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STEM Tuesday– Light and Color– In the Classroom

By on September 8, 2026   /   Light and Color, STEM Tuesday   /   Leave a comment

Light and color are everywhere! We see them in rainbows after a storm, bright flowers outside, and the colorful images glowing on our screens. But have you ever wondered how light creates all those colors? Exploring light and color is a great way to get middle-grade students excited about science. In these books, readers can discover how light travels, bends, bounces, and separates into different colors. They can learn about how colors form and think about why objects look the way they do. They make a great starting point for classroom discussion and activities!

 

A pale background covered with colorful hand drawn plants, flowers, berries, and natural materials, with the large green title in the center and a small child illustration at the bottom.Before Colors: Where Pigments and Dyes Come From by Annette Bay Pimentel and Madison Safer
This browsable book explores the science and history of color in a BIG way…literally! Its large format makes it stand out on any bookshelf, and for good reason. Safer’s captivating illustrations and Pimentel’s straightforward explanations help demystify the amazing pigments that make up our world and spotlight a diverse group of makers and inventors who have used color in unique ways.

 

A black background scattered with colorful natural objects, plants, flowers, berries, pigments, tools, and containers, surrounding the large white title.How to Be a Color Wizard: Forage and Experiment with Natural Art Making by Jason Logan
With this guide in hand, readers can explore the world around them and discover the magic of color. At the intersection of art, ecology, and chemistry, this book instructs young wizards how to create their own confetti, sidewalk chalk, ink, spray paint, and more. Please note that adult supervision/assistance is required for some of the featured projects.

 

Classroom Activity  – Make Your Own Natural Paints

Have you ever wondered where paint colors came from before you could buy them at a store? Let students experiment with safe natural materials such as berries, turmeric, spinach, soil, or charcoal. Crush or mix the materials with water, then test the homemade colors on paper. Which materials make the brightest colors? Which ones fade the fastest?

 

A comic book style cover featuring Max Axiom standing with his arms raised as bright white beams of light radiate dramatically behind him.The Illuminating World of Light with Max Axiom, Super Scientist (Graphic Science) by Emily Sohn
This engaging graphic science resource brings complex concepts about light and energy to life through an exciting superhero format. Clear explanations, vibrant illustrations, and accessible vocabulary help students build science knowledge while supporting visual learning. A valuable classroom tool for sparking curiosity and encouraging STEM exploration among upper elementary readers.

 

Classroom Activity – Set Up a Light Lab

Turn your classroom into a mini science lab! Set out flashlights, mirrors, prisms, colored filters, and other materials and let students explore. What happens when light hits a mirror? Can they bend light or separate white light into different colors? Have students sketch and write about what they discover.

 

A black cover featuring a child surrounded by swirling trails of blue and red light, with the word LIGHT in large photographic lettering across the top.Exploring the Science of Light: 30+ Illuminating Experiments and Colorful Science Activities by The Exploratorium
Through hands-on projects and crafts, this book encourages exploration of sunlight, shadows, and color. Readers can follow step-by-step instructions to make a pinhole camera, cyanotype painting, or even a solar-powered scribbler. Each activity includes a short explanation of the science behind it.

 

Classroom Activity –  Make a Rainbow

You don’t have to wait for a rainy day to see a rainbow. Challenge students to create rainbows using prisms, water, mirrors, or sunlight. Then talk about why white light separates into different colors. For an added twist, students can explore what rainbows mean in different cultures around the world.

 

A bold optical illusion design of wavy yellow, white, blue, and black shapes that appear to move or distort around the large title.Fantastic Optical Illusions by DK
This visually captivating resource invites young readers to explore the science behind optical illusions and how our brains interpret the world. Interactive examples and eye-catching designs encourage observation, critical thinking, and curiosity. A great classroom choice for sparking discussions about perception, light, and the science of seeing.

 

Classroom Activity – Fool Your Eyes with an Optical Illusion

Can you always believe what your eyes tell you? Challenge students to create their own optical illusions using colors, lines, shapes, and patterns. Have classmates look at each creation and describe what they see. Then students can investigate why the illusion works and learn how our eyes and brains work together to make sense of what we see.

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Carla Mooney loves to explore the world around us and discover the details about how it works. An award-winning author of numerous nonfiction science books for kids and teens, she hopes to spark a healthy curiosity and love of science in today’s young people. She lives in Pennsylvania with her husband, three kids, and dog. Find her at http://www.carlamooney.com, on Facebook @carlamooneyauthor, or on Instagram @moonwriter25

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STEM Tuesday– Light and Color– Book List

By on September 1, 2026   /   Light and Color, STEM Tuesday   /   Leave a comment

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jump into the world of color and light with this month’s book list!

