In this activity, learners discover that it's difficult to distinguish between two different shades of gray when they aren't separated by a boundary. Learners will be surprised when two slightly different shades of the same color look different if there is a sharp boundary between them. But if the boundary is obscured, the two shades appear indistinguishable. Use this activity to help learners explore how the eye-brain system condenses information through a process called lateral inhibition.

How do greenhouse gases affect the climate? Explore the atmosphere during the ice age and today. What happens when you add clouds? Change the greenhouse gas concentration and see how the temperature changes. Then compare to the effect of glass panes. Zoom in and see how light interacts with molecules. Do all atmospheric gases contribute to the greenhouse effect?

Build your own miniature "greenhouse" out of a plastic container and plastic wrap, and fill it with different things such as dirt and sand to observe the effect this has on temperature. Monitor the temperature using temperature probes and digitally plot the data on the graphs provided in the activity.

Explore how the Earth's atmosphere affects the energy balance between incoming and outgoing radiation. Using an interactive model, adjust realistic parameters such as how many clouds are present or how much carbon dioxide is in the air, and watch how these factors affect the global temperature.

Make your own miniature greenhouse and measure the light levels at different "times of day"--modeled by changing the angle of a lamp on the greenhouse--using a light sensor. Next, investigate the temperature in your greenhouse with and without a cover. Learn how a greenhouse works and how you can regulate the temperature in your model greenhouse.

This article features science lesson plans to teach elementary students about the sun's energy, the relationship between light and heat, albedo, and the absorption of different surfaces. National standards and literacy integrations are provided for each lesson.

This Physics resource was developed under the guidance and support of experienced high school teachers and subject matter experts. It is presented here in multiple formats: PDF, online, and low-cost print. Beginning with an introduction to physics and scientific processes and followed by chapters focused on motion, mechanics, thermodynamics, waves, and light, this book incorporates a variety of tools to engage and inspire students. Hands-on labs, worked examples, and highlights of how physics is applicable everywhere in the natural world are embedded throughout the book, and each chapter incorporates a variety of assessment types such as practice problems, performance tasks, and traditional multiple choice items. Additional instructor resources are included as well, including direct instruction presentations and a solutions manual.

This first-grade unit on light starts with students exploring how many shapes they can see on different pieces of paper at various locations around their classroom when the lights are turned off. They are surprised to find that some of the shapes are not visible in these conditions. This leads students to start wondering about other phenomena related to seeing in the dark, which in turn leads to new questions and design problems related to how they can make their room completely dark.

Students learn more about how light sensors work, reinforcing their similarities to the human sense of sight. They look at the light sensing process incoming light converted to electrical signals sent to the brain through the human eye anatomy as well as human-made electrical light sensors. A mini-activity, which uses LEGO MINDSTORMS(TM) NXT intelligent bricks and light sensors gives students a chance to investigate how light sensors function in preparation for the associated activity involving the light sensors and taskbots. A PowerPoint® presentation explains stimulus-to-response pathways, sensor fundamentals, and details about the LEGO light sensor, including its two modes of gathering data and what its numerical value readings mean. Students take pre/post quizzes and watch a short online video. This lesson and its associated activity enable students to gain a deeper understanding of how robots can take sensor input and use it to make decisions via programming.

In this video segment adapted from Shedding Light on Science, observe demonstrations of the fundamental idea that light travels in straight lines.

This activity is a kindergarten field and classroom investigation where students make observations, collect data and share conclusions that shows they understand that the sun is a source of light.

In this lesson students will use UV beads to observe and draw energy. Students will describe how light can be produced, reflected, refracted, and separated into visible light of various colors.

Students will learn the difference between an insulator and a conductor and why conductors help to close electricalcircuits. This is important content to better understand how energy and particularly electrical energy works.

Light and the electromagnetic radiation spectrum. Wave and particle-like behavior, and how to calculate the wavelength or frequency of a light wave. Created by Sal Khan.

This animation from KET's distance learning physics course demonstrates the mathematical formula for a scientific law as it applies to light.

This is a short unit (including hands on activities) to expand our study of how light travels and how it behaves when it hits an object.

This activity is lab oriented where students will observe that light travels in a straight line and is reflected, redirected, absorbed, or passes through objects.

In this activity, students learn how to prevent exposure to the Sun's harmful ultraviolet rays. Students will systematically test various sunscreens to determine the relationship between spf (sun protection factor) value and sun exposure. At the end of the activity, students are asked to consider how this investigation could be used to help them design a new sunscreen.

In this activity, learners use gelatin as a lens to investigate the properties of laser light. Learners can view total internal reflection of a beam of light and investigate angles of reflection and refraction. Using different colors of gelatin demonstrates its color filtering properties. Use this activity to help learners explore light reflection and refraction, wavelengths, color, and lenses.

Students learn and use the properties of light to solve the following challenge: "A mummified troll was discovered this summer at our school and it has generated lots of interest worldwide. The principal asked us, the technology classes, to design a security system that alerts the police if someone tries to pilfer our prized possession. How can we construct a system that allows visitors to view our artifact during the day, but invisibly protects it at night in a cost-effective way?"