CoolStuff Blogs

Our blogs are created with educators from around the country, and offer a fun and engaging way to discover new ideas and inspiration for your classroom.

Modeling with the "Thin Lens" Equation
Modeling with the "Thin Lens" Equation
Walk through a lab activity that will allow students to derive the Thin Lens Equation from experimental data
Cool Stuff Demos with Violet Lasers
Cool Stuff Demos with Violet Lasers
The Violet Laser Pointer has a stunning blue-purple glow at 405 nm and is perfect for teaching and demonstrating all about fluorescence, spectroscopy, and microscopy.
Behind the Scenes with Light and Color: 10 Great Demos
Behind the Scenes with Light and Color: 10 Great Demos
The RSpec Explorer is an innovative and versatile teaching tool for analyzing light, spectrum, and color. Here are 10 amazing experiments using the RSpec Explorer.
Color Me Excited: Seeing Spectra in a Whole New Light
Color Me Excited: Seeing Spectra in a Whole New Light
This CoolStuff post bids you to move away from passive spectra demonstrations and allow the whole class to observe light together with the RSpec-Explorer.
Martian Light Scattering
Martian Light Scattering
One of the most common questions asked by students is "Why is the sky blue?" or "Why is the Sun yellow?" The answer is found by understanding color science concepts...
Polarization
Polarization
What exactly is polarized light? How does light become polarized? What are some practical uses of polarized light? Let us explain in this CoolStuff blog post along with lesson ideas.
Shadows in Science and Art
Shadows in Science and Art
Look at some exploratory activities using shadows that may be used to introduce geometrical optics and demonstrate applications of shadows in perception and the visual arts.
Atmospheric Optics
Atmospheric Optics
The sky offers a wide variety of stunning optical effects that are the result of the interaction of light with particles in the atmosphere. In this post, let's examine examples...
Spectrum Analysis: Breaking it all down
Spectrum Analysis: Breaking it all down
Learn how to make an interactive spectra of light demo by creating three types of CD-R spectroscopes that are inexpensive and easy to construct.
Lab in a Bag: Take Home Science
Lab in a Bag: Take Home Science
Turn your students into professional scientists with these "Lab in a Bag" experiments that are intended to be engaging and enjoyable in a less-structured and more playful manner at home.
A Smorgasbord of Optical Phenomena
A Smorgasbord of Optical Phenomena
This collection of laboratory experiences will take your students on a journey through the world of light, color, and perception.