home » teachers » VCE resources » Units 1 & 2 Resources » Wave-Like Light
Wave-Like Properties of Light
Resources, Classroom Activities,
Assessment Ideas, IT Applications
Material from Recent Physics Teachers Conferences
Type | Filename | Filesize | |
 |
191 kB | ||
A set of a large number short practical activities intended to stimulate students' curiosity about what light is and what it can do. At the students generate questions that they would like answers to. These become the basis of a later assessment task at the end of the unit in which the student can choose their own set of questions to answer. Prepared by Dan O'Keeffe, AIP (Vic Branch) Education Committee. | |||
 |
2.87 MB | ||
Powerpoint by Louise Mason, St Leonard's College | |||
|
Kinaesthetic Activities to teach Waves and Optics Support materials 1 |
29.2 kB | |
Calculating the speed of light, by Louise Mason, St Leonard's College | |||
|
Kinaesthetic Activities to teach Waves and Optics Support materials 2 |
28.2 kB | |
Calculating the speed of light with chocolate by Louise Mason, St Leonard's College | |||
|
Kinaesthetic Activities to teach Waves and Optics Support materials 3 |
323 kB | |
Snell's Law Derivation by Louise Mason, St Leonard's College | |||
|
Kinaesthetic Activities to teach Waves and Optics Support materials 4 |
37.9 kB | |
Snell's Law Triangles by Louise Mason, St Leonard's College | |||
Resources
Text Resources
- Greenler, R 1990, Rainbow, Haloes and Glories, Cambridge University Press, Melbourne.
- Minnaert, M 1993, Light and Color in Outdoors, Springer Verlag, New York.
Audiovisual Resources
It is recommended that teachers should view any video before purchase.
Marcom Projects: Light Fantastic, How Telescopes Work, 'Light, Optics and Electricity', Polarisation of Light, Properties of Waves, Rainbows and Red Skies, Refraction and Images, Waves, Sound and Electromagnetism, What is Light
VEA: The Rainbow
Videos
Type | Filename | Filesize | |
 |
11.8 MB | ||
Three dyes are added to milk in a petri dish. A drop of detergent is then added and the dyes mix. Light, colour. 1 min avi file. | |||
|
11.3 MB | ||
Crown glass block disapppears in glycerol. Ending missing. Light, refractive index. 48 sec Quick time file. | |||
Classroom Activities
Type | Filename | Filesize | |
|
191 kB | ||
A set of a large number short practical activities intended to stimulate students' curiosity about what light is and what it can do. At the students generate questions that they would like answers to. These become the basis of a later assessment task at the end of the unit in which the student can choose their own set of questions to answer. Prepared by Dan O'Keeffe, AIP (Vic Branch) Education Committee. | |||
|
22 kB | ||
One page of problems on Concave mirrors. | |||
|
79.9 kB | ||
This document is an introductory practical activity to Light. It is done as the first two periods of the unit. The students go from station to station doing each task and answering questions. At the end the students generate context questions. These questions can be collected, compiled and given back to them. The students then use their further study of light to answer a set of the questions, and submit them at the end of the unit. The activities done will depend on the equipment available. At the end of the document there are two activities on telescopes and microscopes, using lenses. These are difficult for students. | |||
|
25.1 kB | ||
Student handout of requirements for a presentation (in either poster or PowerPoint format) that can be used for assessment. | |||
|
26.1 kB | ||
Refraction & Total Internal Reflection prac worksheet Pracs use lightbox and semi-circular plastic accessory. | |||
|
29.2 kB | ||
A thought provoking paper by Russell Downie | |||
Assessment Ideas
Type | Filename | Filesize | |
|
132 kB | ||
A Test for Wave-like Properties of Light. | |||
|
44.5 kB | ||
A set of questions generated by students from the introductory activity. | |||
|
33.8 kB | ||
A set of more challenging problems. | |||
|
22.5 kB | ||
Revision Notes on Rectilinear Propagation, Reflection and Image Formation with Plane and Curved Mirrors. | |||
|
24.6 kB | ||
Revision Notes on Colour, Refraction, Total Internal Reflection and Image Formation with Lenses. | |||
|
24.6 kB | ||
Test on Rectilinear Propagation, Reflection and Image Formation with Plane and Curved Mirrors. | |||
|
23 kB | ||
Test on Colour, Refraction, Total Internal Reflection and Image Formation with Lenses. | |||
|
206 kB | ||
Test of Plane and Concave mirrors. | |||
|
26.6 kB | ||
Assessment Criteria for a presentation task. | |||
|
27.1 kB | ||
This is a revision document. It is a list of the different things students need to know and be able to do. It will need to be modified for the current course. | |||
|
90.6 kB | ||
Test of a previous version of this Area of Study. It will need to be modified to be used for the current course. It is 10 pages long. | |||
IT Applications
Type | Filename | Filesize | |
|
212 kB | ||
Microsoft PowerPoint presentation on aspects of colour - absorption, reflection of light by coloured objects, components of white light, etc. | |||
Useful Websites
Optical Society of America
This website has a diverse range of useful material including: posters, optical illusions, historical section, biographies, classroom activities, podcasts, etc.
Optometrists Association of Australia
Their website has general information on a range of topics related to the Eye and to vision.
Artificial Retina Project
The project is a collaborative, multi-institutional effort to develop an implantable microelectronic retinal device that restores useful vision to people blinded by retinal diseases. The website contains a description of how the artificial retina works. There is a video available and links to PBS Scientific American Frontiers which contains audio and video material as well as transcripts.