Trick of the Light

Uncover the secrets of refraction and reflection by testing mirrors and lenses, making your own optical illusions, and comparing digital and analog transmissions.

Your student will build their own optical illusions, explore lenses and mirrors, and send digital and analog signals.

This Launch level kit includes a full-color student workbook and a detailed teacher guide, with step-by-step instructions for both hands-on and reading-based activities designed to engage students in optics.

Both teacher and student will be able to open the box and start within minutes, and the kit will provide over 15 hours of engaging learning.

In this kit, the student will engage in these hands-on learning experiences:

1. Build an odd window and a strange room to learn how perspective affects perception.
2. Learn how perspective affects what the brain thinks you’ve seen, using an Ames Room you build as an example.
3. Look through lenses to understand refraction and angles of light.
4. Get hands-on with multiple types of mirrors to gain insight into reflection.
5. Learn how our eyes can be tricked by optical illusions in entertainment.
6. Explore the differences between digital and analog information – and send your own messages.

Use the Trick of the Light kit to answer questions such as:

• How do optical illusions “trick” your brain?
• What role does perspective play in perception and illusion?
• How do lenses work and how are they different?
• How do the different types of mirrors work?
• How are optical illusions used in entertainment?
• How do digital signals compare to analog?

Your student is ready for this kit when:

• They understand the definition of light and know that it can reflect, refract, or be absorbed by a material it encounters.
• They know the definition of a wave and that there are different types of waves.

The following are Science Unlocked kits we suggest your student has completed prior to doing this kit:

• Wave Wisdom

Trick of the Light kit is a part of the Science Unlocked Launch series and is recommended middle and high school students in grades 8-12.

Interested in learning more? Check out our Student Workbook Sample and Teacher Guide Sample!

Items included in the kit:

• Ames Room Template
• Ames Window Template
• Invisible Tape
• Laser 
• Lens, Double Concave
• Lens, Double Convex
• Metal Spring Toy
• Mirror, Concave
• Mirror, Convex
• Mirror, Plane
• Paper 3D Glasses
• Protractor
• Scalpel
• Straw

Other items needed:

• Room or outdoor space with bright light
• Room or outdoor space with low light
• Scissors
• White background (Ex: a wall)

• Learning outcome: Uncover the secrets of refraction and reflection by testing mirrors and lenses, making your own optical illusions, and comparing digital and analog transmissions.
• NGSS science standards alignment
• HS-PS4-2 Evaluate questions about the advantages of using a digital transmission and storage of information.
• HS-PS4-5 Communicate technical information about how some technological devices use the principles of wave behavior and wave interactions with matter to transmit and capture information and energy.
• MS-PS4-3 Integrate qualitative scientific and technical information to support the claim that digitized signals are a more reliable way to encode and transmit information than analog signals.