You'll need a piece of thin cardboard at least 7" (18 centimeters) square
The nail can be 1 1/2" or so long with a head (not a finish nail). A dark blue magic marker can be substituted if you don't have a black magic marker.
Bathroom mirrors work well because they are typically in well-lit areas, a factor which will give good results.
Click here and print out the pattern.
Some browsers--especially Netscape--change the
scale and the size of the printed pattern. If the printout says something like,
"Scaled-60%" try another browser. Also, the printout has a scale check.
It says 2" line to line or 5 cm line to line. Make sure it's accurate.
Rough cut (bubble cut) out the circular movie wheel . Make 12 "tape doughnuts."
These are pieces of tape connected end to end to
make loops--sticky side out. Hold the non-print side of the pattern toward you
a view against a bright light, so you can see the printed part on the other
side. Place tape doughnuts just inside the edge of the circle, and between the
12 notches.
Stick the pattern onto poster board of cereal box cardboard. No folds in the cardboard should be within the pattern area (folds weaken the cardboard). Fine-cut the circle, then the notches. Cut very accurately on the notches. I cut the two sides, then twist it off.
Fill in the space in between the notches with black magic marker. Dark blue
or dark purple will also work to some extent. 
Just
as the best window screens (easiest to see through) are black, we darken in
between the viewing notches to absorb reflected glare--counterproductive light
that makes it hard to see well. Put down newspaper or something to keep magic
marker from getting on the table.
Taping pennies on the wheel is optional, but their mass (similar to weight) makes the wheel spin longer once it's started spinning. Tape them on in pairs, exactly opposite each other so they balance, or else the wheel will wobble.
Young kids should not punch the hole. Punch the hole right in the middle of the circle, as indicated by where all the lines converge. It's a good idea to back up where the nail will go through with an old magazine. Not the table, and not your hand.
Put lots of tape
on the end for safety and to keep the wheel on. Do
not tape the disk to the nail. It must spin freely.
The movie wheel is easy to use if you remember these points:
Since the narrow slots allow us to see through when we spin the wheel, we can only see through about 10% of the time. So the movie wheel might seem dark unless used in a well lit area. Bathroom mirrors are usually good. Holding your free hand over your eyes to shade them from glare further helps you see better.
For more activities you can do with your movie wheel and tips for creating your own movie, click here.
MORE ABOUT VISUAL PERCEPTION
For explanations, activities and cool
links related to visual perception click here
or on the picture. |
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