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Showing results 101 to 120 of 143
Bring it into Focus
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In this activity (page 2 of PDF), learners play with a lens and a piece of paper to focus an image on the paper. Learners look at different things, and see how the lenses affect the image.
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
CD Spectrometer
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In this activity, learners use a compact disc to make a spectrometer, an instrument used to measure properties of light.
Pringles Pinhole Camera
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An ordinary camera has a lens that makes an image on film. In a pinhole camera, a small hole replaces the lens.
Seeing Your Blind Spot
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This activity (aka "snack") provides instructions for discovering your blind spot. It is an exploration of light and visual perception using simple materials you may have around the house.
Shadow Puppets
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In this activity, learners explore color, light and shadow by creating their own puppets to hold in front of a light source.
Interference in a Ripple Tank
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In this optics activity, learners explore interference by adding wax blocks to a ripple tank.
Terrestrial Hi-Lo Hunt
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In this outdoor activity, learners search for the warmest and coolest, windiest and calmest, wettest and driest, and brightest and darkest spots in an area.
Sensory Hi-Lo Hunt
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In this outdoor activity, learners use only their senses to to find the extremes of several environmental variables or physical factors: wind, temperature, light, slope and moisture.
Rainbow Film
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In this activity, learners use clear nail polish to create a beautiful iridescent pattern on black paper. Learners discover that a thin film creates iridescent, rainbow colors.
Stroboscope
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In this activity (posted on March 20, 2011), learners follow the steps to construct a stroboscope, a device that exploits the persistence of vision to make moving objects appear slow or stationary.
Underwater Hide and Seek
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In this activity, learners experience firsthand how marine animals' adaptive coloration camouflages them from prey.
Light and Sound
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In this four-part activity, learners explore light and sound through a variety of hands-on investigations.
Your Father's Nose
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In this fun optics activity, learners explore principles of light, reflection (mirrors), and perception. Learners work in pairs and sit on opposite sides of a "two-way" mirror.
Pinhole Magnifier
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In this activity related to light and perception, learners use a pinhole in an index card as a magnifying glass to help their eye focus on a nearby object.
Inverse Square Law
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In this math activity related to light, learners explore why a light, such as a candle or a streetlight, looks dimmer the farther away from it we get.
Rainbow Refraction
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In this activity, learners will explore how light can refract or break apart into different colors.
Photosynthetic Pictures Are Worth More Than a Thousand Words
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This activity provides an opportunity for learners to observe and examine how carbon dioxide, water, and light produce glucose/starch through a process called photosynthesis.
Why is the Sky Blue?
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In this activity, learners create a "mini sky" in a glass of water in a dark room.
Polarized Sunglasses
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In this activity, learners explore how polarizing sunglasses can help diminish road glare.