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What do people who are blind see?

Light, Eyes, & Vision
4.8 (18720 reviews)
Lesson narration:
English Spanish
Scroll for prep
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DISCUSS (1 of 3):

Why do you think some people have problems with vision?

DISCUSS (2 of 3):

How could we figure out how eyes work?

Here’s what we came up with...

DISCUSS (3 of 3): Look at these eyes, and the eyes of the person next to you. What's the same? What's different?

Eyes Comparison

Do you think that any of the differences could explain why some people have trouble with vision, or not?

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Slide Image
Slide Image

light


1 of 13

energy that comes from sources like the Sun and lamps and makes it possible to see things

lens


2 of 13

a clear object that changes the direction of light as it passes through
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brain


3 of 13

a part of the body that receives and responds to signals from the senses and also stores memories

vision


4 of 13

the ability to see
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eye


5 of 13

a part of the body that detects light and sends signals to the brain
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pupil


6 of 13

the dark opening in the center of the eye
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iris


7 of 13

the colored part of the eye that is shaped like a donut
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cornea


8 of 13

the clear layer in front of the eye that acts as a lens
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retina


9 of 13

the back of the eye that senses light and sends messages to the brain
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structure


10 of 13

the specific form and shape of something

function


11 of 13

what something does
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experiment


12 of 13

a test used to discover new information about a question
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model


13 of 13

a pretend version of something that scientists use when the real thing is too big, small, or complicated to work with

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
blind man by TommyEdisonXP , used under CC BY
cat in window by Chris Lattuada , used under CC BY / Heavily modified
glasses by Michelle Arseneault , used under CC BY-SA / Adjusted color, cropped
cow by Peggy Greb
Activity
race car by The Tire Zoo , used under CC BY
light switch by Derek Gavey , used under CC BY-SA
man standing in front of curtains by Maegan Tintari , used under CC BY-SA
Other
Unit: brown eye by Giulia Marotta , used under Public Domain
Credits
What do people who are blind see?
Light, Eyes, & Vision
4.8 (18720 reviews)

