This week’s Distance Learning theme is optics, light, and the electromagnetic spectrum. In this module, geared toward middle school-level learners, we learn more about spectroscopy—the study of how matter interacts with electromagnetic radiation—and how astronomers apply this science to better understand the composition of our universe.

This week’s Distance Learning offerings are focusing on optics, light, and the electromagnetic spectrum.

Join one of our museum educators as she reads the Scholastic children’s book COLOR, by Kay Manolis!

This week’s Distance Learning theme is optics, light, and the electromagnetic spectrum. Today we show you how to split sunlight into all the beautiful colors of the spectrum, with a simple homemade spectroscope! This activity takes just a few minutes, and utilizes common household items. Adult supervision is required—we’ll be cutting cardboard with a craft knife.

We’ve all witnessed the reflection of light. Looking at ourselves in the mirror, seeing sunlight bounce off a pool of water, observing the moon—all of these occur because light is reflecting off of a surface. Light always reflects in the same way, following the Law of Reflection. Basically, the law of reflection says that when light hits a flat mirror, it will reflect at the same angle that it hits the mirror. We can use this law to manipulate light to make beautiful images inside a kaleidoscope! Let’s use some recycled material to make our own kaleidoscopes.