Bright Light

Class Description

Experimenting with lasers, diffraction glasses, and giant water prisms delights students in this illuminating exploration of light and color. The scientific concepts of refraction, diffraction, and reflection come alive through engaging educational activities involving spectrum analysis and the electromagnetic spectrum.

Students, teachers, or chaperones with light sensitivities should be advised that a variety of different lighting environments are used during this class.

State Standards, Benchmarks, and GLEs

3rd Grade

Ask questions about objects and events in the environment (e.g., plants, rocks, storms) (SI-E-A1)

Describe the reflection/absorption properties of various colored objects (PS-E-C2)

Pose questions that can be answered by using students’ own observations, scientific knowledge, and testable scientific investigations (SI-E-A1)

Use observations to design and conduct simple investigations or experiments to answer testable questions (SI-E-A2)

Predict and anticipate possible outcomes (SI-E-A2)

Use the five senses to describe observations (SI-E-A3)

4th Grade

Ask questions about objects and events in the environment (e.g., plants, rocks, storms) (SI-E-A1)

Pose questions that can be answered by using students’ own observations, scientific knowledge, and testable scientific investigations (SI-E-A1)

Diagram what happens to white light as it passes through a prism (PS-E-C2)

Describe how light bends or refracts when traveling through various materials (e.g., pencil bending in water) (PS-E-C2)

Predict and anticipate possible outcomes (SI-E-A2)

Use the five senses to describe observations (SI-E-A3)

Base explanations and logical inferences on scientific knowledge, observations, and scientific evidence (SI-E-B4)