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Vials showing nanoscale gold particles that appears red.

Glass Activities

Celebrate the International Year of Glass - 2022! A compilation of activities about glass including glass lenses in microscopes and telescopes and scientific images of glass.
International Year of Glass logo

International Year of Glass 2022

Celebrating the past, present, and future of this transformative material

https://iyog2022.org

 

More Resources

Hands-on Activities

Two learners and one facilitator look at gold nanoparticles suspended in a solution which makes a red color

Exploring Materials - Stained-Glass Windows

In this activity, learners use contact paper and colored tissue paper to create a "nanoparticle stained-glass" window.
Students work on making their own version of stained glass

Nanoparticle Stained Glass: classroom program

In this long activity, learners are introduced to the connections between art and science, with a focus on the connection between stained glass and nanotechnology.
Person's hand resting a Stained Glass window

Nanoparticle Stained Glass (cart demo)

In this activity, learners make a collaborative stained glass window and a take-away card with pre-made nanoparticle solutions containing silver or gold
Girl looking at objects in a beaker filled with liquid that appear to be invisible

Exploring Properties - Invisibility

In this activity, learners investigate how glass objects can be "hidden" in some liquids through refraction.
A photoshopped image of people wearing invisibility cloaks hiding everything but their legs

Invisibility Cloak video

In this 4-min video the idea of invisibility cloaks is comedically explored.
Hands holding glass objects on a string in a beaker of liquid

Exploring Nano & Society - Invisibility Cloak

In this activity, learners explore how refraction can be used to make a glass stir rod "disappear" in a cup of baby oil, while having conversations about new technologies.
Polarized Light activity with hands holding paper and polarizing tape materials up to the window

Light Activities

A compilation of public engagement activities that explore light visible to our eyes and other wavelengths on the electromagnetic spectrum.
Faciltator at a table holding aerogel in the palm of her hand

Aerogel

In this activity, learners see and interact with the nanomaterial aerogel and discover its unique properties.
Child holding squares of red stained glass colored by nano gold

Exploring Materials - Nano Gold

In this activity, learners discover that nanoparticles of gold can appear red, orange or even blue.
solar cell wired up to a meter

Dye Sensitized (Raspberry Juice) Solar Cell

In this activity, learners build a dye-sensitized solar cell using nanocrystalline titanium dioxide and raspberry juice.
Hands holding square of polarizers and transparent tape

Exploring Materials - Polarizers

In this activity, learners experiment how polarizers affect light by using two polarizing sheets and overlapping layers of transparent tape.
A person puts a liquid on a substrate which is on top of a DIY spin-coater.

Organic Light-Emitting Diodes (OLEDs): Classroom Version

In this classroom activity, learners will engage with organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) to discover how they work.
image of a handprint that was created using heat sensitive liquid crystals suspended in thermal paper

Exploring Materials - Liquid Crystals

In this activity, learners will investigate the properties of a heat sensitive liquid crystal and make their own liquid crystal sensor to take home.
A person puts a liquid on a substrate which is on top of a DIY spin-coater.

Organic Light-Emitting Diodes (OLEDs): Cart Version

In this activity, learners explore OLEDs through presentations and a spin coater demonstration. Instructions are included for facilitators to pre-make the OLEDs and the spin coater.
Liquid crystal display activity components including signs, guides, craft materials, safety gear, and liquid crystal material

Exploring Products - Liquid Crystal Displays

In this activity, learners investigate temperature-sensitive liquid crystal sheets and liquid crystal displays from a calculator.