Microscopes: Elodea Lab

Elodea is an aquatic plant that can be found at most fish stores. It is great for looking at under the microscope because the leaves are so thin, only a couple of cell layers thick and light can pass through the leaf.

Place an elodea leaf on a clean slide. Place a drop of water on the leaf and then the cover slip. View under the microscope. You will note the regular, retangular shape of the plant cells, the cell wall, the chloroplasts, and the nucleus.

Microscopes: Onion Skin Lab

One variety of plant cells…

Cut some onion into small pieces and separate each layer. Each layer of the onion contains a thin layer of cells that can easily (usually!) be peeled off the rest of the onion. Place the layer of cells onto a clean slide, make sure not to fold the onion skin over on itself. Place a drop of iodine on top of the onion skin and then a cover slip. View under the microscope. You will note regular, rectangular shape of the plant cells, the cell wall and the nucleus.

One question to ask your students…. They are plant cells, why are there no chloroplasts? [Think about where onions grow…]

History of the Microscope Foldable

Before learning to use the microscope, my students always get a brief lesson on the history of the microscope.  I don't place a whole lot of emphasis on the dates, more on the order in which the events occurred.  I do point out that most of the last three events didn't occur until after the US was a country (for a awhile), approaching Civil War time. 

Anyway, I've had my students create various forms of timelines to go with this lesson over the years, but I think this one might be my favorite. 

Each student needs 7 index cards and one piece of construction paper. 

The index cards get folded in half.  On the 'cover' goes the date and the scientist.  Inside the card goes the scientist's contribution. 

The folded cards get glued to the construction paper. 

The folded cards are a nice way for students to quiz themselves. 

My events:
1300s   Italian monks... ...begin grinding lenses.
1590    Janssen... ...compound microscope
1665    Hooke... ...looked at cork; coined the term "cells"
1665    Leeuwenhoek... ...discovered "animolecules" (which were acutally bacteria)
1838    Schleiden... ...plants are made of cells
1839    Schwann... ...animals are made of cells
1855    Virchow... ...all living cells come only from other living cells

Microscopes: Index Card Slides

Early in your study of microscopes, before students start preparing their own slides, have them create index card slides - it's easy, and they work under a microscope.

Cut an index card in half, length-wise.

Punch a hole in the center of the card.

Place a piece of tape over the hole. 

Use the sticky part of the tape to pick up something (dust, fabric fuzz, pepper, etc.).

Place a second piece of tape over the hole, on the other side of the card, enclosing the captured material.

Label the slide.

View.

Microscopes: Cheek Cell Lab

View some animal cells under the microscope: your own!

Place a drop of iodine on a clean slide. Rub a toothpick along the inside of your cheek (not need to poke or jab, just a gentle rub). Dip the toothpick into the drop of iodine. Place a cover slip over the iodine and view under the microscope. You will note the irregular shape of the animal cell, as well as being able to identify the cell membrane and nucleus.

Microscopes: What is That?

An introduction to microscopes…. Set up a series of microscopes, each already focused on a common, household item. Students proceed around the room to look at each substance – the microscopes should already be focused and students do not need to touch anything other than looking through the eyepiece. They should sketch what they see in each microscope and hypothesize about what the substance is.

Some items you might want to use:
-Salt
-Sugar
-Flour
-Cornstarch
-Thread
-Hair
-Dust
-Newspaper

This is a good opportunity for students to learn how to look through the microscope and practice drawing what they see.

Microscopes: Water Drop Microscope

Cut a 1” square out of the center of an index card (the shape and size are not important, you can decide how accurate you want students to be). Place a small piece of plastic wrap over the cut-out area and tape it so it’s taut. Place a drop of water on the plastic – you want it to maintain it’s drop shape, not spread out. Look through the water drop at some small writing, newspaper pictures, etc. The curve of the water drop will magnify what you are looking at, creating a very simple microscope.

I like to have students complete this activity after they complete their microscope quiz. I give out extra credit for anyone who takes their microscope home, shows their parents and has their parents write a note letting me know what they shared.

Microscopes: e Lab

e

Cut out a lower-case letter e from a newspaper. Create a wet mount slide by placing the e on a slide, placing a drop of water on the e, and dropping on a cover slip. Place the slide on the microscope, so that the e is facing you, as you would read it. Draw what you see through the microscope. Move the slide to the right as you watch through the eyepiece, to the left, up and down.

This is a great introductory microscope lab for students. You can easily determine if students are accurately drawing what they see through the microscope or just drawing what they think they are supposed to see.