BC Science IRP

The Optics Unit outcomes are available in .pdf form (see pages 46, 72, 72-81).  The PLOs are:

C1  demonstrate knowledge of behaviour of waves

C2 explain properties of visible light

C3 compare visible light to other types of electromagnetic radiation

C4 explain how human vision works

BC Science 8 Website Links and Online Optics Chapter

Check out the BC Science 8 Learning Centre for the Optics chapter.  Here you can find links to websites on many different topics related to light organized to correspond with page numbers in the text.  No password is required to access this section.

At BC Science 8 Home Version, you can also read the Optics Chapter online, download it as a .pdf, or download excellent study guide questions.  (You need a password to sign in to read the chapter online.)  BC Science 8 is also available in .pdf and Kurzweil format at ARC-BC.

World Book Online

World Book for Kids and  World Book for Students have many articles on topics related to light.  Double-click on words to see their definitions.  Both websites will also read the articles to you.  You can also print or download the articles.  To bring a World Book Online article into Kurzweil, print the article to the KESI Virtual Printer.

Key Vocabulary:

focal point, focal length, ray, lens, concave, convex, parallel, converging light rays (converge), diverging light rays (diverge), image, plane mirror

Try looking up these words in Shahi Visual Dictionary. Shahi will give you a definition but also pull pictures from Flickr and Google to help you understand these words.

Key Vocabulary Practice

Key Vocabulary:

medium, seismic waves, transverse waves, crest, trough, amplitude, wavelength, frequency, compressional waves

x-ray, electromagnetic, microwave, ultraviolet radiation, radio waves, infrared light, radiant energy, ultraviolet ray

Try looking up these words in Shahi Visual Dictionary. Shahi will give you a definition but also pull pictures from Flickr and Google to help you understand these words.

World Book for Kids

World Book for Students

ICT Magic Interactive:   Electromagnetic Spectrum

In this great online interactive, students move a marker along the electromagnetic spectrum to learn about the various wave types and lengths.  Would also work on the SMARTBoard.

BrainPOP Video:  Waves

In the BrainPOP Video Waves, you will learn about the types of waves and the energy of waves.

In the BrainPOP Video Electromagnetic Spectrum, you will learn about different types of electromagnetic radiation. You will also learn the difference between X-rays, infrared waves, and ultraviolet rays.

NeoK12 Videos: Waves (3:48)  and Electromagnetic Spectrum (2:14)

In the NeoK12 Video Waves, you will learn about different types of waves and their characteristics.

In the Video Electromagnetic Spectrum you will learn about different types of waves and rays and see a striking visual of how small the visible spectrum really is.

SMARTBoard

The SB Gallery contains a folder called Light which includes an interactive game on waves.

Key Vocabulary:

prism, ROYGBIV, reflection, refraction, wavelength, frequency, visible light, white light, primary colours, pigment

Try looking up these words in Shahi Visual Dictionary. Shahi will give you a definition but also pull pictures from Flickr and Google to help you understand these words.

World Book for Kids

World Books for Kids has easy-to-read articles on rainbow and prism.   

World Book for Students

World Book for Students has more detailed articles on rainbow and prism. 

Science A-Z Light Unit

Science A-Z has an entire unit on Light. The unit includes 3 levelled quick-reads on light, vocabulary and discussion cards, a quiz, and 3 levelled quick-reads for Rainbows and for Shadows.

ICT Magic Light Mixing Interactive

In this online Interactive designed for use on the SMARTBoard, students turn on green, blue, and/or red lamps to see how coloured light mixes.

BrainPop Video

In the BrainPOP Video Light, you will learn about natural and artificial light and what makes light visible.

In he BrainPOP Video Rainbows you will learn about rainbows and prisms, white light, and the seven colours of the rainbow.

In the BrainPOP Video Colour, you will learn how colour comes about.

