Light and Color Background Sites

Light and Color Teaching Theme

Light and Color Lesson Plans

1. Bending Light- Ever reached down into the bath tub water to grab a toy and found that it was not in the position it appeared to be?
2. The Color of Light- Ask your students what color they think light is. A silly question?
3. Colors of the Sky- As a group, students will examine different pictures of the sky and make conjectures about how the sky's color is being produced in each picture.
4. Color My World- The students will experiment with colors and discover which colors are created when the primary colors are mixed together.
5. Color Mixing- Science needs to be integrated and hands-on right from the beginning of school. Students need to get used to handling the tools and materials of science as well as learn scientific method and how science is a part of almost everything.

1. Exploratorium Science Snacks About Light- Experiment with colors that contain white.
2. Exploring the Path of Light- Students will realize that light travels in a straight path and in all directions through prediction and exploration.
3. How Far Does Light Go?- "How Far Does Light Go?" is a debate project which engages students in an examination of the scientific properties of light by engaging them with relevant evidence from the Web.
4. Light and Color- This lesson explores the colors of light and pigments by illustrating the use of the visible light spectrum in our everyday life. Students will be able to identify the relationship between color and light.
5. Light By Friction
6. Light Unit: Grade 4- This unit on light could be developed by showing that light is a form of energy. Ways in which other types of energy can be converted into light, and the way in which light can be converted into heat energy, should be explained.
7. Looking into Lenses- Students learn about the differences between concave and convex lenses, along with practical uses for lenses.
8. Make Your Own Lightning!
9. Me and My Shadow Unit- Design and make shadow puppets from light card and popsticks.
10. Mixing Primary: Secondary colors- This is a visual teaching method and reinforcement of primary-secondary colors and color mixing.
11. Modeling Shadows- To demonstrate understanding of shadows by creating a physical model of concepts learned.
12. One Color or Two?- Predict what will happen when the strip is placed in the water.
13. Optical Images- Students beginning the study of optics will recite the law of reflection, but are unable to apply that concept to ray diagrams when viewing images. Using a laser students can aim at the image and conceptualize the law of reflection
14. Pennies, Pressure, Temperature, and Light- The major goal of this lesson is to collect data from a variety of experiments, and then determine what type of model best fits the data, and explain why.
15. Primary Colors: Additive and Subtractive- The purpose of this lesson is to introduce students to the additive and subtractive primary colors and to correct the misconception that red, yellow, and blue are the "primary colors."
16. Rainbows and Prisms- Students will have the opportunity to explore how rainbows form through an exploration of prisms.
17. Reflect or Absorb Light?- The students will be able to understand the concept of light absorption and light reflection.
18. Seeing the Sun in a New Light- About the observation of "coronal holes," by x-rays, also about related fast streams and moderate magnetic storms that recur at 27 day intervals.
19. Shadows- To investigate shadows, using literature-based discussion as well as experiences with manipulating shadows.
20. Using Bubbles to Learn about Light Interference- To understand the wave properties of light, especially the phenomenon of interference.
21. Visible Light- Students will explore characteristics of light and heat.
22. What Makes Shadows?- Students learn about shadows as they observe and draw the shadow of a classmate. In the extension activity, students observe and discuss shadows changing over time.