Task Sheet 1
Homework task:
Create a 3minute video explaining everything you need to know about the
Electromagnetic spectrum, this could be a song, rap or short movie… Make it
creative. An example of which can be found at:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bjOGNVH3D4Y
Task Sheet 2
Homework task:
Create a game explaining everything you need to know about the
Electromagnetic spectrum, take inspiration from your favourite sport/board
game/activity. Make it fun and challenging, with an overall aim for the players of
the game. Try to design the game so that it can be completed by it’s players
within approximately 10 minutes.
Task Sheet 3
Game:
The game was designed for 32 students however it can easily be adjusted to suit
both smaller and larger groups though the teacher should be aware that all of the
pieces of paper must match up to another, for the game to work.
Attached are 32 pieces of paper each with either the name of a wave type from
the Electromagnetic Spectrum, a use of a wave type or a marker on the
Electromagnetic Spectrum (for example – longest wavelength or shortest
frequency). Each piece of paper can be paired up with at least one other.
The pieces of paper are folded up and placed in a container/bag etc and then
each student takes one piece of paper out. Once all of the pieces of paper are out
each student must find their partner i.e. match a wave type with a use (Ultraviolet can be paired with Sun beds) or equally the spectrum markers can pair up
(Shortest wavelength can be paired with Highest Frequency).
It is important at this stage to clarify that each pair should consist of one student
representing a wave type (e.g. Microwaves) and the other student should
represent a use for that wave type (e.g. Cooking), as there will probably be more
than one pair for each wave type and if students misinterpret the instructions
they may pair up matching wave types, for example a pair of Microwaves with
out uses.
For the majority of students there will be another pairing of the same wave type,
but perhaps to a different use, these groups can be encouraged to stay together
in the interest of the next instruction.
NOTE: to make this harder, the teacher can take request this to be done in silence
so the students have to act out what is written on their card (to prevent students
just showing their piece of paper to the other students the teacher can take their
piece of paper away from them once they have familiarised them selves with
what they have got.
Once the students are all in pairs (or groups of wave type) their next instruction
should be to get into a line based on their wave type and position on the
Electromagnetic Spectrum. Given there are 32 students participating the line
should go:
2 Students (Longest Wavelength, Lowest Frequency)
4 Students (2x Radio Waves, 2x Uses of Radio Waves)
4 Students (2x Microwaves, 2x Uses of Microwaves)
4 Students (2x Infra-red, 2x Uses of Infra-red)
4 Students (2x Visible Light, 2x Uses of Visible Light)
4 Students (2x Ultra-Violet, 2x Uses of Ultra-Violet)
4 Students (2x X-rays, 2x Uses of X-rays)
4 Students (2x Gamma Rays, 2x Uses of Gamma Rays)
2 Students (Shortest Wavelength, Highest Frequency)
Or visa versa. Again this can be done in silence to make it more challenging.
Further Progression of game:
A further step this game can take is to take the students out to the play ground,
or to the gym/hall, get them to sit in their pairs facing each other in two lines
with their legs straight out in front of them (feet against their partners feet).
Again it would be preferable for them to not only be sitting in their pairs but also
to be sitting in the correct order according to the spectrum.
Obviously if all 16 pairs have been made then there will be two pairs for each
wave type, in this case the students should sit as before, but only one pair per
wave type. Then the remaining students should either form another set of lines
at a safe distance away from the first or join the end of the other set of lines,
either way the second set of pairs should still be in order of the Electromagnetic
Spectrum.
At this point the teacher must clarify that the students are sat opposite the
correct person.
It is recommended that for more than 18students the extra pairs be sat in a
separate group. For example if all 16pairs have been made the ideal lay out
would be as demonstrated on the attached sheet.
Now the object of the game is a simple race. Once a pair is called they must stand
up, run to one end of the spectrum (to be decided by the teacher at the start of
the game) jumping over their fellow students legs, once at the end they must run
back down either side of the spectrum (i.e. one turns left at the top the other
turns right and they run the length of the line behind the backs of the other
students in their team), once at the end they must continue to a further marker,
for example a wall then turn around, run back up the centre of their lines (over
the remaining students legs and sit back in their original positions before the
other person in their pair.
NOTE: Should all 16 pairs be in use, for every call there will be two races going
on, one in each set of lines.