NeoK12 Video:  The Visible Spectrum 4:07

In the Video Visible Spectrum, you will learn how light can be broken up into its spectrum and how different colours can be combined.  Great demo of white light produced by mixing blue, green, and red light.

Study Jams Video

In the Study Jams Video Light, you will learn how light travels, the spectrum, and prisms.

Vocabulary:  prism, laser, wavelength, pigment, spectrum, color 

Gummy Bears and Worms Absorption and Reflection (5:02)

Great video demos absorption and reflection using Gummy Bears and Gummy Worms. Caution: laser pointers can damage eyes so probably wouldn't make a good class activity.

Exploratorium Experiment: Making Rainbow Colours Reflect from CD's

In this interesting experiment students make rainbow colours on a white wall from CD's. 

SMARTBoard

The SB Gallery contains a folder called Light which includes Notebook pages on prism and additive/subtractive colour mixing.

Key Vocabulary:

Eye words: cornea, pupil, iris, lens, retina, rods and cones, photon, focus, reflect

Eye conditions/problems words: nearsightedness, farsightedness, myopic, concave lens, hyperopic, convex lens, laser surgery, macular degeneration, glaucoma, cataracts

Camera words: film, emulsion, lens, aperture, diaphragm, shutter 

Try looking up these words in Shahi Visual Dictionary. Shahi will give you a definition but also pull pictures from Flickr and Google to help you understand these words.

World Book for Kids

World Book for Kids has easy-to-read articles on the Eye with links to other topics such as Blindness and Glasses.

World Book for Students

World Book for Students has more detailed articles on the Eye with sidebar links to other topics such as compound eye, artificial eye, and different types of vision problems.

Teen's Health Articles Online

In the article on Eyes, you will learn the parts of the eye, how vision works, and some things that can go wrong with the eye.

In the article on Visual Impairments, you will learn about different kinds of visual problems. You can make the text larger or smaller or listen to the article being read aloud.

BrainPOP Videos

In the BrainPOP Video Eyes, you will learn the parts of the eye, how cameras are similar to the eye, and how vision works. 

In the BrainPOP Video Vision Problems, you will learn about problems that can occur with vision and the eye.

In the BrainPOP Video Cameras (free), you will learn how film and digital cameras work.

StudyJams Human Body:  Seeing Video

StudyJams has an excellent video on Seeing that explains how vision works.  Includes a quiz.  Vocabulary:  pupil, cornea, retina, iris, lens, optic nerve

Clicker 5/6 The Human Eye

In this gridset students learn about the eye, answer questions, and label parts of the eye. Created by Kathy Ryan to address grade 5 PLOs but will work for Grade 8 Optics.  Clicker software needed to use this free resource.

SMARTBoard

The SMARTBoard gallery contains a folder called Human Body which includes pictures of the eye with and without labels.  There are also  basic and advanced interactives on the structure of the eye.  The folder called Light contains pictures of concave and convex lenses and a Notebook pages showing a pinhole camera diagram. 

A search for structure of the eye at SMART Activity Exchange returned 117 results.  These lessons can be preview online before downloading.

Key Vocabulary:

light, reflection, refraction, angle of refraction, rainbows, diffraction, x-ray diffraction image

Try looking up these words in Shahi Visual Dictionary. Shahi will give you a definition but also pull pictures from Flickr and Google to help you understand these words.

World Book for Students

World Book for Students has a detailed article on refraction. 

How Spear Fishing is Affected by Refraction

This could be an interesting First Nation's connection.  This article on Traditional Fishing describes fishing in Alaska but perhaps the spear-fishers at Moricetown could shed some light on the subject.  No pun intended.

BrainPOP Videos

In the BrainPOP Video Refraction and Diffraction, you will learn how light reflects and bends. 

Study Jams Video

In the Study Jams Video Light Absorption, Reflection, and Refraction, you will learn how light can be absorbed, reflected (bounced off), or refracted (bent).

Vocabulary: reflection, absorption, refraction, color