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CD Spinner
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In this activity, learners create a simple “top” from a CD, marble and bottle cap, and use it as a spinning platform for a variety of illusion-generating patterns.
Dark Adaptation
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In this activity (6th on the page), learners investigate how photoreceptors in the eye (rods and cones) "adapt" to low light conditions.
Measuring Your Blind Spot
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In this activity, learners calculate the width (horizontal diameter) of the blind spot on their retina. Learners make a blind spot tester using a piece of notebook paper.
The Blind Spot
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In this activity (1st on the page), learners find their blind spot--the area on the retina without receptors that respond to light.
Diffraction
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In this optics activity, demonstrate diffraction using a candle or a small bright flashlight bulb and a slide made with two pencils.
Camera Projector
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In this activity (posted on March 14, 2011), learners follow the steps to construct a camera projector to explore lenses and refraction.
Experiencing Parallax With Your Thumb
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In this activity, learners investigate parallax, a method used to measure distances to stars and planets in the solar system.
How Our Environment Affects Color Vision
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In this lab (Activity #1 on page), learners explore how we see color.
X-Ray Vision?
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In this activity (13th on the page), learners complete a simple illusion trick to see through their own hand.
Personal Pinhole Theater
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Have you ever heard of a camera without a lens? In this activity, learners create a pinhole camera out of simple materials. They'll see the world in a whole new way: upside down and backwards!
Color Vision
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In this online activity, learners make a whole rainbow by mixing red, green, and blue light. They can change the wavelength of a monochromatic beam or they can filter white light.
Benham's Disk
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In this activity, learners make a Benham Top to explore visual illusions and optics.
Depth Perception
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In this easy demonstration (3rd on the page), learners explore depth perception by conducting a test with two pencils.
Drop IT!: Depth Perception
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These two activities (4th on the page) demonstrate the importance of two eyes in judging depth.
Seeing in the Dark
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In this activity (17th on the page), learners investigate why you cannot see colors in dim light.
Accommodating Accommodation
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In this demonstration (18th on the page), learners conduct a simple test to explore how the cornea refracts light, which is further bent by the eye lens through a process known as accommodation.
Shifting Backgrounds, Shifting Images
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In this quick activity/demonstration (5th on the page), learners explore depth perception.
Stroboscope
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In this activity (posted on March 20, 2011), learners follow the steps to construct a stroboscope, a device that exploits the persistence of vision to make moving objects appear slow or stationary.
Tiny Pants Photo Challenge
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In this activity, learners use a simple trick of perspective to dress friends in tiny cutout clothing. Learners make tiny pants out of card stock and tape them to the end of a stick.
Measure Your Ability to See
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In this exercise (Activity #2 on page), learners test their distance vision to evaluate their overall eyesight.