(30 minutes or less) If you start with one large piece of
mirror, cut three 6 x 6 inch (15 x 15 cm) pieces from the
plastic or glass. You can cut the plastic with a fine saw, such
as a hacksaw, or score it with a utility knife and then snap it
off. It is not hard to cut glass; get someone who knows how to
do it to show you. (WARNING: For safety, after cutting a glass
mirror, mount it on wood or cardboard and cover the edges with
duct tape.) Once you have the three mirrors you need, use the
duct tape to tape two of the mirrors together along one edge.
Put the tape on the back side of the mirror, making a hinge that
opens and closes easily. Be sure the mirrors can move freely
from 0 degrees to 180 degrees. (15 minutes or more) To make a
kaleidoscope, set the hinged mirrors on the cardboard, and place
an object such as a pencil or some coins between them. Open the
mirrors to different angles. Notice that the smaller the angle,
the greater the number of images you see. Remove the objects and
see what happens when