Video trouble?

How`would`your`life
be`different`if
there`were`no
glass?

Video trouble?

Sort`your`materials

Which`ones`were
hard`to`decide?
Where`did`you`put
them?

Video trouble?

Anchor Connection In the past lesson, you put things into three categories. The scientific term for each is in a yellow box. Look around the room you are in, then discuss. What is one thing that could go into each of these categories? Use the scientific terms.

Think back to the alligators in the Everglades. Discuss. Are alligators transparent, translucent, or opaque? How do you know?

Alligators are not see-through. The word for this is opaque. Alligators are opaque, so we cannot see into their bodies. If they were transparent or translucent, we would be able to see into the alligator’s body!

There is another animal for us to see in the Everglades. This kind of animal has a body that is very, very different from an alligator. We have to go to a new spot in the Everglades to find it.

You can’t hear this kind of animal. You can only see it. One of the best times to see this kind of animal is at night when it is dark. So it is best to turn the lights out in your room. When it is completely dark, watch closely.

Video trouble?

This kind of animal is very different from an alligator. Let’s try to figure out what is going on here.

Get a new See-Think-Wonder Chart, or make your own with a large sheet of paper. Your teacher will add your ideas to the class chart. You won’t need your alligator See-Think-Wonder Chart now, but you will later in the unit.

Discuss. What did you see? Your teacher will record your answers in the See column of your chart.

What kind of an animal do you think we see here? How many of this kind of animal do you think we see here? And, do you think it is transparent, translucent, or opaque? Why do you think that? Your teacher will record your answers in the Think column of your chart.

What do you wonder about this kind of animal? Your teacher will record your questions in the Wonder column.

Save your chart. You will use it after the next lesson in this unit.

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More Fun with Paper Stained-Glass

Making paper stained-glass art is even more fun with these additional materials.

Cut up colored cellophane (available here). Use it in place of or in addition to tissue paper to make artwork that lets more light through.
Add opaque materials cut in interesting shapes. We like using star-shaped stickers to add dark stars to any paper stained glass project.

Ask students why adding these materials changes how their art looks.

You can also make art using a different pattern, such as a heart, a star, or a fish .

Everyday See-Through Materials

Ask students to find all the places in their lives where see-through materials let light through. Here are some examples.

Eyeglasses, binoculars, and telescopes all have clear lenses.
Light bulbs, headlights on cars, flashlights, traffic lights, and lanterns all have clear covers over something that’s making light.
Bottles and jars are often see through.
Water is clear. (If it wasn’t, how would fish see?)
Jello is see through, just for fun.

What other examples can you find?

glass

1 of 8

a material people make that's easy to see through

metal

2 of 8

a natural material that is often shiny and you cannot see through it

wood

3 of 8

a natural material that comes from trees

material

4 of 8

what something is made of, like metal, wood, or plastic

light

5 of 8

what comes from the Sun and lamps and makes it possible to see things

transparent

6 of 8

you can see through it, such as with glass

opaque

7 of 8

you cannot see through it, such as with the walls of a building

translucent

8 of 8

you can kind of but not completely see through it, such as with tissue paper

Image & Video Credits

Mystery Science respects the intellectual property rights of the owners of visual assets. We make every effort to use images and videos under appropriate licenses from the owner or by reaching out to the owner to get explicit permission. If you are the owner of a visual and believe we are using it without permission, please contact us—we will reply promptly and make things right.

Exploration

bedroom by Image used under license from Shutterstock.com: Iriana Shiyan

living room by Image used under license from Shutterstock.com: Gorin

window by Roger Mommaerts

car in driveway by Image used under license from Shutterstock.com: Imagenet

kid acting surprised by Image used under license from Shutterstock.com: saisnaps

transparent glass by Image used under license from Shutterstock.com: Syda Productions

office building windows by Image used under license from Shutterstock.com: Peshkova

lady driving a car by Image used under license from Shutterstock.com: Monkey Business Images

viking house by Image used under license from Shutterstock.com: jps

wooden board by Image used under license from Shutterstock.com: Dagmara_K

rock by Image used under license from Shutterstock.com: J. Schelkle

baking tray by Image used under license from Shutterstock.com: Paper Street Design

white wall by Image used under license from Shutterstock.com: horiyan

small house by Image used under license from Shutterstock.com: Thomas Photo

stained glass window by Crammed with Heaven

stained glass by Image used under license from 123rf.com: Darja Vorontsova

window by Image used under license from Shutterstock.com: mtr

cathedral glass making by LambertsGlas

glass making by kogvideo

glass making video by kogvideo

glass pouring by Bo Countryman

glass bottles by Penglai Industrial

attic by Image used under license from Shutterstock.com: John Wollwerth

Activity

oak finish window by Image used under license from Shutterstock.com: kenny1

stained glass inside of a house by Making it Lovely

shaki khan palace by Urek Meniashvili

Flower Shape printout	Print 30 copies
Sorting Sheets printout	Print 8 copies
Opaque Materials Cardboard or aluminum foil.	Details 8 items
Translucent Materials Wax paper, tissue paper, cloudy plastic.	Details 8 items
Transparent Materials Clear bottles or food containers, colored cellophane, clear report covers, plastic bags, CD cases.	Details 8 items
Glad Press 'n Seal	30 feet
Various Colors of Tissue Paper	45 sheets