Waves, Sound, and Optics Lesson Plans

  • Alternate Theory of Color Perception- To observe an alternative theory of color perception.
  • An Awareness Of Light Made Simply Fun- To remediate sensory-motor deficits in Learning Disabilities students through scientific activities that study light.
  • Color- This lesson is designed to introduce primary and secondary colors of light.
  • Color- To develop a relationship between colors in paint & colors in light. What colors make white light. What is Roy G. Biv..
  • Colors- Students will understand complementary colors and that colors we see are the result of some colors being removed from white light.
  1. Color Mixing- List the three primary colored light beams, and recognize that these are the colors used in colored TV.
  2. Comparison of Images Formed by Plane, Cylindrical and Spherical Mirrors- To demonstrate that all mirrors reverse the image front to back and that the apparent right to left reversal in a plane mirror is a result of this front to back reversal.
  3. Comparison of Images Formed by Plane, Cylindrical and Spherical Mirrors- To demonstrate that all mirrors reverse the image front to back, and that the apparent right to left reversal in a plane mirror is a result of this front to back reversal.
  4. Comparison of Images Formed By Plane and Curved Mirrors- To distinguish between horizontal and vertical axes and to recognize that ones eyes lie along a horizontal axis and ones forehead and chin lie along a vertical axis.
  5. Computer Interfacing: Frequency Measurement: The Doppler Effect- To use computer interfacing to measure velocity using the Doppler Shift with sound.
  6. From Vibration To Sound- To identify the parts of a sound wave.
  7. Guitar Waves- Prove that the wave pattern of a vibrating string is the superposition of harmonics.
  8. Hear The Light?- The students will illustrate and describe a circuit which uses a tape player, inductor, and flashlight to modulate a light beam.
  9. Homemade Instruments- Students will identify what sound is and make musical instruments out of household items.
  10. How Sound Travels- To observe that sound moves better through a solid than it does through a liquid or a gas.
  11. I Can See A Rainbow!- As a result of this lesson, students will be able to identify the colors of a rainbow using the mnemonic ROY G BIV.
  12. Just Passing Through; Transparent - TSWBAT define the terms transparent, translucent, and opaque and explain how light reacts when it comes in contact with objects of these types.
  13. Laser Holography- To make a Laser holograph and to understand why it works.
  14. Lenses- Students in grades 5-8 will discover, through exploration and observation, what lenses are and what lenses can do.
  15. Let There be Light- The students will learn the process of photosynthesis. This is for all grades.
  16. Light- What kind of property does light have?
  17. Light- The main objectives of this mini-teach is for primary students to understand the Nature of Light.
  18. Light- Students will be able to calculate the angle of reflection and the angle of incidence and discover that these angles are equal.
  19. Light And Color- Students will learn where light come from by using a laser.
  20. Light and Vision- Explains the normal eye.
  21. Light: Reflection: Illusion- The student will understand The Law of Reflection in practical application as it applies to a plane mirror.
  22. Make Waves- Students in grade six will discover, through exploration, the basic characteristics of waves.
  23. Making Sounds- The students will be able to observe that vibrating objects can produce sounds.
  24. Microscopes and Telescopes- To use a knowledge of lenses to develop how microscopes and telescopes were first invented.
  25. Mirror Symmetry/Mirror Images- The intended grade level is sixth grade, but much of this is easily adapted to any grade. This would be at least a two day lesson.
  26. Mixing Colors With Light Beams- The objective of this lesson is for pre-schoolers and primary graders to learn about mixing colors by light beams. The enjoyment of seeing the colors change and learning the difference from mixing paints.
  27. Mixing Primary Colors- The kindergarten students will be able use different ways to mix primary colors.
  28. Mystery of the Mirrors- Compare objects in two mirrors at right angles to each other and describe what happened.
  29. Now Hear This!- In this project, students will be able to describe how sounds are heard by the human ear by creating a model of the human inner ear.
  30. Optical Illusions- Given the introduction to optical illusions ,each student will be able to identify and construct four optical illusions illustrated in class.
  31. Pitch- To observe that the pitch of a sound varies by the length of the vibrating medium.
  32. Plane Mirror Images- Where a plane mirror image is (behind the mirror, not on the mirror).
  33. Polarization of Light- Students will discover that polarization filters will be able to block incoming light from passing through when filters are positioned perpendicularly to each other.
  34. Polarization- Demonstrate some phenomenological activities illustrating interference patterns.
  35. Polarized Light- The idea is to show what polarized light is and show some examples and applications from the "real world".
  36. Polarized Light- To develop a model which can account for differences in light behavior using a second set of polaroid filters.
  37. Reflection Relay- To use the laws of reflection to bounce a beam of light around a classroom to hit targets and to attain the lowest elapsed time to hit the targets.
  38. Reflections Of- The student will be able to observe and compare the angle of incidence with the angle of reflection.
  39. Reflections With Mirrors- Students will be able to define reflection. Students will explain the laws of reflection.
  40. Sound- To demonstrate different ways to produce sound.
  41. Sound- The student will be able to identify and understand these vocabulary words: vibration, volume, pitch, particles, tuning forks, waves and matter.
  42. Sound- To understand that high pitched sounds are caused by more vibrations and low pitched sounds are caused by fewer vibrations.
  43. Sound- Children shall "discover" that sound waves can be directed with a megaphone and collected with an ear trumpet.
  44. Sound- After this lesson, the student should be able to relate the pitch of sound to the length of a vibrating object.
  45. Sound/Pitch- To discover how pitch can be changed in instruments that are plucked (strings), blown (woodwinds and brasses) or hit (percussion).
  46. Sound: The Vibration of Materials- Students will recognize that the sound produced is dependent on the type of material that is used.
  47. Spherical Mirrors- Construct ray diagrams of images in spherical mirrors. Find images of objects in spherical mirrors.
  48. Understanding Waves- Eighth grade students will gain an understanding of the properties that all waves have in common.
  49. Wave Introduce/Review - Introduction of electromagnetic wave concepts and review of sound wave concepts.
  50. Wave Motion- Identify and explain the difference between a transverse and longitudinal wave.
  51. Waves- Students will be able to state the properties that a medium must possess in order that waves may be transmitted through it.
  52. You may now enter the Holodeck- The students will be able to compare and contrast photography and holography, and therefore be able to explain the basic characteristics of a hologram along with the reasons for such attributes.