Enhance STEM Learning with Laser Pointers

Classroom Laser Pointers

Science, Technology, Engineering and Math – these days, STEM projects are a part of every school’s curriculum. From pre-kindergarten through grad school, teachers and educators have tricks and tools up their sleeves to keep their audience engaged and focused. A laser pen or laser pointer can be a handy and important tool for teachers, no matter what STEM subject you teach, focusing your audience’s attention exactly where you want it to be. 

Choosing the Right Laser Pointer for Teaching STEM Projects

Teaching students STEM subjects such as light visibility, wave lengths, spectroscopy and fluorescence can all get a boost with the help of a laser pointer. Absorption and emission of light comes to colorful life with a small tool or two, no matter your students’ age.

As we discussed in our Basics of Laser Pointers article, a laser does not need a lot of power to function optimally in most classroom or lecture settings. In fact, low power works to make the laser invisible until it strikes an opaque surface, like a wall or white board. 

There are many colors of lasers with red and green being popular for classroom settings. The original laser color, red, is widely used. Educators and trainers typically prefer wireless models well-suited to indoors, such as the Slimline Red Presenter. Set at 650 nm, it is comfortably bright and pinpoint accurate, whether the classroom lights are on or off. Green laser pointers are similarly popular.

Even at very low energy output, at 5 mW or less, a green laser pointer is very bright, 30 times brighter than red. The human eye is drawn to it, a neat trick for teachers who need to capture the attention of easily distracted young humans. The Emerald Green Laser Pointer is popular for the rich green color emitted from this slim, pen-sized tool.

Are Laser Pointers Safe in the Classroom?

Educators already know that lasers are not toys and should be used only for their intended purpose. We feel the same way. All of Alpec’s lasers are premium laser pointers, built with 100% IR filtration.  IR filtration along with sealed, tamper-proof laser housing ensure a safe laser experience.  STEM projects will never be the same!

Which Laser Pointer or Laser Presenter is Right for You?

Reach out if we can answer any questions about which laser pointers are right for your classroom.