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Interactive
American Museum of Natural History

Optical Illusions and How They Work

For Students 6th - 12th
Illusions are what your mind makes them. Learners view several optical illusions. After each illusion the resource describes what is seen and the potential connection to evolution of the brain. Illusions include seeing different objects...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Geometric Illusion Banners

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Students explore the composition of 3-D optical illusions by analyzing and combining 2-D visual elements graphically in banner form. They dissect the designs to undercover the mathematical elements of the illusion.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Seeing is Believing - Or Is It?

For Teachers 5th - 6th
Here is a great science activity. It extends the concept of vision into the area of optical illusions, perspective, and tessellation. This well-designed plan has tons of great activities, utilizes interesting video, and should lead to a...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Light - Reflection - Illusion

For Teachers 6th - 10th
Students experience the magic of mirrors. In this reflection and illusion lesson, students witness magic tricks that work because of mirrors, then rotate through five stations to complete hands-on experiments using mirrors, light,...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Lesson: Urs Fischer: Your Choice: Reality or Illusion?

For Teachers 10th - 12th
Young analysts write a comparative essay, but about what? They compose a paper based on several critical discussion about reality and illusion, and how both are blurred in art. They analyze several theatre pieces that exemplify Brechtian...
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Activity
Exploratorium

Squirming Palm

For Teachers 4th - 8th
You will need an electric drill and some Velcro™ in order to have this activity available for your class. It is, however, an intriguing display of optical illusion. After watching a spinning disk (provided), viewers look at one of...
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Lesson Plan
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Curated OER

Allusion and Illusion: Definitions and Examples

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Illusions and allusions certainly sound similar but there is a world of difference in their meanings. The narrator of this short video distinguishes between these terms, defines them, and offers examples that are sure to engage viewers....
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Worksheet
Curated OER

Studying our Senses

For Students 4th - 6th
Who would not want an opportunity to taste jellybeans in class?  During this investigation, life science learners hold their noses as they take a taste test and find that our perception of flavor is connected with our sense of...
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Activity
Exploratorium

Depth Spinner

For Teachers 4th - 8th
Put a new twist on your collection of optical illusion activities. Affix the linked printable spiral to a drill, record player, or some other rotating tool. Have learners stare at the spinning disk for only 15 seconds and then look away....
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Optical Illusions

For Teachers 6th - 9th
Students view, identify, and construct four optical illusions. In this optical illusions lesson, students are introduced to four types of optical illusions. They construct their own illusions.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Optical Illusion Vase

For Teachers 6th - 10th
Learners draw an optical illusion. In this optical illusion instructional activity, students create the optical illusion vase. Learners draw a profile and repeat the drawing in reverse creating the vase image.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Illusions of Depth

For Teachers 3rd
Third graders practice drawing a landscape to show an illusion of depth. In the drawing, they can put whatever objects they choose to but have to remember to show depth. They explain how overlapping and size differences show...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Optical Illusions

For Teachers 2nd - 3rd
Students investigate optical illusions. In this optical illusions lesson plan, students explore perception. Students analyze optical illusions and determine common misconceptions.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Intro to Art

For Teachers 3rd - 9th
Students explore illusions by drawing and viewing images in class. In this art perspective lesson, students analyze a skeleton outline drawing which demonstrates the ability to draw in a two point perspective. Students utilize the...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Geometric Optic Spinner

For Teachers K - 5th
Students investigate the concept of an optical illusion and how they are used. They conduct an information search of how the eye works. The information is used in order to set the context upon the creation of a personal optical illusion.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Optical Delusion

For Teachers 4th - 11th
Students examine and create a tool that enables them to explore the scientific principle the Moire Effect. Using markers, paper, and scissors, they create an optical illusion that involves superimposing a grid of lines over another...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Madame Bovary: Illusion And Reality

For Teachers 10th - 12th
Students examine examples of illusion and reality in Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert. In this Madame Bovary lesson, students discuss the character of Emma and what her decisions tell about her character.  Students discuss major...
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Lesson Planet Article
Curated OER

Using Optical Illusion Brain Teasers Add a Twist to Math and Science

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Optical illusion activities can provide a motivating way for students to explore math and science concepts.
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Worksheet
Curated OER

Optical Illusions with Geometry

For Students 4th - 6th
For this optical illusions worksheet, students try to draw the illusion asked and discuss more illusions with their classmates. Students answer 4 problems.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

How We Perceive Movement, Depth and Illusions

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Middle schoolers examine how depth perception works through a class experiment. They design and perform their own experiment that investigates visual illusions.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Applied Science - Science and Math Post-Lab

For Teachers 2nd - 8th
Students explore optical illusions. In this Applied Science lesson, students view optical illusions and record the data of what they see. Students graph the data that they collect.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Components of Light

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students are given a mnemonic device to review the light spectrum as it relates to the different components of refracted light. For this components of light lesson, students read Light Magic and review the properties of light. Students...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Optical Illusion

For Teachers 8th - 10th
Students practice creating optical illusions as well as discerning how perception of information may change its characteristics. They distinguish between an equilateral triangle, endpoints, vertices's, and segments of triangles. The...
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Activity
Exploratorium

Jacques Cousteau in Seashells

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Visionaries create images out of dots to demonstrate the eye-brain connection. Through this activity, they learn that the brain interprets data collected by the eye into recognizable information. Search online for "Jacques Cousteau in...

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