Telescoping Periscope

This lesson explores how a periscope works and is used. Students work in teams to devise their own periscope.

Learn about engineering design and redesign.
Learn about periscopes and optical devices.
Learn how engineering can help solve society’s challenges.
Learn about teamwork and problem solving.

Age Levels: 8-18

Materials & Preparation

Build Materials (For each team)

Required Materials (Trading/Table of Possibilities)

Cardboard
Empty milk cartons
Small mirror with safety edges (cosmetic mirrors work great)
Rubber bands
Paper clips
Tubes
PVC piping
Paper/plastic cups
Aluminum foil

Note: When working with very young children consider using reflective materials instead of mirrors. Options include “mirrored” or reflective contact paper or multipurpose mirrored tape which can be purchased at home improvement or hardware stores. These surfaces are not as clearly reflective as a regular mirror so instead of identifying an object, have students determine which color you are showing around the corner and use different colored construction paper as the “object” you test with.

Testing Materials

Several small objects (flower, a pen, a button, a coin, small toy, etc)

Testing Materials & Process

Materials

Several small objects (flower, a pen, a button, a coin, small toy, etc.)

Process

Test each team’s periscope design by having team members read a series of clues that are out of direct sight. These clues can be taped on the inside of a closet, placed on top of a door ledge, or other areas that will be a challenge. Clue #1 can point students to the location of clue #2, etc.

Assign scores to each team for comparison:

80 points = followed each of the clues
Uniqueness Score = 0-10 Point Scale (voted on by the class, with the teacher deciding the final point value)
Creativity Score = 0-10 Point Scale (voted on by the class, with the teacher deciding the final point value)

Engineering Design Challenge

Design Challenge

You are part of a team of engineers given the challenge of developing your own periscope. Your periscope must have adjustable mirrors and be able to telescope. Also, be creative and make sure your periscope is unique from other teams’ designs.

Tip: A periscope can be made by opening a slot in two milk cartons and inserting two mirrors at 45 degree angles on each end. You can use a long box or two milk cartons that you will connect….or come up with our own design.

Criteria

Design must be able to telescope.
Mirrors must be adjustable.
Design must be unique and pleasing to the eye.

Constraints

Use only the materials provided.
Teams may trade unlimited materials.

Activity Instructions & Procedures

Break class into teams of 3-4.
Hand out the Telescoping Periscope worksheet, as well as some sheets of paper for sketching designs.
Discuss the topics in the Background Concepts Section. Visit Wikipedia Page on Periscopes at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Periscope to review principles of how mirrors and reflections are key to periscope operation.
Instruct students that a periscope is an instrument that uses a system of prisms, lenses, or mirrors to reflect images through a tube. Light from a distant object strikes the top mirror and is then reflected at an angle of 90 degrees down the periscope tube. At the bottom of the periscope, the light strikes another mirror and is then reflected into a viewer’s eye. Periscope comes from two Greek words, peri, meaning “around,” and scopus, “to look.” Telescoping in mechanics describes the movement of one part sliding out from another, lengthening an object (such as a periscope) from its resting position.
Review the Engineering Design Process, Design Challenge, Criteria, Constraints and Materials.
Provide each team with their materials.
Explain that students must design and build their own periscope. The periscope must have adjustable mirrors and be able to telescope. Also, the design should be creative and unique from other team’s.
Announce the amount of time they have to design and build (1 hour recommended).
Use a timer or an on-line stopwatch (count down feature) to ensure you keep on time. (www.online-stopwatch.com/full-screen-stopwatch). Give students regular “time checks” so they stay on task. If they are struggling, ask questions that will lead them to a solution quicker.
Students meet and develop a plan for their periscope. They agree on materials they will need, write/draw their plan, and present their plan to the class. Teams may trade unlimited materials with other teams to develop their ideal parts list.
Teams build their designs.
Test each team’s periscope design by having team members read a series of clues that are out of direct sight. These clues can be taped on the inside of a closet, placed on top of a door ledge, or other areas that will be a challenge. Clue #1 can point students to the location of clue #2, etc.
Assign scores to each team for comparison:
● 80 points = followed each of the clues
● Uniqueness Score = 0-10 Point Scale (voted on by the class, with the teacher deciding the final point value)
● Creativity Score = 0-10 Point Scale (voted on by the class, with the teacher deciding the final point value)
As a class, discuss the student reflection questions.
For more content on the topic, see the “Digging Deeper” section.

Extra Challenge

For extra challenge, have a clue underwater, so the periscope may have to be waterproof, or have a clue in a dark location, so the periscope must incorporate a light source. It is up to you to make the challenge as simple or as complicated as best suits the class age, mix, and available time.

Extension Idea

Challenge older or more advanced students to create a periscope that incorporates a webcam.

Student Reflection (engineering notebook)

How similar was your original design to the actual periscope your team built?
If your team found you needed to make changes during the construction phase, describe why revisions were needed.
Which periscope that another team made was the most interesting to you? Why?
Do you think that this activity was more rewarding to do as a team, or would you have preferred to work alone on it? Why?
If you could have used one additional material (tape, glue, wood sticks, foil — as examples) which would you choose and why?
Do you think that engineers often change their designs when they enter the manufacturing phase of a new product development? Why or why not?

