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Phenakistascope
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In this optics activity, learners build an animation tool to make mini movies. When you spin a phenakistascope, the pictures move so quickly that your eyes and brain can't separate the images.

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!

Ewok Escape
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The goal of this Star Wars activity is to design and build a balancing device to help an Ewok escape the Imperial Forces by sliding down a tightrope to safety.

Self-Portrait Silhouettes: Activity 1
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In this activity, learners make a photographic image--without a camera!

Spinning Illusions
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In this activity, learners construct three optical illusion toys to examine how our brains play tricks on what we see.

Make an Animation
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In this activity, learners make a device called a phenakistoscope, which displays a continuously looping animation consisting of images drawn onto a spinning disc.

Bike Wheel Zoetrope
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In this activity (posted on April 18, 2011), learners follow the steps to construct a zoetrope, a device that produces an illusion of action from a rapid succession of static pictures, using a 16" bik

Horse Gaits Flipbooks
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In this activity, learners explore the gait of horses by constructing flipbooks with British photographer Eadweard Muybridge's famous photographs.

Bring it into Focus
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In this activity (page 2 of PDF), learners play with a lens and a piece of paper to focus an image on the paper. Learners look at different things, and see how the lenses affect the image.

Finding the Size of the Sun and Moon
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In this activity, learners build a simple pinhole viewer. They use this apparatus to project images from a variety of light sources, including a candle, the Sun, and the Moon.

Pringles Pinhole Camera
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An ordinary camera has a lens that makes an image on film. In a pinhole camera, a small hole replaces the lens.

Patterns and Relationships: The Magic Box
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In this math lesson, learners participate in a variety of activities that give them experience in recognizing, describing, and extending repeating and arithmetic patterns.

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.

Photosynthetic Pictures Are Worth More Than a Thousand Words
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This activity provides an opportunity for learners to observe and examine how carbon dioxide, water, and light produce glucose/starch through a process called photosynthesis.

Writing for Night Vision
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In this activity (page 1 of the PDF under SciGirls Activity: Forensics), learners will use a home video camera with a “night vision” mode to test how various inks appear outside the spectrum of visibl

Special Effects Using Household Chemicals
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In this activity on page 4 of the PDF (Behind the Scenes with Chemistry), learners make some special effects, including snow and breaking glass, with supplies found in the home.

Light Painting
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Light painting is a creative activity that involves creating striking images and illusions using a camera, a light source, and a little practice.

Floating and Falling Flows
Learners create beautiful fluid motion. They explore fluid dynamics, surface tension, solubility, and buoyancy while mixing liquids together.

Size Wheel
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In this fun sticker activity, learners will create a size wheel with images of objects of different size, from macroscopic scale (like an ant) to nanoscale (like DNA).