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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.

In this activity, learners conduct a simple test to find their blind spot.

In this activity, learners examine how colored lenses act like filters and absorb all colors of light except for the color of the lenses.

In this activity related to light and perception, learners use a pinhole in an index card as a magnifying glass to help their eye focus on a nearby object.

In this activity, learners will make a thaumatrope, an old-fashioned optical illusion that dates back to the 1820s.

In this activity, learners play with a fuzzy-colored dot that has no distinct edges seems to disappear. As learners stare at the dot, its color appears to blend with the colors surrounding it.

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.

How can you make one shade of gray look like two? By putting it against two different color backgrounds! This activity allows learners to perform this sleight of hand very easily.

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.

This activity (aka "snack") provides instructions for discovering your blind spot. It is an exploration of light and visual perception using simple materials you may have around the house.

This is an online exhibit about color perception. Learners set a random background color and then try to mix red, blue, and green light to match.

This activity is designed to accompany the PBS documentary about African-American chemist "Percy Julian: Forgotten Genius." Learners look through two cups with small holes in them to simulate what it'

In this activity, learners make a stroboscope--a spinning disk with slits around the edge that you look through.

In this activity, learners conduct an experiment to test how fast they can react. Learners try to catch a piece of paper with a ruler printed on it (or a ruler) as quickly as they can.

During this hands-on activity, learners are briefly exposed to moviemaking and animation, when they create their own thaumatropes.

In this activity (16th on the page), learners play a variation of the "I Spy" game to explore color. Learners work in teams with each team assigned a color.

In this activity (13th on the page), learners complete a simple illusion trick to see through their own hand.

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.

In this activity, learners make a Benham Top to explore visual illusions and optics.

In this optics activity, learners build a spy tool to secretly view things over walls or around corners.