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CD Spinner
Source Institutions
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.
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Design a Microexpression Zoetrope
Source Institutions
In this engineering design challenge, learners animate a facial expression and make a machine (zoetrope) that plays the animation back.
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Bubble Tray
Source Institutions
In this activity, learners use simple materials to create giant bubbles.
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Screaming Balloon
Source Institutions
In this quick activity (page 1 of the PDF under SciGirls Activity: Extreme Sounds) about sound vibrations, learners will investigate which small objects, such as coins, hex nuts, or marbles, produce t
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Straw Kazoo
Source Institutions
In this activity, learners make some music by constructing a kazoo out of a simple plastic drinking straw. Use this activity to explore sound, vibrations, and music.
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Why Are Bubbles So Colorful?
Source Institutions
In this activity, learners explore why they can see colors in bubbles and why they change.
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Kaleidoscope
Source Institutions
In this activity, learners build inexpensive kaleidoscopes using transparency paper and foil (instead of mirrors).
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Buzzing Bee
Source Institutions
In this activity, learners explore sound by constructing an instrument toy that buzzes when you swing it.
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Tactile Mazes
Source Institutions
In this activity (15th activity on the page) about the sense of touch, learners use glue and cardboard to construct a maze they use with their eyes closed.
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Periscope
Source Institutions
In this activity, learners construct a device that allows them to look over ledges or around corners.
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Motion Picture
Source Institutions
During this hands-on activity, learners are briefly exposed to moviemaking and animation, when they create their own thaumatropes.
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Straw Pipes
Source Institutions
Learners build pan pipes out of drinking straws by cutting them to different lengths. Then, learners make music by blowing across the straws and playing some well-known songs.
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Phenakistascope
Source Institutions
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.
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Spinning Tops
Source Institutions
Create your own spinning top, and explore color, shapes and spinning. This activity contains instructions for making your spinning top, and tips on how to design and decorate it.
![](/sites/default/files/styles/square_100/public/resource_images/smile-000-000-002-650.jpg?itok=P1LZ5QF-)
Kaleidoscope
Source Institutions
In this activity, learners investigate the reflective properties of light and mirrors as they make a kaleidoscope.
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Thaumatrope Illusion
Source Institutions
Design and create an optical illusion toy that makes two pictures appear to become one. This is called a thaumatrope and will allow the learner to investigate the phenomenon of persistence of vision.
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Benham's Disk
Source Institutions
In this activity, learners make a Benham Top to explore visual illusions and optics.
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Thaumatrope
Source Institutions
In this activity, learners make an optical illusion toy from the 1800s to explore persistence of vision.
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Scented Dough
Source Institutions
In this activity, learners follow a recipe to create play dough scented with fruit-flavored drink mix.
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Thaumatropes
Source Institutions
In this activity, learners will make a thaumatrope, an old-fashioned optical illusion that dates back to the 1820s.