Perspectives: Mirrors

Perspectives: Mirrors Learning Group

Mirrors in the Water Table

Week of October 21, 2013

After working with real mirrors during the first month or so of the semester, last week the children and I spent time exploring other materials which we can also see our reflections in. The children explored how their reflections were different from what they saw in an actual mirror as well as how they changed depending on what material they used (spoons, cds, aluminum foil, etc). I wanted to present the children with the opportunity to explore altered reflections when using actual mirrors, too. This week, I provided the group with mirrors and water to explore how water can affect our reflections. What happens when there is water on the mirrors? How does our reflection change?

While I was setting up the water table, a few of the children were already very excited to explore with the mirrors in the water. Many of them joined me in the hallway to interact with the materials. They noticed their reflections in the mirrors and also how they were changed when the water was moving compared to when it was standing still. Many of the children enjoyed seeing their reflection, splashing in the water and then waiting for it to become calm again to see what their reflections would look like. The children said things like “I move!”, “Sometimes I don’t see me” and “The picture goes away!” when I asked them to tell me about what was happening to their reflections.

 

I want to continue to focus on our changing reflections with the children. They seem to be interested in how their reflections can change or ‘go away’.  Next week, I plan to use mirrors without any other materials to explore how our reflections looks when there are multiple mirrors to look in. How does the positioning of the mirrors affect what we see when we look into them?