Science and Fun in a “Magic Show of Light” from Optical Demonstrations on an Overhead Projector for elementary school students.

Abstract

We seek methods of stimulating young school children to develop an interest in science and engineering through a natural curiosity for the reaction of light. Science learning now begins fully at middle school. Reading skills develop with activity at home and progress through the elementary school curriculum, and in a like manner, a curious interest in science also should begin at that stage of life. Within the ranks of educators, knowledge of optical science needs to be presented to elementary school students in an entertaining manner. One such program used by the authors is Doug Goodman's Optics Demonstrations With the Overhead Projector, co-published by and available from OSA (Optical Society of America) and SPIE-The International Society of Optical Engineering. These demonstrations have found their way into middle and high schools; however, as a special approach, the authors have presented selected Goodman demonstrations as a "Magic Show of Light" to elementary schools. Both students and faculty have found the show most entertaining! If optical knowledge is utilized to stimulate science learning in the coming generation at elementary school level, there's a good chance we can sow some fertile seeds of advancement for all future segments of the workforce. Students can enjoy what they are doing while building a foundation for contributing gainfully to society in any profession. We need to explore expanding exposure of the "Magic Show of Light" to elementary schools.

Open-source 3D printed laboratory for education: illuminating optics and optoelectronics demonstrations

“…Overcoming these challenges involves recognizing that optics and photonics education can benefit from specialized lab equipment, like tables, laser sources, and spectrum analysers, which may not be readily available in K-12 schools or non-specialized engineering institutions [9]. While alternative teaching methods [10][11][12][13][14][15][16], educational kits [16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24][25], and virtual tools [26][27][28][29] help to some extent by facilitating hands-on and visual demonstrations, they have some limitations. These include a lack of customization, limited design flexibility, and the inability to integrate additional components for advanced experiments.…”