More than Magnifiers

Grades 6—8

Written by Cary I. Sneider and Alan Gould

When a student builds optical instruments with her own hands, she's well on her way to understanding how lenses work to enlarge, capture, reel in, and project the world around us.

In this ingenious unit, students use two lenses in different ways to create magnifiers, simple cameras, telescopes, and slide projectors. They learn that lenses have certain measurable properties, which in turn determine the lens best suited for each specific purpose.

This guide brings into practical focus important understandings related to physics, optics, and light, and makes a great connection to the GEMS guides Color Analyzers and Microscopic Explorations.


Time: Four 30- to 50-minute sessions.

A set of lenses necessary for the activities outlined in this teacher's guide must be purchased separately. The set is available through Carolina Biological Supply Company. A set of ten 285-mm lenses is part number 11-4807 and costs $17.95; a set of ten 96-mm lenses is part number 11-4808 and also costs $17.95. To order call 1-800-334-5551.

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Literature Connections

Spanish Language Student Materials

What materials are needed to present this unit? See the full list.

ISBN: Grade Level Format Price

0-912511-62-1

6—8

4 Activities,
68 pages

$12

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