“Catch the Waves” activity:

Students will learn about basic properties of waves and the electromagnetic spectrum.

The Physical Setting:
F. Motion.
By the end of the 8th grade, students should know that:

• Light from the sun is made up of a mixture of many different colors of light, even though to the eye the light looks almost white. Other things that give off or reflect light have a different mix of colors.
• Something can be “seen” when light waves emitted or reflected by it enter the eye — just as something can be “heard” when sound waves from it enter the ear.

By the end of the 12th grade, students should know that:

• Accelerating electric charges produce electromagnetic waves around them. A great variety of radiations are electromagnetic waves: radio waves, microwaves, radiant heat, visible light, ultraviolet radiation, x-rays, and gamma rays. These wavelengths vary from radio waves, the longest, to gamma rays, the shortest. In empty space, all electromagnetic waves move at the same speed — the “speed of light.”

“Making Waves” activity:

Students will measure wavelength and frequency.

Content Standard A: Science as Inquiry.
As a result of activities in grades 5-8, all student should develop abilities necessary to do scientific inquiry, i.e. Use mathematics in all of aspects of scientific inquiry.

In grades 6-8 all students should apply appropriate techniques, tools, and formulas to determine measurements.

In grades 9-12 all students should apply appropriate techniques, tools, and formulas to determine measurements.

“Heating Up” activity:

Students will identify peak wavelengths from graphical data and use this concept to determine the relationship between temperature and star color.

Content Standard A: Science as Inquiry.
As a result of activities in grades 5-8, all student should develop abilities necessary to do scientific inquiry, i.e. Use mathematics in all of aspects of scientific inquiry.

Habits of Mind:
D. Communication Skills.
By the end of the 8th grade, students should be able to organize information in simple tables and graphs and identify relationships they reveal.

The Mathematical World:
B. Symbolic Relationships.
By the end of the 12th grade, students should know that tables, graphs, and symbols are alternative ways of representing data and relationships that can be translated from one to another.

In grades 6-8 all students should formulate questions that can addressed with data and collect, organize, and display relevant data to answer them.

In grades 9-12 all students should formulate questions that can addressed with data and collect, organize, and display relevant data to answer them.

“Beats Me - You Explain it” activity:

Students demonstrate their knowledge by answering questions about light and the electromagnetic spectrum.

“Stellar Encounters” activity:

Students use the color of a star to determine the relative temperature.

Prerequisites
Students should:

• Have a general understanding of the visible light spectrum.
• Know that not all light is visible.
• Be able to read grade-level appropriate material.
• Have basic graphing and measuring skills.
• Have general knowledge of plotting points and interpreting graphs.

Common misconceptions
Students may think that:

• All radiation is harmful.
• The spectrum of electromagnetic radiation consists of only visible light, or that all light can be seen.
• Stars are on fire and can burn out.
• Red is hot and blue is cold.