Welcome to the latest addition of spotlight where we shine a light on innovative products designed to enhance your classroom or learning environment. The Learning Resources Soft Foam Cross Section Eye Model helps children gain a deeper insight into the parts of an eye. The foam model splits into two; one half features labels and the other features letters for self /peer assessment and other assessment opportunities. This soft foam model is realistically detailed, includes an activity guide and is idea for children aged 7+ .
KS1
The model is brilliant at supporting teaching of the science national curriculum. The year 1 programme of study mentions that they should identify, name, draw and label the basic parts of the human body, and state which part of the body is associated with each sense. They can learn this through games, actions, songs and rhymes. A good one is head and shoulders.
Activity suggestion
KS2
As part of the physics education in year 3 they learn about light, and begin to recognise that they need light in order to see things and that darkness is the absence of light. They also start to notice that light is reflected from surfaces and that light from the sun can be dangerous, opening discussions around protecting our eyes from these rays. They should recognise that shadows are formed when the light from a light source is blocked by an opaque object. As well as finding patterns in the way that the size of shadows change.
Activity suggestion
Either using a mirror or working in pairs, encourage children to open and close their eyes, paying attention to how the pupils change in size.
This can open discussions around what happens to your eye when the light level is altered. Then they can use the model to explain what they see and make observational drawings of them.
They continue to learn about light in year 6 specifically how light appears to travel in straight lines and this can be used to explain that objects are seen because they give out or reflect light into the eye. Use the idea that light travels in straight lines to explain why shadows have the same shape as the objects that cast them
Activity suggestion
You can use figures and objects to do shadow drawings and see how they change as the sun moves across the sky. Guess the object from the shadow.
KS3
Science follows a spiral curriculum so the light topic is revisited at KS3 which is when the parts of the eye are specifically taught. They are taught about the action of convex lens in focusing the light.
Activity suggestion
Make a playdough model of the eye using the foam model as inspiration. The activities from the guide are to use the unlabeled half to identify the parts of the eye. There is also a template to label a diagram.
Compare the human eye to a pin hole camera using the model to describe what happens when light enters the eye.
There's also an activity to find the blind spot and area at the back of the eye where there are no receptors to detect light.
First you take a piece of paper and mark an X on the left side. Then about 5 ½ inches away from the X, mark an O horizontally. Then stand about 1.5 feet away from the paper and cover your right eye. Look at the O with your left eye. The X should disappear.
GCSE
GCSE Triple Biology they learn how the eye helps to focus on near objects as the ciliary muscles contract and the suspensory ligaments loosen. The opposite occurs to focus on a distant object, the ciliary muscles relax and suspensory ligaments are pulled tight, the lens is then pulled thin and only slightly refracts light rays.
They learn about two common defects of the eyes myopia (short sightedness) and hyperopia (long sightedness) in which rays of light do not focus on the retina.
Generally these defects are treated with spectacle lenses which refract the light rays so that they do focus on the retina. New technologies now include hard and soft contact lenses, laser surgery to change the shape of the cornea and a replacement lens in the eye.
Activity suggestion
At school to help learn about the structure of the eye we do an eye dissection and the model can be used to help identify structures. You can remove the lens and place it on text to see how it magnifies. The foam model can be used to explain how convex and concave lenses help to correct these two conditions.
The foam cross sectional model of an eye can be used throughout school education or as part of homeschool.
