Hands On Optics Laser, Challenges

Where would astronomy be without Galileo and his telescope? Where would physics be without Newton breaking light into its colors with his prism? “My heart leaps up when I behold/A rainbow in the sky,” wrote William Wordsworth. Where would we humans be without our love affair with rainbows and light? Questions like these are the impetus behind the National Science Foundation-funded program Hands-On Optics: Making an Impact with Light. Hands-On Optics (HOO) brings optics education to middle school students through hands-on activities. We are pleased to be able to bring our modules to schools. The kits were developed by a team from the National Optical Astronomy Observatory, the Optical Society of America, and the International Society for Optical Engineering and were extensively field-tested in classrooms and museums across the country. The NSF has funded the development of six modules, suitable for use in classrooms, after-school programs, or museum settings. Each module focuses on a different area of optics and contains enough material for a class of students to engage in interesting hands-on optics activities. The modules are designed to be exploratory in nature and are inquiry-based. These activities have been classroom tested and are aligned with national science, math and technology standards. Teacher demonstration equipment is also included in each module. Module 1 — Laser Challenges. Students learn about lasers and explore the law of reflection using mirrors and protractors. They learn to carefully measure light and predict its behavior through a variety of challenges. The module concludes with students putting their knowledge to the test in a game of “Hit the Target”.