Pacific Science Center
Leaping Lenses in Our Classroom
April 19, 2001
A Pacific Science Center teacher came to our classroom and taught us about physics. We looked at magnifying glasses, glass lenses, Fresnel lenses, and a laser light.
MAGNIFYING LENSES
Our Pacific Science Center teacher taught us about magnifying glasses. We were using plastic magnifying glasses and magnifying boxes to look at rocks, feathers, sea shells and little pieces of sponge.
This classmate is looking at a sea shell.
Two classmates and our Pacific Science Center teacher are looking at rocks and sea shells. Magnifying glasses make things larger. Sometimes we put one, two, three and four magnifying glasses together to make something really big.
GLASS LENSES
We used convex and concave glass lenses to look at things. We were very careful with the glass lenses so they wouldn't break. We kept the lenses on a navy blue cloth to keep them from getting scratched.
Each table had glass lenses to share with partners. The concave lenses cave in and make things right side up, small, and clear. The convex lenses make things upside down, bigger and blurry.
Two classmates used glass lenses to look at each other.
Two classmates used the glass lenses to look at their fingers. They said their fingers looked like tiny, skinny carrots that were clear and right side up. What kind of glass lenses were they using? _______________
This classmate is using a glass lens to look at her hand. Her hand looked small, clear, and right side up. What kind of glass lens was she using? ______________
Some of our classmates are looking at our storytime river otter using the glass lenses. They were all using concave lenses.
Two classmates were looking through a glass lenses at the penguin. The lense made the penguin upside down, blurry, and big. What kind of lens were they using? _________
FRESNEL LENSES
A classmate was looking through a fresnel lens. A fresnel lens is like a magnifying glass but much more fun. It is clearer than a convex lens. A fresnel lens can make things look much wider. The lens is smooth on one side and the other side is bumpier. It has little circles in the middle and the circles get bigger and bigger. It is made up of many different prisms. It bends the light in all different directions. Fresnel lenses are used in lighthouses so the light can shine in different directions and boats won't crash.
We read two books about lighthouses:
Keep the Lights Burning by Peter and Connie Roop
The Little Red Lighthouse and the Great Gray Bridge by Hildegarde H. Swift and Lynd Ward
Click Here to Read Our Writing About Leaping Lenses
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