Exploring the Electromagnetic Spectrum

This article is a supplement to a NASA poster about the electromagnetic spectrum provided in an issue of The Science Teacher. Using the spectrum provides a means of introducing and understa... See More

This article is a supplement to a NASA poster about the electromagnetic spectrum provided in an issue of The Science Teacher. Using the spectrum provides a means of introducing and understanding of the evolution of the universe and astronomy in general. Activities are provided that support learning about light and the properties of light. They culminate with an activity about the Doppler Effect and creating a model of an expanding universe. This article alone would be a good source of activities related to the electromagnetic spectrum.

Lots of facts but limited applications

The article presents a condensed (and in many cases confusing) history of the use of light in astronomy. I am not sure all of the author's facts are correct - they are certainly Euro-centric... See More

The article presents a condensed (and in many cases confusing) history of the use of light in astronomy. I am not sure all of the author's facts are correct - they are certainly Euro-centric and neglect contributions from cultures outside of the Europe-Mesopotamian sphere of influence. The activities are not always practical and in many cases would only be used in an honors class, not an introductory earth science or astronomy course for high school. It is related to a poster that was also published in this issue, but the article does stand alone well. If I was interested in this topic, this would be a good place to start, but I would definitely supplement the information provided from a timeline of science/technology text that was multicultural before I presented the information to my classes.