block of lucite and a ray box. They measure the light rays as they impinge upon the block. Students are also asked to draw the situation of the lab or create a model of the...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Lenses

For Teachers 2nd - 5th
Learners explore vision by experimenting with lenses in equipment. In this optics instructional activity, students define the different technology that enhances vision such as microscopes, telescopes and cameras. Learners experiment with...
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Unit Plan
Curated OER

Quantum Mechanics and Atomic Physics

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students will discuss the de Brogile Hypothesis and state the circumstances under which the wave nature of matter is observed. They will also calculate the wavelengths of matter waves.
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Lesson Plan
Cornell University

Optical Simulation of a Transmission Electron Microscope

For Students 11th - 12th
Don't have an electron microscope? Have your classes build the next best thing! A hands-on instructional activity asks scholars to build a model of Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM). They then use their models to identify the...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Magnetic Discovery Bottle

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students examine how to conduct simple investigations and use simple equipment to gather data.  In this magnet lesson students decide what types of objects are attracted to magnets.