What a whirlwind of a day! Today consisted of two really big projects. In the morning, the 2nd and 3rd graders learned how a pinhole camera works and how it demonstrates the way light moves in a straight line. Pinhole cameras (or camera obscuras) have been used/observed since at least 4000 BC! The students were also able to connect how a pinhole camera mimics the way a modern camera and even the human eye work! After receiving directions, the students set off to turn a Pringles can, parchment paper, tin foil, and duct tape into a camera. They did so well at practicing teamwork, patience, and a never-give-up attitude while crafting their cameras. Some GATE students are more prone to perfectionism than regular students, so I really admired when students would make a mistake, laugh and take a deep breathe, and try again. Way to go!

In the afternoon, the students explored cyanotype printing. This process was developed in the late 1800s and is where blueprints get their name. We blacked out the windows in the classroom to create a makeshift darkroom and got to work. In groups of 6 (while the other students participated in Reading Week and read by flashlight light) the students arranged plant clipping on a frame, added a photosensitive (light-sensitive) cyanotype paper, and secured the frame in place. They then set the frames outside in the sun to develop for 5-15 minutes. Carefully they brought the frames back inside and developed them in water before letting the finished products dry. The prints turned out lovely!

Two students forgot their cyanotype prints in the classroom, so I will keep them safe until next week!