Bringing Optics to High School: From Eyeglasses to Holograms
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Bringing Optics to High School: From Eyeglasses to Holograms Eyeglasses have been used since at least the 13th century and we are still actually surrounded by light from the Big Bang. But the technological applications of optics and light sources have grown explosively only in the last 20 years. After teaching junior- and senior-level college courses on optics for several years, I have seen that students growing up in the age of laser disks, supermarket checkout scanners, and fiberoptic communications have had surprisingly little exposure to what the components and principles really are behind these important technologies. Since my research is also in these areas, I felt that I should go one step earlier in the educational chain and share some of my excitement in this field with high school students. In addition, I wanted to initiate a dialog with the students on a regular basis about various topics in science and engineering to encourage them to consider a career in these areas. With these thoughts in mind I set out to make contacts with the high school a few yards from my home. The first step was to call the principal's office. From there, I was put in touch with the science teacher, who also was the advisor to the school's science society. There was a mutual apprehension at first about the scope of my visit: my concerns about the reaction and responses of the students to my visit and subsequent talk, and the teacher's concerns about a college professor's unfamiliarity with the instructional systems in the school. To help alleviate these problems, I arranged to visit the school and talk to the teacher prior to my first presentation to the students. From that meeting and follow-up telephone conversations, I was able to understand their expectations and properly tailor my talk to the students I would meet. The teacher suggested that my talks be scheduled as a part of the visiting lecture series of the Science Society, which met weekly after school on Fridays. I kept mathematics to a minimum because the attendees at the talk included seniors, juniors, and some sophomores. The format was show and tell. I brought components such as lasers and light emitting diodes so the students could see them at close range. I made a point of arriving a few minutes early so I could mix with the students. The first talk was on light sources, attended by about 25 students. The aim was to familiarize the students with types of light sources and to bring out their differences and similarities. I presented the topic using transparencies that I had prepared, and the students were urged to ask questions during the presentation. I brought a
He-Ne laser, a semiconductor laser diode, and a light emitting diode that I used for demonstrations throughout the talk. Some of the students asked a few questions, mostly on the general perceptions about lasers and their effects on humans. We compared the different light sources in terms of color, optical power output, and beam directionality, and also the costs. The comparison allowed the students to
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