Part of Lesson Plan: White Balancing -What is it, and why is it important?

Activity Overview / Details

This time, the teacher can simply ask the class, "What color is my shirt?" 

*(Be sure to wear a solid colored shirt (not white or black) the day of this lecture.)

If you are wearing a blue shirt, students will 'blurt-out' the answer, "blue!"

At this pint the teacher says, "wrong, anybody else want to guess?

(Wait for more responses, and continue to say, "wrong"...  This will really get the students' attention, and allow the teacher to discuss the wave nature of light.)

Now that the students look confused as to why their teacher keeps telling them they are wrong - tell the students the following:

The reason I said wrong when you told me my blue shirt was blue, is because you have actually never seen my shirt!

(pause for suspense)

(continue) The only thing your eyes can see is light, and my shirt is not made out of light is it? What your eyes see is the light bouncing off my shirt and hitting your eyes.  There is a reason my shirt looks blue to you.  Remember when I told you that white light is made from a combination of ALL colors?  Well, when the light in this classroom hits my shirt, the material my shirt is made out of absorbs all the light except for the blue wavelengths of light.  The blue light bounces off my shirt and is received by your eyes.