Featured Reviews

“They were absolutely enthralled. The cow eye was a stretch for a few, but they all learned things they didn't know. They had more questions at the end of the lesson than I have heard from any lesson in a while, so I was thrilled. They thought the eye model was the best ever, and they are showing them to their grandparents today for Grandparents' Day. This was as close to a perfect lesson as it gets.”
· Cherie · Teacher
“Great Mystery!! The activity had a high level of engagement. It was a simple model to demonstrate the principal. Several students asked for copies of the materials so that they could recreate at home. I definitely recommend doing the extension.”
· Nicole · Admin
“The kids were so engaged! We have already learned about how the eye works, but this really solidified it for them! They have a much deeper understanding of the parts of the eye and how they work together. They loved every second. Thank you!!”
· Jenny · Teacher
“All students were engaged in creating the cornea lens model and using it to demonstrate understanding through their discussions and responses on the brief assessment.The additional articles further demonstrated understanding through reading and written responding.WE love Mystery Science is their opinion!”
· Patty · Teacher
“Probably the best one yet! My students liked learning about the man without eyesight and how when they made their models, they actually saw an image on their "retina" piece of paper. If the school day wasn't ending, they could have been experimenting with those functional models for 15 more minutes.”
· Robert · Teacher
“The best part was when the kids were able to find images on their index cards. They really thought that was unbelievable and tried so many different things on their own to discover why people have blurry vision or no vision. This is one of my favorite ones so far. ”
· Kelsey · Teacher
“This lesson was amazing, for teachers and students alike. We all were able to learn and grow together, and the lesson sparked incredible discussions and "ah-ha" moments. The lens model was creative and truly illustrated the process of vision.”
· Crystal · Teacher
“For me - incredibly clear directions for the children to follow; an experiment that didn't need a lot of materials; an experiment that didn't need a lot of time For kids - captivating video; the complete success of the experiment - they were excited and learned so much”
· Carolyn · Teacher
“They really loved seeing how the eye works and were amazed at how fast it happens. ”
· Saleena · Homeschooler
“Students being able to see the image on the 3x5 card. THAT is when they really began to understand and put everything together.”
· LaDeana · Admin
“It had so much great information in it and the activity was mind blowing for the students. ”
· Terry · Teacher
“Loved working with the eye model. Eruptions of amazing discovery when students saw an image displayed on the 3x5 card / retina screen.”
· Andrew · Teacher
“They LOVED making the eye model! They were completely convinced beforehand that there was no way it could work.”
· Autumn · Teacher
“I loved seeing the kids gasp out loud in excitement when they saw the image from outside on the retina!”
· Barbara · Teacher
“The activity was filled with WOW's and COOL's. I'm always amazed at how you take something that seem difficult to explain and turn it into student centered experience.”
· Jodi · Teacher
“The model of the eye worked great. This prompted some wonderful written responses in student science notebooks.”
· Nina · Teacher
“It helped the kids to understand how and why our blind paper delivery person is the way he is and helped them to understand why Mom wears glasses.”
· · Homeschooler
“The students were amazed at the images the were able to project using their "lens" and "retina". They made some real connections between the experiment and the way their eyes work!”
· · Teacher
“A fabulous lesson. We love mystery science. Easy to follow and use and the learning is quicker and more thorough than from a text book. Thank you.”
· Giulia · Homeschooler
“The kids loved the model of the eye! They were so incredibly excited about it. They were really upset they couldn't take them home the first day. ”
· Megan · Teacher
“Love the cow eye dissection!!”
· Catherine · Teacher
“Really interesting to watch link clip about the upside down glasses”
· Susanna · Homeschooler
“Really really loved the activity and the explanations. My students had lots of questions about why certain people had certain colors of eyes....maybe you want to consider a lesson on that with punnet square or even a lesson about genetics.”
· Jordyn · Teacher
“Nice job on the eye lesson. We enjoyed playing with the lenses. One thing: there are actually THREE things that can go wrong with sight -- cornea lens, retina/optic nerve, and BRAIN damage. I know you are trying to keep things simple, but sight is one of the five senses, and it's an oversight (pun intended) to dismiss the brain's function of interpreting those senses. If you wanted to pursue this in another lesson, you could make one on optical illusions, on how the brain misinterprets signals from the eyes. That would be fun!”
· Leonard · Homeschooler
“This was a fantastic lesson! The model of the eye was very realistic. Thank you for another great one!”
· Cindy · Homeschooler
“The demonstration of how the lens works.”
· Marla · Teacher
“The Mystery Science lessons and activities are so engaging. My students learn and gain a thorough understanding of each concept taught. As usual, the lesson on How Eyes Work was super!!!”
· Mary · Teacher
“Although the eye dissection was a little yucky for some kids, making the model eye was incredible. My class was amazed by the upside down image. Great model for what happens in their eyes.”
· Amy · Teacher
“making the leens was so cool, even for the adults in the room! literally "oohs" and "ahhs" when the students saw the images for the first time ”
· Laura · Teacher
“Our favorite experiment so far! At first we thought that the experiment wasn't working, once it did we were so excited. This is so cool! Thanks.”
· Simone · Homeschooler
“Making the eye model was FANTASTIC! The excitement when they saw the image was actually upside down...they will never forget it! Also learning about how the retina disrupts the image being viewed was also a favorite activity!”
· Holly · Teacher
“This was so cool! It blew my 4th graders away to see the image from the window projected on their "retina".”
· Jiovanna · Teacher
“Students enjoyed using the models to learn. They were super excited to see how our own human eyes actually work.”
· Winnie · Teacher
“When my students used the lenses and started experimenting with it---Wow! Excitement! I purposely didn't guide them in any way. But they discovered everything I wanted to and MORE! That's the way kids retain information! Great Job Mystery Science! I am excited to say that our principal just bought a school license for next year! Yeah!!!!!”
· Bonny · Teacher
“The students' reactions when they focused the image on the "retina" were amazing. Great lesson.”
· David · Teacher
“Students really enjoyed the activity and caught on to the parts of the eye and what each part does. The quiz was well done and matched the lesson. ”
· Dave · Teacher
“The eye model was so interesting--I think it clicked for many kids, including myself!!!”
· Kendall · Teacher
“Learning about how the eyes see and why vision is sometimes blurry caused an "a-ha" moment with my students.”
· · Teacher
“The kids loved every hands-on part of this lesson. It was neat to hear the sounds when they observed pupils dilating! The reasoning behind eyes glowing and red eye were very interesting for adults and kids. Very nice lesson!”
· Shane · Teacher
“We really enjoyed the experiment, and the cow's eye dissection. We're going to do this at our science museum in May!”
· Melissa · Homeschooler
“This activity really helped the students understand the parts of the eye and how they work together.”
· Amy · Teacher
“Explained things so well. Lots of "Aha!" moments for the kids.”
· Kara · Teacher
“The students had no idea that the picture projected through the cornea lens would actually produce a picture on the retina.”
· Beth · Teacher
“This was GREAT! My students are both grossed out and mesmerized by the dissection of the cow eye. This was an excellent lesson to talk about the eye and vision. ”
· Jenn · Teacher
“Fantastic. We used this for PE this week and the kids loved it! ”
· Kirstie · Teacher
“Experimenting with the cornea lens and retina was fantastic. What a great activity to help us understand how the eye works. I even learned something new myself. I had no idea the pupil was a hole! So interesting! Again, we also loved the dissection. It's always nice to see what things truly look like and to examine them closer. Thank you for an excellent lesson. ”
· Josie · Homeschooler
“Our favorite part of this series was the dissection. the kiddos loved making the eyes and experimenting with them. They absolutely love when Doug gives them a 'thumbs up' during the activity time.”
· Julie · Teacher
“THE COWS EYEBALL. KIDS LOVED IT AND WERE GLUED TO THE SCREEN. WITH A LOT OF SHRIEKS AND SCREAMS.”
· Natasha · Homeschooler
“The best part was that moment when each student's image came into focus on their retina card. Very cool. As always, the way you guys give directions is just masterful. The gross out factor with the cow eye was pretty severe. I provided plenty of warning for my students, and there were still a couple who had to leave half way through that section. You might want to encourage teachers to warn parents ahead of time. I wish it didn't have to be that way, but some parents may not appreciate the scientific value of that process the same way we do.”
· · Teacher
“The eye model was a fantastic way to show how the eye works. My kids were amazed. ”
· Joanne · Homeschooler
“My kids loved making the eye model and seeing the upside down image on the retina!”
· Angela · Teacher
“The kids were spellbound during the eye dissection”
· Roberta · Teacher
“I'm sorry, I keep using the same word, but WOW! The kids were blown away by the image appearing on the retina. Then our principal stopped by and told about her Lasik surgery and they recognized the words and understood what she had done. Amazing! ”
· Jessica · Teacher
“My students have loved the interesting videos and all the great activities. The activities are so teacher and student friendly. I am so lucky to have this amazing curriculum. ”
· Sara · Teacher
“Watching the Cows eye! They also loved the beginning story!”
· Johanna · Teacher
“Amazing !!!My 5 year old and 8 year old both love this one, they've asked to do it three times already! ”
· Jack · Homeschooler
“we used a magnifying glass on hand and it was so neat hearing the "aha!" when making the "pupil" smaller. They really got it. ”
· JenP · Homeschooler
Lesson narration:
English Spanish

