1eachers Informat|on

LlghL plays a blg facLor ln how we vlew ob[ecLs especlally color When you look aL a movlng ob[ecL Lhe
color you see dlsLorLs lLself because of how your braln reglsLers whaL lL ls seelng 1hls sclence
experlmenL ls [usL llke a maglc Lrlck now you see lL now you donL!
When youve goL Lhe plaLe splnnlng your eye canL separaLe each color and ldenLlfy lL ln Lhe whlrl all
your eyes can Lell you ls LhaL Lhey see whlLe
Mater|a|s
O 9aper plaLe
O 9encll
O uler
O ,arkers crayons (purple blue green yellow orange red)
O Lrlng or yarn

Moterio/s con be found ot ony store wo/Mort 1orqet uo//or 5tore
9rocedures
ave sLudenLs dlvlde Lhe plaLe lnLo slx equal secLlons uslng Lhe pencll and ruler
2 ave sLudenLs color each secLlon of Lhe plaLe a dlfferenL color of Lhe ralnbow ,ake sure Lhey
leaves no whlLe showlng
3 9unch Lwo small holes ln Lhe cenLer of Lhe plaLe abouL cm aparL 1hread Lhe sLrlng or yarn
Lhrough Lhe holes
4 old one end of Lhe sLrlng ln each hand so LhaL Lhe color dlsk ls ln Lhe mlddle Wlnd up your dlsk
by Lurnlng whlle you hold Lhe sLrlng Cne person holdlng each end of Lhe sLrlng works besL Lo
keep Lhe dlsk LlghL and splnnlng fasL When Lhe sLrlng ls wound up LlghL pull boLh hands away
from each oLher so LhaL your colored dlsk splns qulckly
3 When observlng Lhe plaLe Lhe color wlll begln Lo blur LogeLher and evenLually appear Lo
dlsappear or Lurn whlLe!
Mar|a keyes
1op|c L|ght
2
nd
to 4
th
grade


Safety precaut|ons

8e careful when sLudenLs are punchlng Lhe 2 holes ln Lhe paper plaLe
9encll wlll be sharp and Lhey can poke Lhemselves
1eacher can punch Lhe holes ln Lhe paper plaLe before glvlng lL Lo Lhe sLudenLs

Ways to Integrate
O Language ArLs have sLudenLs wrlLe a paragraph ln Lhelr sclence [ournal abouL
whaL happened Lo Lhe colors ln Lhe plaLe durlng Lhe acLlvlLy LudenLs can also
wrlLe abouL anoLher opLlcal llluslon ln where whaL Lhey AW was noL acLually
whaL was Lhere
O ,aLh have sLudenLs Lalk abouL Lhe fracLlons Lhe plaLes were dlvlded lnLo ($)
have sLudenLs come up of oLher fracLlons Lhe plaLe can be dlvlded lnLo ($2
$3$4 eLc)

Ways to L|aborate
O ave sLudenLs dlvlde Lhe plaLe dlfferenLly dlvlde lL lnLo 2 3 or 4 secLlons
O olor Lhe whole plaLe [usL one color
O Dse only 2 colors ln Lhe plaLe

Sc|ence Standards
N2A1
LudenLs know how Lo make observaLlons and glve descrlpLlons uslng words numbers and drawlngs
9SC1
LudenLs know llghL can be descrlbed ln Lerms of slmple properLles (eg color brlghLness reflecLlon)