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See the Light
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In this three-part activity, learners conduct simple experiments to see how light refracts and reflects, and how colors of light affect what we see.

Wandering Wands
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In this activity, learners construct wands that play different notes depending on information from light sensors programmed via a PICO Cricket.

Self-Portrait Silhouettes: Activity 1
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In this activity, learners make a photographic image--without a camera!

Stretch the Chain and See the Light
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In this activity, learners use their strength to light a light bulb. A chain made from paper clips is placed in series with a battery and flashlight bulb.

Laser Jello
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In this activity, learners use gelatin as a lens to investigate the properties of laser light.

First Impressions
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Learners experiment with a commercial photo-sensitive paper (Sunprint® or NaturePrint® paper). They place opaque and clear objects on the paper and expose it to bright light, observing the results.

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.

Observing Insects at Night
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In this activity, learners set up a night time insect observation station with a light and sheet.

It's all Done with Mirrors
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This fun and simple hands-on astronomy activity illustrates the path of light as it reflects off of mirrors and how this is used in telescopes.

Self-Portrait Silhouettes: Activity 2
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In this activity, learners make a photographic image—without a camera!

Convection Current
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In this activity, learners make their own heat waves in an aquarium.

Colored Shadows
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In this optics activity, learners discover that not all shadows are black. Learners explore human color perception by using colored lights to make additive color mixtures.

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.

Bone Stress
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In this optics activity, learners examine how polarized light can reveal stress patterns in clear plastic.

Nebula in a Jar
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In this activity, learners will build a model of a nebula using cotton balls and colored water. Astronomers photograph nebulas and add colors to provide information about the nebula's composition.

Super Gelatin
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Can gelatin (like Jell-O ®) change the speed of light?

Illuminations on Rates of Reactions
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In this activity, learners investigate the speed of chemical reactions with light sticks. Learners discover that reactions can be sped up or slowed down due to temperature changes.

Spectroscope
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In this activity, learners construct their own spectroscope as they explore and observe spectra from familiar light sources.

Plant Patterns
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In this outdoor mapping activity, learners explore where plants grow and map plant-distribution patterns.

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.