To get used to the game at first the teacher could just call out a wave type, for
example Radio waves. Then to make it slightly harder they could call out the
uses of the wave type they wish to run. Finally to make it that bit more
challenging, they could call out various different qualities, or ask questions to
which the answer would be a wave type. This way the students have to figure out
the answer before they can run.
Task Sheet 4
Game:
Based on 20 Questions – One student selects a wave type out of a container, the
other students have the opportunity to ask 5 yes or no answer questions to
determine which wave type they have selected. The winning student may then
select the next wave type and so on.
The same pieces of paper attached for the previous game may be used in this
one. Alternatively more can be printed from the document entitled “Pairs for
Game” on the CD.
Task Sheet 5
Prism Experiment:
Equipment:
 Light box
 Piece of white A4 paper
 Triangular prism
 Colouring pencils
Aim:
Using a light box, a triangular prism and a sheet of paper the students should
learn about the refraction of light and how when visible light splits the colours
disperse as red travels faster than violet etc.
The students should be instructed to lay the prism, on it is triangular side, on the
piece of paper.
They should then shine the smallest ray they can achieve with the light box
toward the prism to create the visual spectrum on the other side of the prism.
When they can see the spectrum displayed on their piece of paper they should
use the colouring pencils to draw on to the piece of paper the image they see.
Once they have established the image and order of the visual spectrum they
should be given the attached questions to answer.
Task Sheet 6
Poster Project:
Equipment needed (for each poster)
 A1 paper
 String
 Colouring pencils
 A4 piece of paper cut in half horizontally then each half cut in four:
Task 1:
What are the colours of the Rainbow?






R
O
Y
G
B
V
These colours are also known as the colours in the visual spectrum part of the
electromagnetic spectrum.
Take one piece of the cut up A4 sheet (have it landscape) and colour it in the
visual spectrum colours… make sure you get the correct order of colours!
Following the prism experiment…
Why is it, do you think, that a rainbow is curved?
(Think about the speed at which each colour moves)
Then take your piece of paper that should now be coloured in the spectral
colours of the rainbow keeping the red side to your left and the violet side to
your right. Then along the bottom of this paper draw 5 dots equally spaced and
along the top draw 4 dots as shown below:
Then take some string and glue a length down connecting the dots like so:
This rectangle of paper will represent the visible light part of the electromagnetic
spectrum on your poster.
Task 2:
Now we know the order of the colours of the visible spectrum we can start to
look at the order of the rest of the Electromagnetic Spectrum
Below list the 6 other wave types that make up the whole spectrum:







G
X
U
Visible
I
M
R
Now take 6 other of the rectangles of paper on the back of each label (in pencil) a
different wave type within the Electromagnetic Spectrum… excluding visible
light as we have already done that one! Now as a group decide on an image that
represents each wave type and draw each image on the front of the relevant
piece of paper.
Now for the string…
As before with visible light, you are going to draw dots along the top and bottom
of each sheet of paper, however each piece of paper will be different:
Gamma waves: 8 dots along the bottom, 7 dots along the top
X-rays: 7 dots along the bottom, 6 dots along the top
Ultraviolet: 6 dots along the bottom, 5 dots along the top
Infrared: 4 dots along the bottom, 3 dots along the top
Microwaves: 3 dots along the bottom, 2 dots along the top
Radio waves: 2 dots along the bottom, 1 dots along the top
Now on each piece of paper connect the dots with the string as you did before
with the visible light.
Task 3:
Putting it all together!
Align each of the smaller pieces of paper along the centre of the larger sheet,
making sure that the wave types are in the correct order of the Electromagnetic
spectrum and all of your pieces of string match up… Does your string look like a
continuous wave with an increasing frequency?
Check with your teacher that the order of your pieces of paper is correct before
you glue them down.
Once you have secured each piece of paper set about cutomising your poster!
A few things you may want to include:
 The title (The Electromagnetic Spectrum)
 Label each wave type with its name and uses
 Indicate the area of the spectrum with
o The highest frequency
o The lowest frequency
o The longest wavelength
o The shortest wavelength
 Other images that show what each part of the spectrum can be used for
 Any other facts you can think of to do with the Electromagnetic spectrum
(for example the speed of Electromagnetic waves in a vacuum is
300,000,000m/s)
How does it look?