General Science Extension Activities Lesson 5

Testing Transparent, Translucent, Opaque

Explore How Light Passes Through Materials

Add more items such as construction paper, tubes, clear and colored plastic bottles, toothbrushes, jars of different liquids, sunglasses, toys, leaves, and plants. Test and sort them into transparent, translucent, and opaque categories. Observe how light travels through or is blocked by each material.

Oil Painting for Translucency

Painting with Oil to Make Paper Translucent

“Painting” with oil makes paper more translucent because the oil fills the spaces between the paper fibers. Ideas include making “X-rays,” painting dots or swirls, or creating a volcano scene. Draw first with crayons, then paint with oil (use cotton swabs to limit the amount). Hold the paper up to the light after the oil has absorbed. Place a mat or extra paper underneath before starting.

Rainbow Lightning Art

Create Lightning-Like Rainbow Patterns

Place a white sheet of paper on a baking sheet and secure it with magnets. Use food dye and a spray bottle of water. First spray the bottom of the paper, then slowly tip the baking sheet up and spray drops along the top. The colors should spread and fall down the sheet like lightning.

DIY Spectroscope

Build Your Own Spectroscope

Make a DIY spectroscope with an old CD and a paper towel roll to explore the light spectrum. Follow the instructions in the video to see rainbows in different lights.

Shadow Puppets

Make and Play with Shadow Puppets

Look up how to make different animal shadow puppets and play using a flashlight. Experiment with how light creates shadows of different sizes and shapes.