 

A comic book style cover featuring Max Axiom standing with his arms raised as bright white beams of light radiate dramatically behind him.

The Illuminating World of Light with Max Axiom, Super Scientist (Graphic Science) written by Emily Sohn
This engaging graphic science resource brings complex concepts about light and energy to life through an exciting superhero format. Clear explanations, vibrant illustrations, and accessible vocabulary help students build science knowledge while supporting visual learning. A valuable classroom tool for sparking curiosity and encouraging STEM exploration among upper elementary readers.

 

A pale background covered with colorful hand drawn plants, flowers, berries, and natural materials, with the large green title in the center and a small child illustration at the bottom.

 

Before Colors: Where Pigments and Dyes Come From by Annette Bay Pimentel and Madison Safer
This browseable book explores the science and history of color in a BIG way…literally! Its large format makes it stand out on any bookshelf, and for good reason. Safer’s captivating illustrations and Pimentel’s straightforward explanations help to demystify all the amazing pigments that make up our world and to spotlight a diverse group of makers and inventors who have used color in unique ways.

 

A rainbow of bold painted color bands fills the background, with the large black and white title across the middle and a cartoon character appearing at the bottom.

 

 

What is Color? The Global and Sometimes Gross Story of Pigments, Paint, and the Wondrous World of Art by Steven Weinberg
If you’ve ever wondered what pigments you can make from cow urine or dead bodies, then this is the book for you! Told in a conversational tone and filled with wacky facts, this illustrated book takes readers on a worldwide journey through the color spectrum, one hue at a time, in a quest to answer the biggest, titular question: what is color? The back matter contains a variety of STEM and art activities that can be done at school or at home.

 

A black background scattered with colorful natural objects, plants, flowers, berries, pigments, tools, and containers, surrounding the large white title.

 

How to Be a Color Wizard: Forage and Experiment with Natural Art Making by Jason Logan
With this guide in hand, readers can explore the world around them and discover the magic of color. At the intersection of art, ecology, and chemistry, this book instructs young wizards how to create their own confetti, sidewalk chalk, ink, spray paint, and more. Please note that adult supervision/assistance is required for some of the featured projects.

 

 

A black cover featuring a child surrounded by swirling trails of blue and red light, with the word LIGHT in large photographic lettering across the top.

 

Exploring the Science of Light: 30+ Illuminating Experiments and Colorful Science Activities by The Exploratorium
Through hands-on projects and crafts, this book encourages exploration of sunlight, shadows, and color. Readers can follow step-by-step instructions to make a pinhole camera, cyanotype painting, or even a solar-powered scribbler. Each activity is accompanied by a short explanation of the science that makes it possible.

 

A bright yellow and blue cartoon style cover showing a child looking through an optical device, with another character and a bee appearing in the scene.

 

Explore Light and Optics!: With 25 Great Projects written by Anita Yasuda and illustrated by Bryan Stone
This hands-on science resource encourages young readers to explore the fascinating world of light through engaging experiments and activities. Step-by-step projects, clear explanations, and supportive illustrations make complex concepts accessible and fun. A strong choice for classrooms, makerspaces, and STEM learning environments where students can learn through discovery and investigation.

 

 

 

A minimalist pink cover dominated by a large rainbow made of thick colored bands, with the title placed near the bottom.

Over the Rainbow: The Science, Magic, and Meaning of Rainbows written by Rachael Davis and illustrated by Wenjia Tan
This beautifully crafted science resource blends scientific discovery with cultural connections to explore one of nature’s most captivating phenomena. Rich explanations and engaging artwork help young readers understand the science behind rainbows while inspiring wonder and curiosity. A wonderful addition to classrooms exploring light, weather, and the connections between science and the world around us.

 

A bold optical illusion design of wavy yellow, white, blue, and black shapes that appear to move or distort around the large title.

 

 

Fantastic Optical Illusions by DK
This visually captivating resource invites young readers to explore the fascinating science behind optical illusions and the way our brains interpret the world. Interactive examples and eye-catching designs encourage observation, critical thinking, and curiosity. A great classroom choice for sparking discussions about perception, light, and the science of seeing.

 

 

A bright, graphic cover with multicolored rays radiating outward around a large white eye. Inside the eye is a small circular kaleidoscope pattern.

 

Kaleidoscope: Step into a world of color written by Laura Mucha and illustrated by Nina Chakrabarti
This vibrant exploration of color invites young readers to discover the science, creativity, and wonder behind the colors they see every day. Engaging text and striking illustrations encourage observation, imagination, and curiosity about the natural world. A beautiful addition to classrooms exploring art, light, and the science of color.