Activity Prep

Print Prep
In this lesson, students discover the basics of how their eyes work, and figure out some of the causes of vision problems. In the activity, Eye Model, students develop a working model of a human eye. They use a magnifying lens as a model of the cornea to explore how the structure of this lens is related to the function of our eyes.
Preview activity

Vocabulary

Vocabulary

Student slideshow: English | Spanish

Teacher printout: English & Spanish

I have a Mystery Pack

Front of the Eye printout 1 per student
Markers
Used to color the iris so we suggest brown, blue, and green colors. Crayons or colored pencils will also work.
Details
1 marker per student
Scissors
1 pair per student
Dot Stickers
We prefer stickers because they are easier to distribute in a classroom. Tape also works.
Details
2 stickers per student
Index Cards (3x5)
1 card per student
Credit Card Size Magnifiers (3x)
You can find great prices on ebay.com, but you have to plan a few weeks ahead. Search ebay for “3X credit-card magnifier.”
Details
1 lens per student
Prep Instructions

Try Making An Image With the Lens Before Class

As soon as you have a 3X magnifying lens, use it to make an image. For the best image, you need a dimly lit room and an interesting light source — like a window that lets light in, a lamp with a shade, or a television. Watch this short video for a demonstration.

After you’ve made an image, check to see what will work in your classroom. Do you have a door to the outside that you can prop open? A bright window? An interesting light fixture?

If you have a large class, you can set up a few stations with lamps around the room, or send students in batches to a window.

Hold On To The Eye Models

If you will be teaching the next lesson "How can some animals see in the dark?" , then you must save the eye models that students make in this lesson. Keep them in a safe place until you are ready to teach the next lesson.

Standards

Jump to

Exploration

21 mins

Hands-On Activity

30 mins

Wrap-Up

4 mins

Extend this lesson

Unit Reading

Unit Reading

Reading in the Dark

In this reading, adapted from an episode of the podcast "Science Update," students learn if reading in dim light can impact your eyesight.

Activity

Activity

Students test their vision in the classroom.

Discussions

Discussion

Why does a lens make an image appear upside-down?

The lenses in your eyes are known as “convex” lenses: they’re curved outward. As light rays enter the far edges of a convex lens, the light rays are bent inwards. In other words, light rays entering the top of the lens bend down toward the bottom of the retina, and light rays coming in from the bottom of the lens bend toward the top of the retina. This is why the image looks upside-down! You might wonder: Why don’t we see everything upside-down? That is a question which puzzled scientists.

Light makes an upside-down picture on the retina of your model eye. The picture on the retina of your real eye is also upside down. So why don’t you see everything upside-down? Ask your students if they can think of an experiment that might answer this question.

Here's an experiment some scientists tried. They had someone wear eyeglasses that flipped the picture in their eyes so it was right-side-up. To see what happened, watch this video.

It turns out that the answer is not in your eyes -- but in your brain. Your brain learns to make sense of the picture in your eyes -- whether it's right-side-up or upside-down.

Mini-lessons

Mini-lessons

You can elaborate student learning and engagement with Mystery Science mini-lessons.

If you are in an NGSS state, this mini-lesson supports the DCI LS1.A: Structure and Function

If you are in an NGSS state, these mini-lessons support the DCI PS4.B: Electromagnetic Radiation

Transcripts

Credits
 
Body Lesson 2: What do people who are blind see?

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