JCC Association's Early Childhood Curriculum Project 'This New Month'

Introduction:

In the Heshvan Torah Time section, we learn that G-D created a rainbow as a covenant between G-D and the earth. Heshvan is the perfect time to discuss and create rainbows with your students. Rainbows, however, are unpredictable unless you know how to make them in your classroom. Here are some fun ways that you can make rainbows at your school.

Prisms-

Glass Prisms-
There are many ways to make rainbows but the easiest is to use a prism. You may purchase these in gift stores, museum shops, etc. Bring a glass prism into your class and talk about the division of the color white into the colors of the rainbow.

One fun way to introduce rainbows is to hang a large prism in a sunny window in your room before your students enter the classroom. Close the blinds in your classroom so that the students do not see the prism when they enter the room. After talking to your students briefly about rainbows, raise the blinds to reveal the rainbow created by the prism.

Homemade Prisms-

Here's an easy recipe to create your own prism to display in your class.

Materials

Oil
Water
A cookie tray or shallow bucket
A sunny window

Directions:

Pour water onto the cookie sheet or bucket.
Spread oil on the surface of the water.
Put the cookie sheet/bucket by a sunny window or outside in a sunny spot.
Observe the water to observe rainbow patterns.