Originally, 3D glasses were more of a gimmick or toy than anything that could really be used in a serious learning environment. Technological steps forward as well as the growth of alternative lesson plans have helped educators come up with a wide variety of applications for these glasses that can make learning fun. Check out these three experiments and see if you can’t come up with a STEM plan that helps to engage your own students.
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1. Explore Anaglyphic Images
Conventional anaglyph images are easy to work with because they present a 3D picture without the need for any advanced technology. These were long used by printers to produce entirely analog comic books that offered readers 3D images regardless of whether they were anywhere near an electrical outlet. Letting students use 3D glasses to examine some printed 3D anaglyphs is an excellent way to start a conversation about the science of sight.
The reason people see in 3D when they use glasses is because of how the filters attached to the lenses of these simple glasses work. A red filter located on the one side of the glasses gives viewers the perception of any blue parts of an image as dark while a blue filter on the other side makes red areas dark. The brain then reassembles the picture in your mind’s eye as a fully 3D rendered picture. Since these use the most basic traditional style of 3D optics, this can be an affordable activity even for cash-strapped classrooms that need to be careful about their budgets.
2. Look At Household Objects
Since 3D glasses work by taking a very careful combination of colors and tricking a user’s brain into seeing something they aren’t, it can be really interesting to see what regular objects look like when wearing them. Your students might find that certain upholstery or clothing patterns seem to pop while others remain completely hidden when they look at them with 3D glasses. This gives you a chance to discuss design as well as the psychology of why optical illusions work. You may even wish to play with conventional illusions while wearing glasses to check the differences.
3. Examine Full Scale Models
Science supply companies have at times produced 3D images that function as models of a number of natural concepts. For instance, your class might want to get a feel for what the Triassic period was like by using individual 3D glasses to look at images of dinosaurs. Advanced programs might use pictures of molecules or bacteria blown up to a massive size. Most people only ever get to glance at flat paintings of these things in books or online, so this can be an excellent enrichment activity for those who want to get a new lease on the material.
By this point, you might be thinking up some of your own STEM experiments to try in a classroom. Never forget to listen to your students either, because they may also come up with some innovative ways to try 3D glasses in the classroom.