Activity: Microscopic Explorations

Goals:

  1. To practice the procedure for focusing a microscope by

observing a variety of common materials.

  1. To describe how the images of the specimens observed under the microscope are different than the specimens as viewed by the unaided eye (without the use of the microscope).

Background Information: People love to look at things up close. Common materials visible to the naked eye may look completely foreign to you under the lenses of a microscope. They may even surprise you. The role of the microscope in human inquiry has been demonstrated countless times in many different fields and is reaffirmed in laboratories all around the world each and every day! In this activity you will gain skill in using the microscope and begin the process of “thinking with your eyes,” a necessary component of the scientific process.

Materials: microscope, hole punched slides of a variety of materials, colored newsprint, photographic negatives, dollar bills, salt, sugar, sand, feathers, and other common materials

Procedure:

PART 1: Observations

  1. There will be a variety of materials at your station to observe using a microscope. You may observe several of the materials provided, but you must record your observations of at least three items.
  1. Use the worksheet to record your observations. You should observe and draw each item at low power (40X) and again at medium power (100X). Use the handout, How to Focus the Microscope at your station to review the focusing procedure. Be sure to identify what you are drawing and describe it in detail in your caption. All captions must be written in complete sentences.

Microscopic Explorations

These are some of my favorite images viewed under the microscope…

Object: / /
Caption:
Caption:

PART 2: Writing(Claim and Evidence)

  1. Write a paragraph (at least 5-6 sentences)describing how the images of the specimens you observed under the microscope are different than the specimens as viewed by the unaided eye (without the use of the microscope).
  1. Your paragraph should include:
  1. a clear topic sentence
  2. supporting details from your observations
  3. a concluding sentence

PART 3: Technology Component:

Go to: Founding Fathers of Microscopy and answer the following questions in

complete sentences.

  1. Describe the microscope produced by Zacharias and Han Janssen.
  1. What was the name of the book in which Hooke coined the word “cell?”
  1. Name two important contributions of Anton van Leeuwenhoek?