Pint-Sized
Science: It's All Done with Mirrors
By Sandy Fleming
Mirrors can be grand fun
and great props for teaching loads of science concepts! Be
sure to get the most mileage out of these activities by having
children try to predict what will happen, express their observations,
find a way to measure some aspect of the goings-on, and make
theories and test them. Talk, talk, talk before, during and
after each activity or experiment.
You'll want to be sure
that the children have some basic vocabulary, too. Use this
opportunity to teach words like reflection, image, opposite,
smooth, cool and fragile. What other words can you think of
that relate to mirrors? Children will learn new words best
if they have a chance to hear them and use them several times
after they are introduced. Use the new words as you describe
what's happening in each activity and talk about the children's
observations.
For these activities,
you'll need a variety of hand-held, unbreakable mirrors. Various
sizes and shapes will open doors for several types of experiments.
A full-length wall mirror can be a lot of fun, too. You'll
also want a flashlight with a strong beam, and various other
reflective surfaces, such as the glass in a window and the
reflective finish on an appliance.
Mirror, Mirror,
What Do You See?
Children, especially young children, will need time to explore
mirrors. Use hand-held mirrors and talk about how things in the
mirror look the same (colors, shapes and so forth) and different
(sizes, backward images) than things in the real world. Try making
different faces and movements for the mirror. Who can make the
most interesting mirror dance?
Mirror Hide-and-Seek
Play this game just like the garden variety hide-and-seek, except
the person who is "it" uses a mirror to peek around corners
and under things. Show the children how to position a mirror
to see in those hard-to-see places and talk about how the
mirror reflects what is in front of it. We, however, can
look at a mirror from an angle, and so see what's going on
around a corner!
Take a Mirror
Walk
Take a walk around the building and look for reflective surfaces.
You may find them on window panes, on chrome finishes, on highly
polished plastic or on varnished surfaces. What do all of the
surfaces that reflect have in common? They are all very, very
smooth. Does it matter what color the surface is? What kinds
of things make the best reflections? What do the kids notice
about reflections in curved surfaces such as faucets or spoons?
Here are some more words that you can teach during this activity:
glossy, finish, lacquer, chrome, shiny, metallic and curved.
And here's a real challenge: Hold a mirror face up in front of
you and try to walk across the room while watching the reflection
of the ceiling. It's tougher than it sounds, and very intriguing.
Breathe on Me
What happens when you breathe on a mirror? Chances are very good
that your children haven't tried this yet, though. Have them
try different types of breaths near their mirrors: light,
quick breaths, huffy breaths, hard blows. Does the same thing
happen each time? Have them describe what they are seeing
and make a theory about why it is happening. How could they
change the outcome? Try cooling a mirror off in a refrigerator
or in the moving air from the air conditioner. How does its
coolness affect the outcome of the experiment? What's really
happening is that the warm air from a person's body contains
a lot of moisture. The water condenses on the mirror's surface
and forms the fog. The greater the temperature difference,
the more fog will form.
Catch Some Rays
Darken the room and use a high-powered flashlight for some competitive
fun. Show the children how to catch the flashlight beam and
direct it to various spots around the room by turning the
mirror. Can the mirror-wielder bounce the light to specific
places? Some experimentation with angles will be needed.
And here's a real test: Try bouncing the beam of light from
one mirror to another! It's much easier said than done, but
the children will have a grand time trying. Here's a hint,
too. Shine the light on a small mirror, and catch it on a
bigger mirror.
Mirror Writing
There are two different ways to experiment with mirror writing.
Try writing completely backwards and see if your child can
read the writing on the mirror. Reversed writing is easier
to read than it is to write! Is your child up to the challenge?
It makes a great code, too. And here's another set of fun
experiments. Some of our letters are symmetrical; that is,
they can be folded exactly in half and the halves are identical.
The letter "o" is an example, and so is the capital "A." Other
letters can be folded top to bottom, like the capital "B." Challenge
your child to discover which letters can be folded in half
(which have lines of symmetry) by writing a letter on a card,
folding it, then putting the folded edge against the mirror.
If the entire letter appears correctly, the child has found
a line of symmetry. Remember to try both capital and lower-case
letters because they are different. How many can your child
find?
Sandy Fleming
is an educator, author and workshop facilitator. She resides
in southern Michigan with her husband and three daughters.
Sandy leads workshops for daycare providers and parents
in the region, tutors students, volunteers for Girl Scouts
and her church, and teaches online classes for adults and
children. She loves to make new friends, so please drop
her an e-mail at kids@busyparentsonline.com
