From the Editor
Children can learn that light travels in straight lines by using straight and bent pipes to view a light source.
Yet the middle-stage curriculum recommends constructing a pinhole camera. Why? I can think of two reasons: Students can use this property to explain image formation. They can test how different variables affect this phenomenon: What if the camera is closer to the object? Which would make a better screen—butter paper or cardboard? Students can see each component of this camera. They can understand how it works by dismantling, rebuilding, and modifying it: How is this image different from that in a mirror? What if we add a second pinhole? But when the construction is overly complex, students focus less on inquiry and more on following instructions to complete it. How do we address this? Shiv Pandey shares one approach here. Tell us yours. –Chitra Ravi (Chief Editor).
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