Alpha science class：How to Make a Zoetrope

Children like to watch cartoons and cartoon films very much. But children know what is the principle of cartoon and how to make wonderful cartoons? Today, Alpha science toys unveils the mystery of making cartoons for children. And the topic of Alpha science class today is to show children how to make a simple paper Zoetrope toy, let children understanding the oldest method of making cartoons, learn how to make cartoons step by step and let children loving to make cartoons.

Alpha science class: This class of Alpha science toys teaches children how to make a Zoetrope. And it can let children learning the different changes in object motion and light and shadow. It can let children understand the simple knowledge of physical science and make the belongs to themselves Zoetrope toy. It can help children learning the movement regular of objects, make the best educational science toys and love science experiment.

Alpha science class: The Needed Material of Making a Zoetrope

1. A1 black paper cardboard (children need tape to connect small cardboard)

2. Craft knife

3. Scissors

4. Driller (as long as they can punch holes on cardboard)

5. Round cartons, such as cheese packages (top and bottom), serve as the bottom of the mirror.

6. One transparent glass marble

7.3 sheets of white paper

8. Marker pen

9. Transparent tape

Alpha science class: The Step of Making a Zoetrope

Step 1:

Children need to make a larger circular hole than the marble in the middle of the round carton with driller, according to the size of the glass marble. (If children can’t use the driller, they can ask their parents to help you punch a suitable hole.)

Step 2:

Children need to attach a square piece of transparent tape to the punched round carton. From the inside of the round carton, children cut the marble radially on the transparent tape with craft knife. Then they put the marble into the punched holes from the inside, stick the tape to the marble, and cut off the extra tape with scissors, so that the round carton with marble stick to it will be no effect when rotating.

Step 3:

Children need to make a black outside frame of the Zoetrope. They need to use the craft knife to cut the black paper cardboard into 13 frames with 40-millimeter-wide. And cut a 2-millimeter-wide gap in the middle of each frame and put it on the edge of the round carton, so that we can see the cartoon changes in the gap.

Step 4:

Children need to make 13 frames of illustration strips with white paper, each frame of the picture needs to draw the action that is happening, and put it into the inside of the black paper cardboard. But we need to pay attention that the black paper cardboard in the middle of the gap can see the illustration! ( If children can't make it, parents can help to make it together.)

Step 5:

All finished, the children put the made Zoetrope under the light and rotate the round carton, the lovely animation began to play. Children can enjoy the nostalgic cartoon of the Zoetrope with their family. Children can also watch with their best friends, so that their friends can see their unique cartoon. And they will become a director of cartoon among their friends.

Alpha science Class: The Scientific Principles of the Zoetrope Toys

Alpha science toys tells children, “In the process of showing movies, pictures are projected one by one on the screen, each picture is called a frame, and the number of frames or images projected or displayed per second is called frame frequency.”

Alpha science toys not only let children understand the scientific principle of physical movement, but also let them know what is called “visual temporary” knowledge in the process of making the Zoetrope toys.

The human visual system always needs a certain time to recognize the image. If the residence time of each frame is longer than that of the human eye at a certain refresh frequency, the first frame will still remain in the human visual impression during the next frame of image display, which is called "visual persistence". This kind of visual temporary can make incoherent pictures become coherent pictures, and the Zoetrope is to let us understand this special visual phenomenon. Children learn the knowledge from it?

If children want more interesting science experiment toys like the Zoetrope, come to Alpha science toys, a optical illusion lab toy set, so that children can see the mystery of this magical world.