Magnify it!
Children come equipped with natural curiosity and creativity and have had many experiences with technology by the time they enter school. In particular, students may have been exposed to optical technology such as glasses, magnifying lenses, or even periscopes, microscopes, and telescopes. Classroom activities should begin to channel students' inventive energy to increase their awareness and purposeful use of tools. In this lesson, students will view objects of various sizes from several viewing distances to discover that their visual field is limited. Students will record what they see and will compare their observations with classmates in an open, nonjudgmental forum. They will have the opportunity to speculate about and experiment freely with magnifying glasses and will also conduct more structured experiments.