Positives

• This worksheet provides common examples of different parts of the electromagnetic spectrum and photos to support understanding.
• This experiment could easily be expanded to include many other classroom materials.
  

Additional Prerequisites

• Although the worksheet introduces the electromagnetic spectrum, it may help students to introduce this concept beforehand.
• Materials needed for the activity include an infrared camera, picture frames, and sheets of black and clear plastic. 
  

Differentiation

• This is a great resource to use as part of a physics unit about electromagnetic radiation or a biology lesson about photosynthesis, vision, metabolism, the greenhouse effect, or energy transfers between trophic levels. 
• Try connecting this activity with a discussion about how this concept is connected to global warming using the following guiding questions: which materials on Earth reflect or absorb infrared energy and what is the resulting impact on our climate?
• Additional resources on this topic include this video about the greenhouse effect and infrared cameras, this interactive simulation of infrared radiation in greenhouse gases, and this lab about the albedo effect.