electromagnetic spectrum

A CubeSat is a real satellite that is small enough to fit in your hands! This activity has two parts that can be done individually or...

When you look across a lake, what colour do you expect to see? The common answer is usually blue – but what shade of blue? The...

The light of the electromagnetic spectrum is the key to finding out about space without leaving Earth. Using a telescope to study the different wavelengths of...

Several basic science concepts are needed to understand shadows. The New Zealand Ministry of Education’s Building Science Concepts (BSC) series presents sets of interlinking concepts that...

In this set of investigations, students explore objects made from materials that are transparent, translucent and opaque and the effect this has on their shadows. The...

Visible light is the small part within the electromagnetic spectrum that human eyes are sensitive to and can detect. Visible light waves consist of different wavelengths....

Polarised sunglasses look like regular sunglasses, but they are able to filter out the glare from automobile windscreens and the surface of water. The glasses you...

Children naturally and instinctively develop their own ideas about how things work. These self-developed concepts make sense to the individual but may be scientifically inaccurate. It...

In this activity, students use scientific models and exploration to observe the position of the Sun and its physical effect on light and shadows. The activities...

In this set of activities, students are introduced to basic Physical World concepts about light through the use of play and exploration. Students also have the...

When children draw pictures of the Sun, they often show rays radiating outwards – similar to the image below. These light rays travel in a straight...

Loss of the Night is an international citizen science project aiming to quantify the illumination of the night sky caused by artificial light. By monitoring how...

In this recorded professional learning session, Greta Dromgool and Ted Cizadlo will build your confidence to teach about the Physical World. The New Zealand Curriculum achievement...

In this activity, students use a sheet of acetate to make a transparent, four-sided pyramid. The pyramid’s sides act as four mirrors, situated at 45° angles...

In this investigation, students work with slinkies to explore longitudinal and transverse waves. They have the opportunity to establish the relationship between frequency and wavelength and...

In this activity, students are introduced to an analogy through a role-play that helps them visualise the refraction of light. The analogy explains why light bends...

Three historic discoveries were instrumental in the development of electric motors – the invention of the battery by Alessandro Volta in 1800, the generation of a...

Astronomers at Victoria University were part of an international team led by Germany’s Max Planck Institute for Astrophysics (MPA), which has pooled their radio astronomy observations...

Light is a form of energy produced by a light source. Light is made of photons that travel very fast. Photons of light behave like both...

The hole in the layer is a problem for all New Zealanders because it allows greater levels of potentially harmful UV rays to enter the atmosphere....

Satellites are equipped with a wide range of super sense technology. Sensors have been developed that can detect radiation returns for many parts of the electromagnetic...

In this activity, students are introduced to the concept of harnessing the Sun’s energy for our use on Earth. They will appreciate that the early Māori...

The Sun is the source of almost all our energy. It is a huge ball of hot gases that gives off energy as heat and light....

An inquiry approach is a method often used in science education. The question bank provides an initial list of questions about the secret lives of planets,...