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Light Bulb Challenge
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In this activity, learners explore the difference between compact fluorescent light (CFL) bulbs and traditional incandescent bulbs.

Bronx Cheer Bulb
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In this activity, learners observe what happens when they give a light source like a neon glow lamp a "Bronx Cheer." The lights appear to wiggle back and forth and flicker when learners blow air throu

Beam Me Up!
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This is a quick activity (on page 2 of the PDF under Stained Glass Activity) about the "Tyndall effect," the scattering of visible light when it hits very small dispersed particles.

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

Polarized Sunglasses
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In this activity, learners explore how polarizing sunglasses can help diminish road glare.

Liquid Crystals Interact with Light!
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In this two-part activity, learners explore the properties of liquid crystals, which are responsible for why mood rings change color.

Finding the Size of the Sun and Moon
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In this activity, learners build a simple pinhole viewer. They use this apparatus to project images from a variety of light sources, including a candle, the Sun, and the Moon.

Personal Pinhole Theater
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Have you ever heard of a camera without a lens? In this activity, learners create a pinhole camera out of simple materials. They'll see the world in a whole new way: upside down and backwards!

Critical Angle
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In this optics activity, learners examine how a transparent material such as glass or water can actually reflect light better than any mirror.

Paint by the Numbers
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In this pencil and paper activity, learners work in pairs and simulate how astronomical spacecraft and computers create images of objects in space.

Iridescent Art
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This is a quick activity (on page 2 of the PDF under Butterfly Wings Activity) that illustrates how nanoscale structures, so small they're practically invisible, can produce visible/colorful effects.

Structure of Matter: Pigment vs. Iridescence
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This is an activity (located on page 3 of the PDF under Butterfly Wings Activity) about how visible light is affected by tiny nanoscale structures, producing iridescence on butterfly wings, soap bubbl

Opti-Top
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In this activity, learners will create an optical illusion top. Learners will explore color mixing, physics and design through this activity.

Exploring Materials: Thin Films
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In this activity, learners create a colorful bookmark using a super thin layer of nail polish on water. Learners discover that a thin film creates iridescent, rainbow colors.

Periscope
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In this activity, learners construct a device that allows them to look over ledges or around corners.

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.

Space Origami: Make Your Own Starshade
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In this activity, learners cut out and fold their own collapsible origami starshade, an invention that shields a telescope's camera lens from the light of a distant star so that NASA scientists can ex

Can Energy be Created or Destroyed?
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In this activity, learners explore conservation of energy by experimenting with a solar cell light device.

Safe in the Sun
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In this activity on page 13 of the PDF, use a special plastic card that has been painted with a chemical that changes color when it is in UV light.

Where Do We Choose to Live and Why?
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In this geography investigation, learners use a nighttime satellite image to observe areas of light across the United States and to identify patterns and spatial distributions of human settlements.