Lessons, Activities, and More

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SPIE Online Resources: Labs, Lessons, Websites, Materials, and More

Description: A rich collection of multiple resources about optics and light. This page also includes resources about careers in optics and photonics.

Audience: Faculty, teachers, students, parents

​Levels: Elementary, middle, high school, college 

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NASA STEM Engagement

Description: A collection of activities, teacher guides, lesson plans, and many other resources for both teachers and students.

Audience: Teachers, students

Levels: Elementary, middle, high school

Tip:  Search their STEM library for “optics”.

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Science, Optics and You

Description: A web-based science curriculum package and student activities developed by the Florida State University and Molecular Expression.  Includes interactive Java Tutorials and the downloadable guide. Cross-referenced to standards in science, math, social studies, language arts, visual arts. 

Audience: Teachers, students

Levels: Elementary, Middle, High School

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Laser Classroom: Free Light and Optics lessons

Description: Teachers’ resources to engage student in optics with downloadable lesson plans. The website offers resources for these topics in optics: reflection, refraction and diffraction as well as applications like spectroscopy, invisibility and energy.

Audience: Teachers

Levels: Elementary, Middle, High school

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Optics4Kids: Classroom activities

Description: Student activities in optics developed by the Optical Society. The website offers students to explore multiple applications of optics, hosts several educational videos and references other optics resources.

Audience: Students

Levels: Elementary, Middle, High school

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The Exploratorium

Description: A rich collection of classroom and self-study activities, teacher guides, student learning tools, and many more.
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Audience: Faculty, teachers, students, parents

Levels: Elementary, Middle, High school

Tip: Search for “optics”, “light”, “lasers”.

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How Stuff Works: Optics Channel

Description: A collection of topics in optics and lasers written for students in mind. The website authors explain in a very simple language various optical phenomena, human vision, light interaction with matter and more.

Audience: Students

Levels: Elementary, middle, high school

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Lens Science: AAPT Digi Kit

Description: A compilation of activities reading materials, video tutorials, and simulations about geometrical optics, lenses and their uses. The materials are cross-referenced to the Next Generation Science Standards.

Audience: Teachers

Levels: High school

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Photonics4All

Description: Photonics4All is a European outreach project, funded by the European Commission to promote photonics and light-based technologies throughout the EU. It includes a variety of materials for teachers and students of all grades: teacher professional development, downloadable informational materials, videos, guidelines for best practices, quizzes, crossword puzzles, and many more.

Audience: Faculty, teachers, students, parents

Levels: Elementary, middle, high school

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How to Smile

Description: A compiled collection of STEM educational materials, learning tools and services, designed for those who teach and learn in non-classroom settings.

Audience: Teachers, students

Levels: Elementary, Middle, High school

Tip: search for “ optics”, “ lasers”, “light” 

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McDonald Observatory. The University of Texas at Austin

Description: Lesson materials for optics applied in astronomy: color, spectroscopy, reflection, telescopes, solar collectors, the optics of diffraction and more. Files are available for download. Aligned to the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills.

Audience: Teachers

Levels: Elementary, middle, high school

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Fiber U

Description: Fiber U is the Fiber Optics Association free online learning website. The website contains free online self-study programs, tutorials, textbooks, videos and links to other FOA pages that will help learn about fiber optics and premises cabling.

Audience: College students, faculty, technicians

Level: College, industry professional development

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