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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.
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
Why is the Sky Blue?
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In this activity, learners create a "mini sky" in a glass of water in a dark room.
Pringles Pinhole Camera
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An ordinary camera has a lens that makes an image on film. In a pinhole camera, a small hole replaces the lens.
Light Maze
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In this activity, learners will explore light with reflective surfaces. Learners will make predictions and share their observations as they experiment with directing a beam of light.
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.
Pixel Tube
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In this STEAM activity, learners create a "pixel tube" to explore reflections of light and color mixing.
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.
Up Periscope!
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This activity provides instructions for building a mirrored tube--a smaller and simpler version of a submarine's periscope--that lets you see around corners and over walls.
Bubble Suspension
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In this activity, learners observe as soap bubbles float on a cushion of carbon dioxide gas. Learners blow bubbles into an aquarium filled with a slab of dry ice.
Self-Portrait Silhouettes: Activity 2
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In this activity, learners make a photographic image—without a camera!
Corner Reflector
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In this optics/mathematics activity, learners use two hinged mirrors to create a kaleidoscope that shows multiple images of an object.
Bring it into Focus
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In this activity (page 2 of PDF), learners play with a lens and a piece of paper to focus an image on the paper. Learners look at different things, and see how the lenses affect the image.
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.
Turbidity
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This is an activity about turbidity, or the amount of sediment suspended in water.
Changing Colors
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In this activity, learners will explore how different colors of lights interact with objects around them. Will a blue object stay blue with a red filter?
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.
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.
Pictures From Light
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Did you know that using a lens one can bend light to make pictures of the world? It's true!
Bubbularium: See the Colors in Bubbles
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With little more than a flashlight, a straw, and a plastic lid, make an observatory so you can see the amazing colors in bubbles.