When do photons, electrons, and atoms behave like particles and when do they behave like waves? Watch waves spread out and interfere as they pass through a double slit, then get detected on a screen as tiny dots. Use quantum detectors to explore how measurements change the waves and the patterns they produce on the screen.

My Shadow, written by Robert Louis Stevenson, illustrated by Ted Rand. An illustrated version of the poem in which a child describes her relationship with her shadow.

My Shadow, written by Robert Louis Stevenson, illustrated by Ted Rand. An illustrated version of the poem in which a child describes her relationship with her shadow.

My Shadow, written by Robert Louis Stevenson, illustrated by Ted Rand. An illustrated version of the poem in which a child describes her relationship with her shadow.

My Shadow, written by Robert Louis Stevenson, illustrated by Ted Rand. An illustrated version of the poem in which a child describes her relationship with her shadow.

My Shadow, written by Robert Louis Stevenson, illustrated by Ted Rand. An illustrated version of the poem in which a child describes her relationship with her shadow.

My Shadow, written by Robert Louis Stevenson, illustrated by Ted Rand. An illustrated version of the poem in which a child describes her relationship with her shadow.

The STEM Action Center is Utah’s partner in promoting Science, Technology, Engineering and Math education through the identification and support of best practices and leveraging of resources across education, industry, government and community partners to support economic prosperity.

Find strategies and activities that you can use in the classroom that tie directly to the Early learning Preschool core standards.

Part One of this video lesson will explore the science that explains soap bubbles, as well as the application of this knowledge to other areas, such as architecture and biology. We first introduce the concept of surface tension. In Part Two of this video lesson, students will learn where the colors of soap bubbles come from and also learn what soap bubbles and telescopes have in common. The students will first make a connection between light and waves waves and will then go on to explore various characteristics of waves through a series of classroom activities.

This article, written for students in grades 4-5, introduces the concept of albedo and describes the shrinking of Arctic sea ice. Modified versions are available for students in younger grades.

In this video from DragonflyTV, follow the investigation of Isaac and Anjali as they record, measure, and analyze data about how the Sun's position in the sky affects a solar-powered car's speed.

Students will identify photovoltaic solar power as a source of energy and explain what happens when a photovoltaic cell is shaded.

Children will learn about the sources of light by selecting one or some of the activities listed below and will engage in an activity that helps demonstrate how useful light can be. 

This video segment adapted from Shedding Light on Science uses historical illustrations and everyday examples to show that light has a speed and does not travel instantaneously.

What is a star and what shape is it? Students explore both artistic and scientific representations of stars, learn that stars are like the sun but much further away and make their own star hat.

In this podcast, listen to a traditional Inuit tale about the seasonal light and darkness of the Arctic.

Street lights of the same type will look brighter when they are close to you, and less bright when they are farther away. The same applies to astronomical objects: a given star will look brighter to a nearby observer than to an observer far away. In both cases, the difference in brightness can be used to deduce the relative distances of suitable objects. Standard candles, objects of constant intrinsic brightness or whose intrinsic brightness can be determined by careful measurements, are a key tool for astronomical distance determination. In this exploration, you will explore standard candles (and also effects that complicate distance measurements) in a simple everyday setting, namely that of street lights, using a digital camera and freely available software.

This article provides elementary school teachers with background knowledge about science concepts needed to understand the first of seven essential principles of climate literacy--the sun is the primary source of energy for our climate system. Graphs, diagrams, and oneline resources provide more background for the teacher. The article appears in a free online magazine that focuses on the seven essential princples of the climate sciences.

Waves and their Applications in Technologies for Information Transfer, from NGSS 1PS 4-1, 4-2, 4-3, and 4-4.

Driving Question: How can I, as a 1st grade engineer, design a device to let people know I am safe, using light and sound?

A Google doc with 10 days of lessons. Student learning outcomes:

Students will create “sound makers” to detect different wavelengths and different sounds
Students will use a variety of materials to change the sounds produced by “earphones”
Students will use flashlights as a light source for pin hole evidence of illumination
Students will create a house with windows created from different materials to detect how light diffuses through materials
Students will create shadows
Students will create cup phones for talking over a distance
Students will create light signals that illuminate over a distance