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Light Painting
Source Institutions
Light painting is a creative activity that involves creating striking images and illusions using a camera, a light source, and a little practice.
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Paper Whites
Source Institutions
Learners observe different paper samples under ordinary room light and under a black light to learn some of the chemical differences between different types of paper.
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Your Father's Nose
Source Institutions
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.
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Magic Lanterns
Source Institutions
A magic lantern is a light that projects an image onto a screen.
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Build an Overhead Projector Spectroscope
Source Institutions
This activity guide includes instructions for building a spectroscope using a standard classroom overhead projector.
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Morphing Butterfly
Source Institutions
In this activity, learners explore how nanosized structures can create brilliant color.
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Exploring Structures: Butterfly
Source Institutions
In this activity, learners investigate how some butterfly wings get their color.
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Musical Gloves
Source Institutions
Put on a pair of gloves and be the conductor of your invisible orchestra!
![](/sites/default/files/styles/square_100/public/resource_images/smile-000-000-000-653.png?itok=69YhohO-)
Kinetic Sculpture: Program the Pico Cricket to Make Your Art Light Up or Spin
Source Institutions
Use a Pico Cricket (micro-controller) to animate your art! You can program a Pico Cricket to make your art spin, light up, or make music.
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LEGO Orrery
Source Institutions
Use this model to demonstrate the goal of NASA's Kepler Mission: to find extrasolar planets through the transit method.
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Exploring Materials: Graphene
Source Institutions
In this activity, learners investigate the properties of graphene and graphite.
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Marble Mazes
Source Institutions
In this activity, learners create a marble maze that contains sensors. As a metal marble triggers the sensors, the Pico Cricket turns on lights or spins motors.
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Pico Cricket (Tiny Computer) Activity Ideas
Source Institutions
This is a web page that helps informal educators brainstorm on how to use a Pico Cricket (tiny computer) in an informal activity.
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Wintergreen
Source Institutions
In this outdoor, winter activity, learners find living green plants under the snow and determine the light and temperature conditions around the plants.
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As Light as Air
Source Institutions
Learners measure a bottle full of air, and then use a vacuum pump to remove the air. When they re-weigh the bottle, learners find the mass is about 0.8g less.
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Falling Feather
Source Institutions
In this physics activity, learners recreate Galileo's famous experiment, in which he dropped a heavy weight and a light weight from the top of the Leaning Tower of Pisa to show that both weights fall
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Social Fireflies: Pico "Firefly" Communication
Source Institutions
Make two firefly lanterns, then program them to blink to one another and change colors.
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Arduino Blink Challenge
Source Institutions
In this activity, learners explore computer programming and the impact of computers on society. Learners build and test a program to turn a light on and off using an Arduino board.
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Clap Sensor: Build a Sound Sensor Using a Pico Cricket
Source Institutions
This activity requires a Pico Cricket (tiny computer). Learners work on designing and building a sound sensor out of household materials, like plastic wrap and cardboard.
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Exploring Materials: Nano Gold
Source Institutions
In this activity, learners discover that nanoparticles of gold can appear red, orange or even blue. They learn that a material can act differently when it’s nanometer-sized.