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Rainbows, Mirages and Talking Over Glass

In this single-shot enrichment club students will SEE rainbows, mirages and other optical phenomena of the lower atmosphere and be entertained as well with colorful stories and explanations. Simple "ray diagrams"with a minimal of physics.
Clifton Draper, PhD, Author, Inventor . Educator
Average rating:
5.0
Number of reviews:
(1)
Class
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What's included

1 live meeting
1 in-class hours

Class Experience

US Grade 8 - 11
Beginner Level
This is a single 1 hour Enrichment Club experience. Rainbows and mirages are a colorful and color-filled way to demonstrate phenomena caused by the refraction of light. They are a great way to introduce young audiences to optical fiber technology that has allowed for the data revolution we now live in or with. The only physics needed is the appreciation of simple ray diagrams; no math used. Before science explained what was going on "people" looked elsewhere for explanations when they witnessed rainbows or mirages. Some pretty famous people had egg on their face when confronted with mirages during the  intense race to get to the north pole My presentation style for this club experience  is one long "slide show" with stories and ray diagrams injected to explain the physics. I used this title and these images for decades at Bell Labs, the research branch of the Bell System, when giving public talks through their Speaker's Bureau. Your learner will gain the ability to explain far more than "why is the sky blue?" And he or she may even be able to explain to you why you will NEVER see a rainbow in the sky midday or why something called looming  allows lights over the horizon to clearly be visible over cold bodies of water. The stories accompanying  the images are more colorful than the ray diagrams. In an enrichment club experience I am encouraged to include topic/theme breakdown to assist you in your decision making. The hour will cover rainbows first, mirages second, transmission of light pulses over silica glass fiber and lastly Q & A from audience.
Learning Goals
Students will learn how the refraction of light causes the phenomena in the lower atmosphere and how the same exact light bending allows for laser and LED light pulses to travel through glass enabling today's data revolution. And  along the way be entertained and visually engaged. Lots of stories accompany the images . From Jesus walking on water to Admiral Peary and the race to the north pole.
learning goal

Other Details

Parental Guidance
The photography is all real. No digital technology modifications. My story telling is mixture of historical facts, stretching of truths, personal insights and shared experiences.
Pre-Requisites
Big Viewing Screen. This is an image-rich hour.
External Resources
Learners will not need to use any apps or websites beyond the standard Outschool tools.
5.0
1reviews
Profile
Teacher expertise and credentials
Virginia Teaching Certificate in Elementary Education
New Jersey Teaching Certificate in Elementary Education
I was a distinguished member of the technical staff at Bell Labs, the R&D arm of the Bell System. This presentation is the direct result of handcrafting a "Speaker's Bureau" dog and pony show I gave all over the country to organizations as young as Boy Scouts to as old as Assisted Living Complexes when requests for speakers came to the Bell System from community organizations. I got really good at the "be entertaining" mandate. Nothing puts a n audience to sleep like math and physics. 

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Live One-Time Class
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$10

per class
Meets once
60 min

Completed by 2 learners
Live video meetings
Ages: 13-18
2-4 learners per class

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