The familiar kaleidoscope toy was developed by the Scottish physicist David Brewster (1781-1868) in 1816, patented by him in 1817, and described in his 1819 book, "A Treatise on the Kaleidoscope." Generations of elementary students have made their own kaleidoscopes by assembling three microscope slides inside a tube and looking through it at a…

Presents activities and experiments that can be performed with mirrors to illustrate the nature and behavior of light. Includes diagrams, directives and investigative questions. (ML)

Procedures for demonstrating rainbows in the classroom are provided. Materials required include a clear plastic box (the size of a shoebox), water, and an overhead projector. Also tells how to make a rainbow on the chalkboard using colored chalk. (JN)

Teachers may introduce students to anamorphic art (images designed to be looked at with conical mirrors or with mirrors diagonal to the image) with inexpensive cylindrical mirrors. By using polar graph paper, images can be made "correctly distorted" and will appear normal when viewed with a cylindrical mirror. (DH)

Provided are hands-on activities on light, simulated emission, light radiation, and common uses of lasers. Directions and materials are discussed. Included is a diagram of a laser model. (CW)

This study explored the usefulness of an approach to science instruction which specifically considered children's spontaneous conceptions about natural phenomena. The aim of the instruction was the development of conceptual understanding. The instructional approach involved diagnosing children's spontaneous conceptions, making them aware of their…

This document was developed to help teachers locate computer software to enhance the teaching of traditional physics at all educational levels. It contains a table listing approximately 900 packages. The table is organized by type of computer (Apple II, Atari, Commodore, IBM PC, Macintosh, and TRS-80) and is alphabetized first by publisher and…