Reflections

Someone pushed their kayak into the calm water of the lake outside our picture window. With my less than 20/20 vision, I thought there were two kayaks and two people dressed in similar red life-saving jackets. Blinking harder, I realised there was only one – the other was a reflection: but that added a new dimension of delight – something that is not there every time a kayak glides past. It was double the joy, double the colour, double the beauty.

Reflections can lead to many journeys. Another morning, the reflections were so real, that it looked like the cars were travelling upside down along the edge of our lake. And that thought took me to the world of special effects in film making.

A raft of artists has captured this natural phenomenon. Who hasn’t been inspired by Monet and other impressionistic works? In the world of education, science teachers and students explore the properties of light – its speed, reflection and shadows, refraction, colours, bioluminescence and photosynthesis and more. All this knowledge has helped the medical world understand the physiology of the human eye. How many people have benefited from eye surgery? The manufacture of mirrors leads us into the world of home-making and house décor. Or it could take a military twist to the world of submarines and periscopes. Reflections are even sparking up business for tour operators to Florida Keys, or Iceland.

Appreciation of nature is inspiring and thinking about possibilities brings joy through creativity. Perhaps when Christina grows up a little, her art skills will embrace reflections in nature and expand into other worlds.

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Answers to Blog 20: I hope you found some wonderful photos showing reflections. Sometimes, it’s hard to work out which way is up, when the reflections are so clear.

Answers to puzzle – Missing Letters – Christina: dance

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Shadow Tag

To play SHADOW TAG, you will need two or more players and enough sun to cast a shadow. Rather than tagging you, the person who is “it” tags your shadow. Be careful, because you can’t feel it when you are tagged. Have fun!

Google Search: http://www.peepandthebigwideworld.com/en/educators/curriculum/family-child-care-educators/shadows/activity/morning-circle/336/explore-and-play-shadow-tag/

Up Periscopes!

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Up Periscopes!

Mr Chris George, a Year 5 teacher, wrote this report about “Using periscopes to look all around”.

Year 5 Science: Periscopes

The students in Year 5 have been studying light and its characteristics. As part of this unit, they enjoyed investigating the importance of reflection, and how a periscope works using multiple reflective surfaces. In small groups, they built periscopes in the classroom in preparation for their individual design and construction task later in the term. There was a high level of energy and enjoyment as the groups finally arranged their mirrors at the correct angles and were able to use their periscopes to look over or around obstacles.

References: Our Citipointe – the Magazine of the Citipointe Christian College Community – Spring 2017, p17