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In this activity, learners create a simple “top” from a CD, marble and bottle cap, and use it as a spinning platform for a variety of illusion-generating patterns.

In this activity, a lightbulb is placed in front of a concave mirror. The actual lightbulb is not visible to the viewer, but the viewer can see the mirror image of the lightbulb formed in space.

In this optics activity, learners explore how many objects they can see in a set of mirrors (hinged like a book) at various angles.

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

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

In this activity related to nanotechnology, learners observe some of the effects that result from creating a thin layer of material several nanometers thick.

In this activity, learners create a cylindrical mirror to see themselves as others see them.

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.

In this optics activity, learners experiment with polarizers (small dark rectangles) to examine light intensity.

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

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.

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

In this activity, learners build inexpensive kaleidoscopes using transparency paper and foil (instead of mirrors).

By making models of light waves with paper, learners can understand why different colors appear in bubbles.

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

This activity (on page 2 of the PDF under SciGirls Activity: Forensics) is a full inquiry investigation into how hairs from a crime scene are matched to suspects.

In this optics/mathematics activity, learners use two hinged mirrors to create a kaleidoscope that shows multiple images of an object.

In this food science activity, learners conduct an experiment that demonstrates the importance of light to plants.

In this demonstration/experiment, learners discover that different colors and materials (metals, fabrics, paints) radiate different amounts of energy and therefore, cool at different rates.

In this laboratory activity, learners design an experiment to evaluate how environmental factors influence the growth of molds.