Active Astronomy: Classroom Activities for Learning About Infrared Light
Active Astronomy: Classroom Activities for Learning About Infrared Light
Instructions for Downloading: Active Astronomy files are in PDF format and require Acrobat Reader Plug-in (free). Activity sheets, student tests and answer sheets are also available in Microsoft Word™ to allow you to modify these materials to best suit your students.
Materials: Active Astronomy requires common classroom materials as well as specific electronic components and color filters (gels). For details, see the "Suggested Vendor List" available in Section 1 of Active Astronomy or as a separate PDF file.
Errata List : If you have the Active Astronomy Classroom Activities CD-ROM, you should download the Errata pdf file. Some of the URL links in the CD-ROM documents have changed since the CD-ROM was created. This Errata List gives the correct links for the documents on the disk.
Link to information about the University of Chicago Yerkes Observatory's implementation and modification of the Active Astronomy kits targeted especially for students with visual or auditory impairments:
Download Complete File of Active Astronomy: Three files make up the complete set of materials for Active Astronomy.
1. Sections 1-5 Activity sheets, tests, and answer
2. Image file for Section 2
3. Image file for Section 5
If you have a slow connection or printer, you may wish to download each section separately (below).
Download individual sections of Active Astronomy:
Section 1
Overview and Assessment
This section contains an overview of the activities, including materials and preparation, relevant portions of the National Science Education Standards and AAAS's Benchmarks for Science Literacy, common student misconceptions, the student test, and the role of infrared light in astronomy. The PDF file contains parts 1.1 through 1.5.
Modifiable Word Documents:
1.2 Learning About Infrared Light Student Test
1.3 Learning About Infrared Light Student Answer Sheet
1.4 Learning About Infrared Light Teacher Answer Key
Section 2
What's Getting Through?
Students are introduced to light and colored gels (filters). Students make and test predictions about light and color using gels, by looking at messages written with differently colored crayons on differently colored paper with differently colored gels. Students then learn about the importance of gels (filters) to astronomers by looking at an astronomical image through red and blue gels and comparing the parts of the image that are enhanced by the gels. Then, they analyze images taken with regular and infrared cameras to see that objects opaque to light at one wavelength may be transparent to light of a different wavelength. The PDF file contains parts 2.1 through 2.3.
Modifiable Word Documents:
2.2 Student Activity Sheet
2.3 Teacher Answer Key
Images:
2-Images Images to support activities in Section 2
Section 3
Sensing the Invisible
Just as our ears cannot hear all wavelengths of sound, our eyes cannot see all wavelengths of light. Students build a photocell detector, and use it to detect different colors of light in a spectrum. Then they place the detector just outside the red region of the spectrum and see that the detector detects the presence of light there, even though there is no color visible. Students learn that "invisible light" exists and that we can detect this light with instruments other than our eyes. In a final part of the activity, students investigate the IR signals emitted by TV and VCR remote controls. The PDF file contains parts 3.1 through 3.3.
Modifiable Word Documents:
3.2 Student Activity Sheet
3.3 Teacher Answer Key
Section 4
Reflection
Students learn that infrared light is reflected in the same manner as visible light. Students align a series of mirrors so that they can turn on a TV with a remote control when the remote is not in a direct line with the TV. As a result of their experiment with reflection, students deduce that infrared light is another form of light and is a part of the electromagnetic spectrum. The PDF file contains parts 4.1 through 4.3.
Modifiable Word Documents:
4.2 Student Activity Sheet
4.3 Teacher Answer Key
Section 5
Listening to Light
Students learn that light carries information and that infrared (IR) radiation is a form of light that in some cases behaves like visible light and other cases behaves very differently. Students first see how a photocell (solar cell) can be used to detect the presence of light. They then learn how the photocell reacts to light from a laser pointer (or other laser) and a remote control, and see that information, for example a message, can be transmitted by visible and infrared light. They listen as an infrared-emitting diode is used to transmit music from an audio source (like a CD player) to the photocell with a speaker connected to it. Finally, students test the effects on the transmission of music when various objects are placed in between the infrared emitting diode and the photocell. They learn that some objects that block visible light allow infrared light to pass through. The PDF file contains parts 5.1 through 5.3.
Modifiable Word Documents:
5.2 Student Activity Sheet
5.3Teacher Answer Key
Images:
5-Images Images to support activities in Section 5
(Aug 25, 2003)
Supplementary Information - for teachers and students interested in delving more deeply into electronics, here is supplementary information about electrical components in the Infrared transmitter circuit:
5.4
1. Reference material about capacitors, the crucial component in this circuit
2. The IR transmitter circuit re-drawn with text explanation by Yerkes Observatory (U. Chicago)
electrical engineer Jesse Wirth \