A telescope in an instrument used to get a closer look at the night sky. Students can look for planets, constellations, and even meteors during a meteor shower. With this project, fifth graders will learn how to make their own telescope to use at night.
Items you will need for this experiment:
- Large, weak magnifying glass
- Small, powerful magnifying glass
- Optional paper towel roll or wrapping paper roll
Follow the instructions to create your own telescope:
Step 1: You need to find a large magnifying glass that isn’t very strong. The lenses on these are usually very thick. If you have Grandparents like mine, they use this type of magnifying glass to read their morning paper. You can buy some at a website called Surplusshed.com if you can’t find any in your neighborhood to use.
Step 2: You also need to find a small magnifying glass that is quite powerful. Again, if you can’t find one you can buy one at surplusshed.
Step 3: Hold your small magnifying lens directly in front of your eye. This piece is called your eye piece.
Step 4: Now bring your large magnifying glass to your small one. Hold it in front and slowly move it further out until things begin to come in to focus. You can adjust your viewing by moving the large magnifying glass closer or farther away from the eye piece.
Step 5: If it would make it easier you can put your eye piece at one end of a paper towel roll and the large magnifying glass at the other end. The only problem with this method is you inability to adjust focus. You are taking a chance that everything may be visible or it may be blurry.
Note: As with all science experiments be sure to follow the scientific method. If you don’t know the steps here is the general outline.
First, do some research on your topic. In this case, you would do your research on telescopes.
Second, you form a hypothesis. This is a statement of what you think is going to happen when you finish with your experiment.
Third, you test your experiment. Document what happens and all the steps you used to finish the experiment.
Fourth, you take all of your information and write out a conclusion. In your conclusion you should state whether your hypothesis was correct or not.
Finally, you hand in your finding is the form of a report. Some reports may also be both oral and written so be prepared for both.
*A teacher may help you with the topic and you may get instructions on how to make the project online or in a science book, but you need to do the rest of the work yourself. This includes the research, hypothesis, and conclusion.
