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Soap Bubble Shapes
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Learners explore three-dimensional geometric frames including cubes and tetrahedrons, as they create bubble wands with pipe cleaners and drinking straws.
Rotating Light
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In this activity, learners explore what happens when polarized white light passes through a sugar solution.
The Ripple Tank
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In this optics activity, learners create a ripple tank from household materials to study waves. Learners build the tank and then explore by making various types of waves.
Let's Count Humpback Whales: Environmental Effects on Population
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In this activity, learners use whale count data from the Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary to compare whale counts in relation to environmental factors.
Coastal Erosion: Where's the Beach?
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Learners use beach profile data from a local beach or online data from Ocean City, Maryland to investigate coastal erosion and sediment transport.
Sea State: Forecast Conditions at Sea
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In this oceanography and data collection activity, learners cast real time sea state conditions using buoys from NOAA's National Data Buoy Center.
Diffraction
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In this optics activity, demonstrate diffraction using a candle or a small bright flashlight bulb and a slide made with two pencils.
Making Vocal Cords
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In this activity, learners imitate the way vocal cords work by building a model from a plastic cup, rubber band, and a straw.
Spill Spread
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In this simulation, learners explore how ocean currents spread all kinds of pollution—including oil spills, sewage, pesticides and factory waste—far beyond where the pollution originates.
Waves and Tides
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In this 7-10 day investigation, learners develop an understanding of waves and tides and their motion through discussion, demonstration, and hands-on activities.
Seas in Motion
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In this outdoor, beach activity, learners use tennis balls, water balloons and other simple devices to investigate the movement of waves and currents off a sandy beach.
What's the Buzz?
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In this activity, learners construct a playable kazoo from inexpensive materials. They will experience how vibration creates sound waves and music.
Diffraction Between Wax Blocks
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In this optics activity, learners explore diffraction by adding wax blocks to a ripple tank. The wedge-shaped blocks act as obstacles that the wave must bend around.
Make Money Appear Before Your Eyes
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In this optics activity, learners use water to make a coin "appear" and "disappear." Use this activity to demonstrate how light refracts and introduce light as waves.
Moiré Patterns
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In this activity about light and perception, learners create and observe moire patterns.
Polarized Light Mosaic
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In this activity, learners use transparent tape and polarizing material to create and project beautifully colored patterns reminiscent of abstract or geometric stained glass windows--no glass required
Interference in a Ripple Tank
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In this optics activity, learners explore interference by adding wax blocks to a ripple tank.
Light and Sound
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In this four-part activity, learners explore light and sound through a variety of hands-on investigations.
On the Fringe (formerly Bridge Light)
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In this activity, learners trap a thin layer of air between two pieces of Plexiglas to produce rainbow-colored interference patterns.
The Wave
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In this multi-step experiment (page 4 of pdf), learners study tide pools, and then drop a "wave" (a 4-pound bag of beans or birdseed) on a shell to mimic the force of crashing surf on tide pool animal