The Camera Obscura: Grade 7-8
Materials
- Paper and pencils for sketches
- 11" x 17" paper
- White tablecloths or sheets (cut into 11" x 17" pieces, one for each student)
- Scissors
- Red, black, blue, yellow and green felt (or other colours)
- Decorative cloth in a variety of colours, motifs and textures
- Crayons, coloured pencils, pastels or felt pens
- Punch
- Laces, string or leather cord
- 8 cm x 12 cm paper (for labels)
Preparation Tasks
- Pre-cut the 11? x 17? pieces of white cloth (these are suggested dimensions only). You can purchase the sheets or tablecloths at a second-hand store, as well as the decorative cloth, which the students can cut up for their collages.
- You can also prepare a short questionnaire to help your students decide on their favorite animal, food, recreational activity, sport, friend, colour, etc.
- Facial tissue boxes (one per student) or other boxes of similar size
- Black tempera paint
- Tracing paper
- Paintbrushes
- Glue
- Adhesive tape
- Scissors
- Pencils
- Small plastic magnifying lenses (one per student)
- Empty toilet paper roll (one per student) or construction paper rolled into a tube
Preparation Tasks
- Collect ahead of time the objects to be used in the initial experimentation step and obtain a variety of light sources (flashlights?)
- If you wish to complete this activity more quickly, you can paint the inside of the boxes black ahead of time. Ask for help from volunteers (students or parents).
- If your budget allows, you can obtain gift boxes that are black on the outside. Your students can take them apart and reassemble them so that they are black on the inside.
- Collect and prepare the materials prior to the activity. For example, you can save time by cutting the tracing paper to the correct size.
