Recreate Experiments from History: Inform the Future from the Past: Galileo

Tubes, Frames, Lenses and Mirrors

Viewing activities with frames, lenses and mirrors

Three students view a mirror placed on the floor between them. A mirror is placed on the floor [blocked from view] and two students back away from it. One student [right] holds a mirror before another [middle] while a third [left] looks from behind. A student holds up a mirror that reflects her face and the hallway behind her. Students set up a picture frame with strings passing through the frame. A student stretches string through the frame along sighting lines, marking its position with two crosswise strings. A grid [for viewing] is drawn directly on the plexiglass placed over a frame. A mirror is placed above the grid. A student sights down a tube using a crosswise straw as a gauge. Two students sight an object and use their hands in comparing and gauging size. Two students sight and compare an object. Reconstructing Durers perspective sighting device using picture frames, string, and markers. Students reproduce the image of a toy dog in perspective. Setting up the string sight lines. An object hangs from a string which passes through a hook on the wall via a frame. Students reproduce the image of a lute in perspective. Students stand so as to view along the sighting string, which passes through the frame to the lute. The perspective image of the lute is plotted point by point onto the plexiglass mounted on the picture frame which is parallel with the view of this photo.