Time Modification

The lesson can be done in as little as 1 class period for older students. However, to help students from feeling rushed and to ensure student success (especially for younger students), split the lesson into two periods giving students more time to brainstorm, test ideas and finalize their design. Conduct the testing and debrief in the next class period.

Engineering Design Process

Background Concepts

What is a Periscope?

A periscope is an instrument used to observe something from a concealed position. In its simplest form it consists of an outer case with mirrors at each end set parallel to each other at a 45- degree angle. Using this form of periscope, with the addition of two simple lenses, troops fighting in World War I could see out of their trenches and not put their lives at risk by lifting their heads in front of an enemy. This simple form is also used to peek around a corner to view wildlife, or to look over a crowd of taller people at an event.

The image shows a simple periscope where a person is peering in at the bottom to see the bird that is around a corner or out a window and not in direct sight. More complex periscopes use prisms instead of mirrors to provide magnification and higher image quality. These are the types of periscopes often found on submarines.

History and Inventors

Johann Gutenberg, better known for his contribution to printing technology, marketed a kind of periscope in the 1430s to enable pilgrims to see over the heads of the crowd at religious festivals. Johannes Hevelius described an early periscope with lenses in 1647 and saw military applications for his invention.

Periscopes served in World War I to enable soldiers to see over the tops of trenches, in order to see with less exposure to enemy fire. Tanks use periscopes extensively: they enable drivers or tank commanders to inspect their situation without leaving the safety of the tank. An important development, the Gundlach rotary periscope, incorporated a rotating top; this allowed a tank commander to obtain a 360-degree field of view without moving his seat. Periscopes are also used in naval efforts, and allow a submarine, when submerged at a shallow depth, to search visually for nearby targets and threats on the surface of the water and in the air. When not in use, a submarine’s periscope retracts into the hull. Newer periscopes can record digital video of what the periscope “sees” and some have embedded displays that incorporate GPS information and night vision capabilities.

Vocabulary

Constraints: Limitations with material, time, size of team, etc.
Criteria: Conditions that the design must satisfy like its overall size, etc.
Engineers: Inventors and problem-solvers of the world. Twenty-five major specialties are recognized in engineering (see infographic).
Engineering Design Process: Process engineers use to solve problems.
Engineering Habits of Mind (EHM): Six unique ways that engineers think.
Iteration: Test & redesign is one iteration. Repeat (multiple iterations).
Periscope: An instrument used to observe something from a concealed position.
Prototype: A working model of the solution to be tested.
Telescoping: The movement of one part sliding out from another, lengthening an object (such as your periscope) from its resting position.

Dig Deeper

Internet Connections

Recommended Reading

Illustrated Directory of Submarines of the World (ISBN: 978-0760313459)

Writing Activity

Write an essay or a paragraph about how an invention such as the periscope helped save lives in World War I.

Curriculum Alignment

Alignment to Curriculum Frameworks

Note: Lesson plans in this series are aligned to one or more of the following sets of standards:

U.S. Science Education Standards (http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=4962)
U.S. Next Generation Science Standards (http://www.nextgenscience.org/)
International Technology Education Association’s Standards for Technological Literacy (http://www.iteea.org/TAA/PDFs/xstnd.pdf)
U.S. National Council of Teachers of Mathematics’ Principles and Standards for School Mathematics (http://www.nctm.org/standards/content.aspx?id=16909)
U.S. Common Core State Standards for Mathematics (http://www.corestandards.org/Math)
Computer Science Teachers Association K-12 Computer Science Standards (http://csta.acm.org/Curriculum/sub/K12Standards.html)

National Science Education Standards Grades K-4 (ages 4-9)

CONTENT STANDARD A: Science as Inquiry

As a result of activities, all students should develop

Abilities necessary to do scientific inquiry
Understanding about scientific inquiry

CONTENT STANDARD B: Physical Science

As a result of the activities, all students should develop an understanding of

Properties of objects and materials
Position and motion of objects
Light, heat, electricity, and magnetism

CONTENT STANDARD E: Science and Technology

As a result of activities, all students should develop

Abilities of technological design

CONTENT STANDARD F: Science in Personal and Social Perspectives

As a result of activities, all students should develop understanding of

Types of resources
Science and technology in local challenges

CONTENT STANDARD G: History and Nature of Science

As a result of activities, all students should develop understanding of

Science as a human endeavor

National Science Education Standards Grades 5-8 (ages 10-14)

CONTENT STANDARD A: Science as Inquiry

As a result of activities, all students should develop

Abilities necessary to do scientific inquiry

CONTENT STANDARD B: Physical Science

As a result of their activities, all students should develop an understanding of

Properties and changes of properties in matter

CONTENT STANDARD E: Science and Technology

As a result of activities in grades 5-8, all students should develop

Abilities of technological design
Understandings about science and technology

CONTENT STANDARD F: Science in Personal and Social Perspectives

As a result of activities, all students should develop understanding of

Risks and benefits
Science and technology in society

National Science Education Standards Grades 5-8 (ages 10-14)

