Virtual Workshop: Making Rainbows!

Bending light to make colors. 

White light that shines from the sun or a light bulb is made up of all the colors of visible light mixed together.  When light hits an object, its path changes direction: the light is bent, or refracted. Sometimes each color that makes up the white light bends a slightly different amount, the white light breaks apart and we see a rainbow.

Here are some ways that you can make rainbows!

Making Watery Rainbows

 You will need: a pan or bowl of water, a small mirror, sunlight or a flashlight, a blank wall or other vertical surface.

Hold the mirror in the water. Move it around in the light until you see a rainbow.

What colors do you see?

What shape is your rainbow?

Can you make your rainbow move?

Can you make a rainbow without the mirror?

Can you make a rainbow without the water?

Making Misty Rainbows 
   

You will need:  a spray bottle of water or garden hose and spray nozzle; a sunny morning or afternoon.

Can you make a rainbow? What is the best way?

Is it best to spray facing the sun? Away from the sun?

How big is your rainbow?

Are the colors in rainbows always the same?

Finding Rainbows

When do you see rainbows in the sky? Where else can you find rainbows? Oil in a puddle? Soap Bubbles?

Anywhere else?

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These are ideas from our new K-1 Module: Rainbows, Color, and Light.

Like all of  our curriculum, this module is standards-based, and it’s unusual in inquiry science  for these grade levels: there isn’t a lot of curriculum covering this material at this level, even though it’s required in many states.

You can find out more about Rainbows, Color, and Light here!

And you can check out an Activity Summary for the module here!