Boxford Resources System

The Mirror Measure was designed to try and keep students thinking, mirrors have a magical quality they can create space, magicians use them in countless illusions to make the eye believe it is not seeing a solid surface, horror movies use them as windows to the dark side.

I will never tire of the first time a kitten, puppy or baby sees it's reflection for the first time, some of the most comical videos are when a kitten runs past a mirror and suddenly becomes aware of the imposter in the room. At all levels we soon seem to be able to discount the effect. The only animals this seems to work on long term seems to be caged birds, I was always fascinated by the fact that my budgie used to talk endlessly to the mute in the mirror.

I think I was first introduced to mirror thinking by the Vision On BBC television series that ran from 1964 to 1976 their logo, was the program name mirrored and made to look like a grasshopper. Tony Hart was a superb graphic artist. The aim of the program was to entertain but also to encourage imagination, with a fast-paced flow of contrasting ideas, both sane and silly. This mixture was an apparent success as the series ran for twelve years and, while retaining a commitment to the deaf, attracted a wider following and gained several awards including the international Prix Jeunesse and the BAFTA Award for Specialised Programmes.

I fear a rant coming on as I don't feel this quality of television exists anymore everything seems geared to the consumer society.

At keystage 3 I would have a cardboard modeling project that makes a periscope the level of rigour i.e. would it be a precut kit from the laser or a draw cut and make would depend on time and the students levels.

At keystage 4 I would have a go at making a laser writer using two servos and a mirror, if your school does not allow laser pointers a small torch can be used as a replacement.

At AS Level and maybe Keystage 4 I would look at telescopes and how they used curved mirrors as both light collectors and lenses combined. I would look at the hubble telescope debarkle just to show that industry and science can even now drop a blooper. I would then disassemble a scrap 35mm camera and look how the lens elements work to focus the image on the film.

Mirror Manufacture

Hubble Telescope

Hubble Telescope 2010

Reflection #

Looking at my reflection you can see that I am about 6ft 1 1/4.

As pupils go through keystage 3 and 4 they will more than likely experience the fastest growing period in their lives. It is often hard to get a measurement of you own height. Holding your hair down and reading the value without error can be difficult.

When I made the Doctor Who mirror I postulated the possibility of making a measurement mirror.

After a trip to a local DIY store it was obvious that a glass mirror would be £25.

This seemed expensive for a school so I formulated a way to make your own reflective material.

Taking a sheet of clear acrylic I first sprayed it with the silver paint used in the alchemy project, expecting this to make a reflective surface when viewed from the unpainted side. To my dismay the reflection was very poor.

I then painted a second piece with black spray paint and the reflective properties were much better giving it that Ipad look.

Once the paint was dry the words were etched into the back in reverse to keep the shiny surface look.

It uses the principle that light travels in straight lines.

LaserHeight

To compensate for the level of your eyes the actual unit needs to me 35mm below height in other words the 180cm line needs to be at a height of 1765mm from the floor.

Finally I manufacture a stand and placed the unit on it for demonstration purposes.