CONTENT STANDARD G: History and Nature of Science

As a result of activities, all students should develop understanding of

Science as a human endeavor
History of science

National Science Education Standards Grades 9-12 (ages 14-18)

CONTENT STANDARD A: Science as Inquiry

As a result of activities, all students should develop

Abilities necessary to do scientific inquiry
Understandings about scientific inquiry

CONTENT STANDARD B: Physical Science

As a result of their activities, all students should develop understanding of

Interactions of energy and matter

CONTENT STANDARD E: Science and Technology

As a result of activities, all students should develop

Abilities of technological design
Understandings about science and technology

CONTENT STANDARD F: Science in Personal and Social Perspectives

As a result of activities, all students should develop understanding of

Science and technology in local, national, and global challenges

CONTENT STANDARD G: History and Nature of Science

As a result of activities, all students should develop understanding of

Science as a human endeavor
Historical perspectives

Next Generation Science Standards Grades 3-5 (Ages 8-11)

Waves and Their Applications in Technologies for Information Transfer

4-PS4-2. Develop a model to describe that light reflecting from objects and entering the eye allows objects to be seen.

Engineering Design

Students who demonstrate understanding can:

3-5-ETS1-1.Define a simple design problem reflecting a need or a want that includes specified criteria for success and constraints on materials, time, or cost.
3-5-ETS1-2.Generate and compare multiple possible solutions to a problem based on how well each is likely to meet the criteria and constraints of the problem.
3-5-ETS1-3.Plan and carry out fair tests in which variables are controlled and failure points are considered to identify aspects of a model or prototype that can be improved.

Next Generation Science Standards Grades 6-8 (Ages 11-14)

Engineering Design

Students who demonstrate understanding can:

MS-ETS1-1 Define the criteria and constraints of a design problem with sufficient precision to ensure a successful solution, taking into account relevant scientific principles and potential impacts on people and the natural environment that may limit possible solutions.
MS-ETS1-2 Evaluate competing design solutions using a systematic process to determine how well they meet the criteria and constraints of the problem.

Standards for Technological Literacy – All Ages

The Nature of Technology

Standard 1: Students will develop an understanding of the characteristics and scope of technology.
Standard 2: Students will develop an understanding of the core concepts of technology.
Standard 3: Students will develop an understanding of the relationships among technologies and the connections between technology and other fields of study.

Technology and Society

Standard 4: Students will develop an understanding of the cultural, social, economic, and political effects of technology.
Standard 6: Students will develop an understanding of the role of society in the development and use of technology.
Standard 7: Students will develop an understanding of the influence of technology on history.

Design

Standard 8: Students will develop an understanding of the attributes of design.
Standard 9: Students will develop an understanding of engineering design.
Standard 10: Students will develop an understanding of the role of troubleshooting, research and development, invention and innovation, and experimentation in problem solving.

Abilities for a Technological World

Standard 11: Students will develop abilities to apply the design process.

Student Worksheet

Engineering Teamwork and Planning

You are part of a team of engineers given the challenge of developing your own periscope out of everyday materials. You have many materials to choose from. A simple periscope (like the one to the right) can be made by opening a slot in two milk cartons and inserting two mirrors at 45 degree angles on each end. You can use a long box, two milk cartons that you will connect….or come up with our own design!

In your challenge, however your periscope must be able to telescope to change length, and your mirrors must both be adjustable.

In this challenge your periscope must be able to allow your team to correctly read and follow a series of clues that are out of your direct line of sight. But, you will also be judged on how unique and creative your design is!

Remember that a periscope is an instrument that uses a system of prisms, lenses, or mirrors to reflect images through a tube. In the simple example to the right, light from a distant object strikes the top mirror and is then reflected at an angle of 90 degrees down the periscope tube. At the bottom of the periscope, the light strikes another mirror and is then reflected into a viewer’s eye. Periscope comes from two Greek words, peri, meaning “around,” and scopus, “to look.”

Telescoping in mechanics describes the movement of one part sliding out from another, lengthening an object (such as your periscope) from its resting position.

Research Phase

Read the materials provided to you by your teacher. Think about how light will need to travel from the object to your eye through the periscope your team develops. Consider not only the functionality of the periscope you will develop but also how unique and creative the final tool will be!

Planning and Design Phase

Draw a diagram of your periscope including the path a ray of light would follow as it travels through your periscope design — from an object, through the periscope, and into your eye or a camera.

List the materials you think you will need:

Presentation Phase
Present your plan and drawing to the class, and consider the plans of other teams. You may wish to fine tune your own design.

Build it! Test it!
Next build your periscope and test it. You may share unused building materials with other teams and trade materials too. Be sure to watch what other teams are doing and consider the aspects of different designs that might be an improvement on your team’s plan.

Scoring
Use the box below to determine your score on this project!

Was your team able to correctly follow the clues your teacher planned for you?

Yes: 80 points No: 0

Unique Score (voted by your peers with your teacher providing final point) (scale 0-10)

Creative Score (voted by your peers with your teacher providing final point) (scale 0-10)

Final Score

Reflection

Complete the reflection questions below: