Perception = Reality

Work though these activities with a partner. You will each create a set of organized point-form notes for your notebooks.

Activity 1 (about 5 minutes)

Understanding Perception through Illusions

Step 1: Discuss with your partner at least two different experiences with illusions that you have had in the past. These experiences could have been in school or out of school. They could have involved optical illusions, auditory illusions, or tactile illusions. Involve as much detail as you can remember of the illusion and your responses to it.

Step 2: Make a point form list of the illusions you discussed.

Activity 2

Testing Perception through Illusions

Click on this link to go to the first illusions website. Eyetricks Illusions Galleries

When you get there, click on the "Gallery 1" link.

As you look at each of the illusions in this gallery, imagine that you have to describe what you see to a friend who is blind, but was once able to see.

For each illusion, create a point form list. Include:

• the illusion number and a name for the illusion
• the details you would include in describing the image to your blind friend
• your initial perception,
• the different ways that the images could be interpreted
• difficulties and successes as you attempted to answer the question written above or below the illusion.
• your eureka! moment.

Note: you may be directed to a contest page. At the top of that page, there is a link back to the illusions gallery.

Activity 3

Continue working at Eyetricks Illusions Galleries

Choose two more of the illusions galleries.

Visit all the illusions in each gallery you choose. For each illusion you visit, create a point form list. Include:

• the Gallery number and illusion number
• your initial perception,
• the different ways that the images could be interpreted
• difficulties and successes as you attempted to answer the question
• your eureka! moment.

Note: Not all the illusions have questions. If there is no question, identify the optical trick or misinterpretation.

Activity 4

Colour Illusions

Continue working at Eyetricks Illusions Galleries

Below the numbered galleries, there are some other named illusions. Try the "Jesus Optical Illusion" and "Rotating Dots." Make notes for these as you did in activity 3. What do you think is happening?

Activity 5

Types of Illusions

Go to the Hall of Illusions website

Using the links on the page, investigate the types of illusions listed below. In your own words, explain each type. Name and describe a few examples of each type.

• Impossible Objects
• Ambiguous Images
• Motion Ambiguity
• Distortion Illusions
• Camouflage Illusions
• Afterimages, Motion Aftereffects, Lateral inhibition
• Color and Shadow Illusions

Activity 6

Artistic Impressions

Look through the images at The Art of M.C. Escher and The Art of Octavio Ocampo. Note how these artists exploit the principles of perception in the paintings. Choose two of your favourites. Try to explain the effects created based on what you know about perception and optical effects.
*Note: the images on the webpages are thumbnails. You need to click on each individual image to see the full picture.