It’s been awhile since I’ve tried to explain how the eye works, let alone to 2nd graders! Most of the fall term, the Science Olympiad Planning Team primarily works on organizing, scheduling, and coordinating for the State tournament we host in the spring. This November, members of the Caltech Science Olympiad Planning Team went out with Caltech’s Center for Teaching, Learning, and Outreach (CTLO) to a local La Cañada elementary school to help with their science night.
Our table had a build-a-motor setup that two of the SciOly students created and I had a set that explained how the eye aligns light, using a variety of differently shaped lens pieces to illustrate how focal points and refraction work together to create clear vision. While many of the kids seemed to enjoy more just playing with the reflections and refractions (and many of the parents said “oh that’s how glasses work!”).
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Build-your-own motor (left) and a setup about the eye (right)