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4. Field Activity 02

For this activity, I used Adobe Illustrator and the laser cutter to make a human eye model for my 9-10s science class.

Background

I designed the human eye manipulative based on a model that I used to have students build as a part of our Light & Vision unit. Below is a photo of a previous version of the eye model.

Original Student-Built Eye Model Original Student-Built Eye Model

Students enjoyed working with the eye models, but the construction of the model took up too much time and wasn’t crucial to the learning objectives of the activity. I decided that the field activity was a great opportunity to design the manipulative for students. My goals for the model were to eliminate frustration that many students used to encounter and allow me to focus more instruction time on taking students through simulations to investigate the functions of different parts of the human eye more deeply.

The Design Process

I kept the design of the pieces as minimalistic as possible. My goal was to give each piece of the model a single function so that students could correlate each piece with a specific part of the eye. The parts of the eye represented by the model are the vitreous chamber, lens, and retina.

Human Eye Model Kit Human Eye Model Kit

I first designed a holder for the double convex lens that represents the inner lens of the eye. Students use two sizes during the lab, so I created two holders to work with both lens diameters. I also created two options for the semicircle edge of the holder to see which would hold the lens best. It ended up that .125 inches was the perfect width to hold both lenses securely, and I moved forward with that measurement for the rest of the kits. After laser cutting, the semicircles are glued to both sides of the center post of the holder. This creates a space for the lens to slip into.

Testing Out The Lens Holder Measurments Testing Out The Lens Holder Measurments

To represent the vitreous chamber and function as the structure of the eye model, I designed a base with a series of slots measured to fit the lens holder securely.

To represent the retina, I designed a frame to hold a piece of paper. The paper catches the image that is projected through the lens. I added a slit for the base at the bottom of the frame to give the base a little height and added a second riser piece to for the base to slide into at the front to keep the base level to the table.

Human Eye Model Kit Human Eye Model Set Up

Students spent a lot of time choosing the perfect image.

Human Eye Model Kit Measuring the distance of the eye pad from the lens before the image becomes blurry on the retina.

Human Eye Model Kit Exploring how the image changes when adding different colored filters.

Human Eye Model Kit Recording Observations

Design Iterations

Design features that I would change after using the eye model with students:

  • Adjust the slots in the base to be slightly smaller to create a tighter fit for the lens holder to keep it upright.
  • Add a top arc to the lens holder to secure the lenses inside of the holder.
  • Add measurements to the notches in the base and note where to place the “retina.” -Shorten the 2 inch lens holder so that the lens is centered on the 1.67 inch lens.