Curated OER
Microscope Mania
Learners examine parts of a microscope and how to use a microscope at five lab stations. They identify parts of a microscope by describing the differences between low power and high power. They visit Internet sites (included in the...
Baylor College
Tools of Magnification
Life science learners need to be able to use a microscope. With this comprehensive resource, they first experience how lenses and magnification work, and then get familiar with using a compound microscope. Tremendous background...
Cornell University
Building a Compound Light Microscope
What better way to learn how to use a microscope than building your own? A lab investigation has scholars use lenses from magnifying glasses and sheets of cork to design their own compound microscopes. They calculate focal length and the...
Curated OER
Microscopic Water Life
Students use a light microscope to observe the organisms living in a sample of ocean or fresh water. Students create a drawing of the organisms that they observe. Students then discuss the different body plans of the organisms and the...
National Nanotechnology Infrastructure Network
Big vs. Little - Macro to Micro Lesson 2
The big world is full of tiny surprises. Classes discover all things big and small while completing the second lesson plan of a five-part series comparing macro- and micro-objects. Learners collect items from around the room including...
Curated OER
Magnificent Microscopes Unit Including Mystery and Alternative Assessment Activity
After drawing and labelling a microscope, forensic science explorers use one to solve a simulated murder mystery. They examine each piece of evidence and draw what they observe at each magnification. Working in groups of four, your...
Curated OER
Lesson #2 ~ Nanoscience and Nanotechnology
You might love this lesson, or you might not. Basically, high school scientists read through a script in which someone interviews a physicist, a biologist, and a chemist in regard to their use of nanotechnology. The names of the involved...
Nuffield Foundation
Observing Osmosis, Plasmolysis, and Turgor in Plant Cells
Create the perfect conditions for osmosis. Young scholars use a microscope to observe plant cells exposed to distilled water or sodium chloride. They observe how osmosis creates turgid or plasmolyzed cells.
CK-12 Foundation
Microscopes: Focal Point
The 1590s saw the invention of the first compound microscope. Scholars learn about how microscopes work and how to properly focus one. The lesson stresses the science fields that use microscopes and the difference between electron...
Cornell University
Optical Simulation of a Transmission Electron Microscope
Don't have an electron microscope? Have your classes build the next best thing! A hands-on instructional activity asks scholars to build a model of Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM). They then use their models to identify the...
Curated OER
Parts of a Microscope
In this biology lesson, students label and identify the different parts of a microscope. They complete 16 short answer questions about each part's function and complete 12 review questions in the end.
Curated OER
Fibers Lesson Plan
Young scholars explain how to use a light microscope, describe how to care for a microscope, and solve a forensic science problem, using a microscope to analyze data and draw conclusions.
Curated OER
Using Microscopes In The Classroom
Get up close and personal with parts of a microscope lesson plans and activities for elementary students!
Curated OER
The Virtual Electron Microscope
Students explore the world of the very small using a Flash plug-in Virtual Electron Microscope. They complete and discuss an activity in which unknown samples are placed under the computer simulated microscope to determine where the...
Curated OER
Get Crafty! Integrate Art and Science
By combining diverse subjects, you will create some of your most memorable lessons.
Curated OER
Using Microscopes
Students do an experiment using a microscope. In this lesson, about cells, students examine different slides using a microscope. Students look at an onion skin, cheek cells, and potato cells. In each of these, students find cell walls,...
Curated OER
A Microscopically Enormous Look at Genetic Inheritance
Students use microscopes to examine fly families and analyze their genetic inheritance. In this genes lesson plan, students also use the chi square for comparing genes and compare the class results as a whole.
Curated OER
Viewing Bacteria
Have you ever wanted to know the true structure of E.coli? Does the thought of peering into its "small world" sound exciting? Here is a instructional activity that allows pupils the ability to do just that. Blossoming microbiologists use...
Howard Hughes Medical Institute
What van Leeuwenhoek Saw
When van Leeuwenhoek saw cells and single-celled organisms for the first time, he knew these small things were a big deal! Share his discoveries with young learners through a narrated video, model-building activity, and scale study....
Curated OER
18th Century Microscope
Learners examine a microscope from the 18th century. In this microscope lesson, students investigate how it works, what it was used for and how the tool has evolved through the years. Learners also build knowledge on how compound...
Curated OER
Creating a Universally Designed Lesson Plan
Students investigate plant cells. In this multiple intelligences lesson, students engage in a variety of activities to foster an understanding of plant cells and how they work. Students read, write, observe, and role-play parts and...
Columbus City Schools
You Can’t Sneeze On This Tissue
Take your class' understanding of cells to the next level... or levels! Demonstrate the levels of organization using a variety of engaging methods. The teacher's guide includes the materials you'll need to execute a flower dissection,...
Curated OER
Life Through a Microscope
In this microscope usage activity, 7th graders complete an introduction packet that takes them through several lab activities that helps introduce and familiarize them with using the microscope.
Curated OER
Cells: A First-Hand View
In the first of two activities, your charges prepare wet mount slides of cork and bean sprout cells in imitation of Robert Hooke's historical investigation. An excerpt from his notes is included. Then, investigators compare animal cells...