Most activities are PDF files.
Download the free Acrobat Reader to
display them. Lights, Lasers, Action
Activities for Secondary Schools
Mirrors and Reflection
Learn about how flat mirrors work—pdf
Jellaser
Learn about refraction with a mini-laser and colored Jell-O—pdf
Delta, Delta, Delta (middle school version)
Can you bounce a laser beam around a triangle?—pdf
Delta, Delta, Delta (high school version)
Construct a triangle and bounce the beam—pdf
Squared (middle school version)
Bounce the beam around a square—pdf
Squared (high school version)
Construct the square, then bounce the beam—pdf
Pentagon
Construct a pentagon in this lab from Prince William Counties High School—pdf
Curved
Explore curved mirrors—pdf
Hot Air
Learn about the effects of the atmosphere on light—pdf
Movie Effects
from Phantom of the Opera
Learn how the phantom appears in the mirror on stage. WORD document
from Batman
Learn how to summon Batman when he is needed.WORD document
from Star Wars
Learn how a light saber works in different media. WORD document
Teacher Notes
This collection of optics activities was produced with Education/Public Outreach funding from the Technology Development for NASA Explorer
Missions and SOFIA for the Project High Index Grisms for Mid-infrared Spectroscopy and
the National Aeronautics and Space Administration under an Education and Public Outreach supplement
to Grant/Contract/Agreement NNG06GC45G issued through the Office of Space Science
by MaryJean Tykoski, Mary Kay Hemenway, and Daniel T. Jaffe (Principle Investigator)
revised 11 November 2009
Astronomy Program · 1 University Station C1400 · The University of Texas at Austin
Austin, Texas 78712-0259
prospective student inquiries: studentinfo@astro.as.utexas.edu
site comments: marykay at astro.as.utexas.edu