Hands On Optics, Module Four – Peculiar Polarization

Where would astronomy be without Galileo and his telescope? Where would physics be without Newton breaking light into its colors with his prism? ?My heart leaps up when I behold/A rainbow in the sky,? wrote William Wordsworth. Where would we humans be without our love affair with rainbows and light? Questions like these are the impetus behind the National Science Foundation-funded program Hands-On Optics: Making an Impact with Light. Hands-On Optics (HOO) brings optics education to middle school students through hands-on activities. We are pleased to be able to bring our modules to schools. The kits were developed by a team from the National Optical Astronomy Observatory, the Optical Society of America, and the International Society for Optical Engineering and were extensively field-tested in classrooms and museums across the country. The NSF has funded the development of six modules, suitable for use in classrooms, after-school programs, or museum settings. Each module focuses on a different area of optics and contains enough material for a class of students to engage in interesting hands-on optics activities. The modules are designed to be exploratory in nature and are inquiry-based. These activities have been classroom tested and are aligned with national science, math and technology standards. Teacher demonstration equipment is also included in each module. Module 4 ? Peculiar Polarization. Students continue their exploration of light by learning what is meant by polarized light. They explore a diverse variety of topics such as birefringence, why we use polarized sunglasses, optically active substances, polarized light from LCD screens, and stress analysis using polarized light. The culminating challenge is a unique activity where students use their knowledge of polarized light to create a work of art.