Summary Write your name or draw your way through a maze while looking in a mirror. Science content Physics: Light and Sound (1) Science competencies (+ questioning + manipulation + others that are in every activity) Questioning/predicting: predicting (1 up), hypothesizing (7) Planning/conducting: planning investigations (3 up) Processing/analyzing: comparing observations with predictions (1 up) Evaluating: inferring (3 up) Lessons activity is in Mirrors Light stations Materials shoe box with fold-over lid, with cut outs as show in photo small mirror, taped inside one end of the box, as shown mazes and other backwards-written challenges, laminated for repeated use (see attachment) dry erase pen with erasor (or tissue for erasing) Procedure Before the class, prepare the shoebox: Cut out one hole in the lid at one end (for viewing the mirror through). Cut out a hole in each side, at the other end (for left- and right-handed students to draw through). Cut slits extending from the holes, so that the challenge sheet can be tucked in and secured. Tape a small flat mirror inside at one end, below the viewing hole. Before the class, print the challenges: Print out the attached pages double sided, then cut the sheets in half to make challenges on each side of the two sheets. Laminate. Each sheet will then have a maze on one side, and a written challenge on the other. When the written challenge is read in the mirror it says either "DRAW A FACE" or "WRITE YOUR NAME". Start the students with an easy maze challenge. Students sit behind the box and look over it into the mirror, to see the reflection of the maze in the mirror. They should not be able to look directly at the maze. It is hard, but a fun challenge for most students. Once they have done the easier maze, assist them in erasing their work, turning over the challenge sheet for the written challenge (which becomes readable in the mirror). Discussion: Students can describe their experiences. They will find that moving the up and down movements of the pen are reversed in the mirror - when the pen is moved towards you, in the mirror it appears to move further away, and vice versa. This effect happens because the straight rays of light are reflected in the mirror. Attached documents Mazes and challenges.pdf Grades taught Gr 1 Gr 2