 

 

A rich blue cover showing a young girl surrounded by blue flowers and waterlike patterns while holding a mortar and pestle containing blue pigment.

 

Blue: A History of the Color as Deep as the Sea and as Wide as the Sky by Nana Ekua Brew-Hammond and Daniel Minter
This gorgeously illustrated picture book explores the cultural, linguistic, and scientific significance of the color blue. It takes readers on a global expedition from lapis lazuli stones in ancient Egypt to sea snails along the Mediterranean to the synthetic “chemical blue” invented by a chemist named Adolf von Baeyer. Along the way, it traces the indigo plant’s role in fueling the Transatlantic Slave Trade, the religious symbolism of the color blue, and why we sing the blues when we’re feeling…well, blue.

 

 

 

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This month’s STEM Tuesday book list was prepared by:

Author Lydia Lukidis

 

Lydia Lukidis is an award-winning author of 60+ trade and educational books for children. Her titles include UP, UP HIGH: The Secret Poetry of Earth’s Atmosphere (Capstone, 2025), DANCING THROUGH SPACE: Dr. Mae Jemison Soars to New Heights (Albert Whitman, 2024), and DEEP, DEEP, DOWN: The Secret Underwater Poetry of the Mariana Trench (Capstone, 2023) which was a Crystal Kite winner for the Canada and North America division, Forest of Reading Silver Birch Express Honor, a Cybils Award nominee, and winner of the Dogwood Readers Award. A science enthusiast from a young age, Lydia now incorporates her studies in science and her everlasting curiosity into her books.  Another passion of hers is fostering a love for children’s literacy through the writing workshops she regularly offers in elementary schools across Quebec with the Culture in the Schools program. For more information, please visit www.lydialukidis.com.

 

 

 

author Callie Dean

 

Callie Dean is a researcher, writer, and musician living in Shreveport, LA. Her first picture book, Marvelous Mistakes: Accidents That Made History, will be published in 2026. For more information, please visit https://calliebdean.com.

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STEM Tuesday– Light Pollution– In the Classroom

By on July 14, 2026   /   Light Pollution, STEM Tuesday  

 

It’s been a big firefly summer in Minnesota this year, and we’ve been watching their lights flicker each night in our back garden. Summer is always a time to linger outside in the warm and long nights, look up, and see what you can see. Close to the city, the stars are hard to see though. So, we go up north to see the stars, and they are dazzling.

Here are some activities to try with your kids now or when school is back in session to illustrate how light pollution not only blocks stars, but can upset the natural balance of our days and nights. I’ve curated this list of activities that could easily go with the books from this mont’s Stem Tuesday list. Read a book, try an activity, and enjoy the summer nights!

 

How Light Pollution Affects Animals

Book cover - glowing frog on a black background.Dark Matters: Nature’s Reaction to Light Pollution by Joan Marie Galat

A blend of science and memoir that focuses on the environmental consequences of increasingly artificially lit night skies. She describes its impact on sea turtles, fireflies, birds, and bats and provides basic steps to address light pollutio

 

 

 

 

Book cover - newly hatched sea turtles heading for the ocean.Follow the Moon Home : a Tale of One Idea, Twenty Kids, and a Hundred Sea Turtles by Philippe Cousteau and Deborah Hopkinson

Informational fiction inspired by the student-initiated Lights Out for Loggerheads program in South Carolina. The story presents a model for community engagement, and back matter outlines actions appropriate for preteen environmentalists.

 

 

 

Activities

Citizen Science to Reduce Light Pollution

Book cover - bird and moth perched on three ornate lights lit at night.Who Hid the Stars? How Light Pollution Changes Our World by Danio Miserocchi & Maciej Michno; illus. by Valentina Gottardi, and translated by Sylvia Notini

This well-documented book examines how city lights affect birds and bats, reptiles and insects – even trees and flowers. It also provides hope, sharing things cities and people can do to minimize light pollution. Back matter includes ideas for bringing back the stars (dark skies) and resources.

Book cover - person sitting on a slope watching te setting sun.Saving the Night : How Light Pollution is Harming Life on Earth by Stephen Aitken

Full of fascinating photos and facts, this book examines many interactions creatures and plants have developed with light, the differing effects of various sources of light pollution on land and in our waterways, conservationists working to preserve the night, and successful projects. It includes suggestions for reducing our individual light pollution.

 

 

Activities

  • Globe at Night: a citizen science campaign to raise awareness about the effects of light pollution inviting people to measure the brightness of their night sky and submit their observations
  • ASTROPHOTOS – Measuring Light Pollution: Make your smartphone measure the light in the night sky with this app and activity.
  • Audubon Lights Out Program: Survey where you live or your school and look for ways to help reduce light pollution with the useful list of actions on this site.
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