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The Old White Sheet Trick: Light and Insect Behavior
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In this outdoor, nighttime activity, learners gather around a brightly lit, white surface and study the behavior of nocturnal animals attracted to the light, particularly night fliers.

Make a Green Gumball Black
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In this optics activity, learners use a shoebox, colored cellophane and sunlight to "change" the colors of gumballs. Learners will be surprised when the green and blue gumballs appear black!

Mix-N-Match Light
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This is an online exhibit about color perception. Learners set a random background color and then try to mix red, blue, and green light to match.

Color Vision
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In this online activity, learners make a whole rainbow by mixing red, green, and blue light. They can change the wavelength of a monochromatic beam or they can filter white light.

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.

See the Light
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Learners mix a solution of luminol with hydrogen peroxide to produce a reaction that gives off blue light.

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

Release the Rainbow
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In this activity, learners create a water prism to break light into the seven colors of the rainbow.

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.

Kaleidoscope
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In this activity, learners investigate the reflective properties of light and mirrors as they make a kaleidoscope.

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.

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.
Mix and Match
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In this optics activity, learners explore color by examining color dots through colored water and the light of a flashlight.

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.

Pixel Tube
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In this STEAM activity, learners create a "pixel tube" to explore reflections of light and color mixing.

Light is Made of Colors
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Learners observe different light sources, outdoors and indoors, using prism glasses (diffraction glasses) and color filters.

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

Rainbow Refraction
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In this activity, learners will explore how light can refract or break apart into different colors.

Morphing Butterfly
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In this activity, learners explore how nanosized structures can create brilliant color.

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.