III. Chapter
 
Overview
Activity 1
Activity 2
Activity 3
Activity 4
Activity 5
Activity 6
Activity 7
Activity 8
Activity 9
Activity 10
Activity 11
Activity 12




 


Activity 5: Light and Light Reflection

Optics / Light

Target group: Children of 5 to 10 years in kindergarten and school

Aim: Getting to know and using light reflection by several mirrors

Where? Group area; outside area

How long? 60 – 90 Minutes

What? Building a kaleidoscope

Preparation:

Ready-made kaleidoscope, construction kits for a kaleidoscope; or, alternatively:

· 2 mirrors, 7 x 30 cm

· black cardboard, 7 x 30 cm,

· insulating tape

· ruler, pencil, scissors

· white paper, 8 x 8 cm

· transparent sticky tape

· cellophane, 16 x 16 cm

· tiny shreds of coloured paper in different shapes

 

Instructions:

· use the insulating tape to stick the mirrors together so that they form an angle

· glue the black cardboard paper as a third surface to one of the mirrors, and join the three parts together so that they form a triangular pipe

· stick a triangle of white paper onto a narrow side of the construction. The paper triangle should have a hole at one corner (this is put into the corner between the two mirrors).

 

Variation:

· make two triangular bags from cellophane and transparent tape, and fill them with paper shreds. Fasten them at the open end of the pipe with transparent tape.

Steps:

The children try out the finished kaleidoscope, turn and shake it.

 

Afterwards they build their own kaleidoscope from the prepared materials,

first with an open end, so that they can see the environment that is reflected several times.

 

In a second step the end is equipped with cellophane bags, which can be filled with different materials.

 

 

 

Scientific Explanation:

When an item is reflected in mirrors that are arranged in an angle, it is reproduced several times. Due to the special arrangement of the mirrors in the kaleidoscope, there are ever further reflections of the reflected items, so that a symmetrical circular pattern develops. 

 

Possible Variation:

The children look for nature material in the grounds of the kindergarten with which they can fill the kaleidoscope, they try out different fillings and look at how the mirrors reflect the inside.

Note!

 

References:

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to activity 6: