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Rotating Light
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In this activity, learners explore what happens when polarized white light passes through a sugar solution.
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Spherical Reflections
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In this art meets science activity, learners pack silver, ball-shaped ornaments in a single layer in a box to create an array of spherical reflectors.
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Exploring Tools: Special Microscopes
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In this activity, learners use a flexible magnet as a model for a scanning probe microscope (SPM). They learn that SPMs are an example of a special tool that scientists use to work on the nanoscale.
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Laser Lissajous: PVC Version
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In this activity, learners use a laser pointer and two small rotating mirrors to create a variety of fascinating patterns, which can be easily and dramatically projected on a wall or screen.
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How Plants Grow
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In this biology activity (page 3 of the PDF), learners will explore how plants turn sunlight into food through a process called photosynthesis.
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Water Illusions: Refraction & Magnification
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Learners demonstrate how water can distort, refract and magnify light.
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Soap-Film Painting
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Make a big canvas of iridescent color with pvc pipe! In this Exploratorium Science Snack, you'll need to cut and assemble some PVC pipe, but the pay-off, the soap-bubble canvas, is big.
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Magic Wand
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In this activity about light and perception, learners create pictures in thin air.
Leaves: Extracting Pigments
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In this fun, hands-on autumn activity, learners experiment to discover whether the colored substances in leaves can be separated from the leaves.
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Hot Spot
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In this activity, learners explore the invisible infrared radiation from an electric heater.
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Far-Out Corners
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Are there boxes, is this an illusion, or is this real life Q-bert? Illusions are always fun to build especially when you can build them.
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Look Into Infinity
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Learners use two mirrors to explore how images of images of images can repeat forever.
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Exploring Shadows
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This activity guide features three related explorations to help learners ages 3-6 investigate shadows via the following science concepts: A shadow is made when an object blocks the light; you can chan
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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.
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Stereoscope
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In this activity, learners construct a device that allows them to view 2-D images in 3-D.
Light on Other Planets
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In this math-based activity, learners model the intensity of light at various distances from a light source, and understand how astronomers measure the amount of sunlight that hits our planet and othe
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Altered Reality
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In this activity, learners discover that the human brain is highly adaptable. Learners try to toss beanbags at a target while wearing prism goggles.
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Forensic Science: Hair Sample Investigation
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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.
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Glow Up
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In this activity, learners explore chemiluminescence and fluorescence. Learners examine 3 different solutions in regular light, in the dark with added bleach solution, and under a black light.
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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.