Bending the Light and Seeing the Unknown

The understanding of life forms has been greatly transformed by tools such as magnifying lenses and microscopes. Today, we discovered how magnifying lenses are employed to enlarge images through the refraction of light, aiding in observations.

The students made three observations of a pencil in a beaker and a straw in a student's water bottle; it appeared larger in the water than out, seemed to be in a slightly different place, and the color also was slightly different. We made inferences on why this was happening, connecting the refracting light waves that seem to move "slower" through water and "faster" through gas.

We had a chance to virtually meet scientists and tour different areas of The California Science Center, gaining knowledge of how they use microscopes in their every day work.

Waterscope Wonders: Using a cup, plastic bag, hair tie and water, we each created a tool known as a waterscope, which functions like a magnifying lens. Just as biologists unveiled unseen realms such as bacteria, cells, and intricate structures through magnification tools, the waterscope offers a gateway to exploring hidden wonders.

We went outside together and collected specimens to examine, comparing what we could see with the naked eye and with what we see while looking though our waterscopes.

In our 3-6 grade class we also learned how the retired NASA Shuttle Endeavour

was brought to Los Angeles for display at the California Science Museum. The day it arrived, 12 years ago, I got to see the Endeavour in Los Angeles at LAX from the window of my plane as I waited to take off! We discussed its journey through the streets of LA, where crowds came out to watch it drive through neighborhoods from LAX to the museum.

For years, the public could see the orbitor, but unfortunately, the exhibit Experience Endeavour is currently closed. Endeavour will not be on display for a number of years, until the future Samuel Oschin Air and Space Center is opened to visitors.

The orbiter is being prepared for its final move across Exposition Park where it will be lifted into the future Samuel Oschin Air and Space Center. "Endeavour will be displayed in vertical 'ready for launch' position as part of the world’s only complete Space Shuttle System. This will allow guests to get a closer and more detailed view of the orbiter than ever before."

As we revisited themes from last week's class, where we learned about underwater Ecosystems, we focused in on one specific animal, the stingray. We learned about facts and fallacies around these often misunderstood sea creatures.