See It to Believe It: Visual Discrimination

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In this activity (12th on the page), learners investigate their ability to discriminate (see) different colors. Learners arrange jars, each filled with water and different amounts of food coloring, in order from lightest to darkest. How good are they at seeing different colors? Variations for this activity include using different colors of food coloring, using more or less water to increase or decrease the difficulty, and testing different lighting conditions (dim vs. bright, for example).

Quick Guide

Preparation Time:
5 to 10 minutes
Learning Time:
5 to 10 minutes
Estimated Materials Cost:
1 cent - $1 per group of students
Age Range:
Ages 8 - 18
Resource Type:
Activity
Language:
English

Materials List (per group of students)

  • Food coloring: red, blue, yellow (mix them to make more colors)
  • Water
  • Containers
  • Eyedropper

Keywords

Subjects

  • Life Sciences
    • Human Body
      • The Brain and Nervous System
    • Human Senses and Perception
      • Vision
      • Perception
  • Physical Sciences
    • Vibration and Waves
      • Light and Optics
    • Light and Optics
      • Sunlight and Color
  • The Nature of Science
    • The Scientific Process
      • Conducting Investigations

Audience

To use this activity, learners need to:

  • see
  • see color

Learning styles supported:

  • Involves hands-on or lab activities

Other

This resource is part of:

Access Rights:

  • Free access

By:

  • Chudler, Ph.D., Eric H.

Rights:

  • All rights reserved, Eric H. Chudler, 2009