IN A DIFFERENT LIGHT is a cohesive unit of six lessons
for grades 6-12 that develops the understanding that
visible light is composed of a full range (spectrum)
of colors of light from red to violet, that extends
the concept of a spectrum to include non-visible light
(infrared and ultraviolet) through discovery, and that
develops tools and strategies for student inquiry.
Introduction
HTML version below or +
Download | PDF | 140KB | 19 Pages
|
Lesson
1 - Mix It Up
Mix It Up, is designed to help your students to understand that the color
we see is a particular color of light reflected from an object. This
activity will also introduce the concept that white light is a combination
of other colors.
- Teacher Resource +
Download | PDF | 328KB | 13 Pages
- Student Assignments +
Download | PDF | 68KB | 7 Page
|
Lesson
2 - Prisms and Rainbows
Our eyes and brain interpret the simple mixing of only 3 colors of light
(red, green, and blue) as white. The students were able to confirm this
in the last lesson. In this lesson students will develop the understanding
that “white” light from the Sun and “white” light
from an artificial light source is a full range of colors from red to
violet. Students will also learn how droplets of water function as prisms
to separate this full range of colors into rainbows.
- Teacher Resource +
Download | PDF | 372KB | 9 Pages
- Student Assignments +
Download | PDF | 1MB | 8 Pages
|
Lesson
3 - Exploring Spectra
Students will understand that elements emit light in a distinct spectrum
that can be used to identify the elements and that this information can
be used to identify the composition of complex light sources like stars.
Students will expand on their understanding of the visible light spectrum.
- Teacher Resource +
Download | PDF | 132KB | 9 Pages
- Student Assignments +
Download | PDF | 288KB | 9 Pages
|
Lesson
4 - Getting Hotter?
Students will discover the existence of non-visible light, infrared,
outside of the visible light spectrum. Students will learn how infrared
is used in science. Students will also develop experimental techniques
useful for further exploration of the light spectrum.
- Teacher Resource +
Download | PDF | 368KB | 7 Pages
- Student Assignments +
Download | PDF | 80KB | 5 Pages
|
Lesson
5 - Mystery Light
Students will develop research techniques useful for further exploration,
using models developed in previous lessons. Students will design their
own experiment to explore the conditions under which special beads change
color. Since these beads actually change in the presence of UV light,
this lesson will allow them to discover the existence of another non-visible
light, ultraviolet, outside of the visible light spectrum. Students will
also learn how ultraviolet light is used in science.
- Teacher Resource +
Download | PDF | 188KB | 9 Pages
- Student Assignments +
Download | PDF | 64KB | 2 Pages
|
Lesson
6 - Independent Investigation
Students will choose an inquiry into the nature of light, design a procedure
to investigate their question, revise the procedure based upon peer review,
collect data, and report their results and conclusions.
- Teacher Resource +
Download | PDF | 148KB | 5 Pages
- Student Assignments +
Download | PDF | 44KB | 1 Page
|
Appendix
+
Download | PDF | 360KB | 22 Pages |
|
