Students analyze a microscope and study what they do.  For this investigative lesson students study how microscopes were first invented, and how ray diagrams are used in conjunction. 

Students examine a microscope and learn its parts.  In this microscope lesson students study the different parts of the microscope and see the differences in the adjustments then make their own wet slide. 

Eighth graders are able to understand how convex mirrors are used in a microscope. They are able to identify the focus and focal length of a curved mirror and observe virtual images in a convex mirror.

Students conduct an experiment. In this temperate forest lesson, students discuss what kind of animal life can be found in the forest. They read The Magic School Bus Meets the Rot Squad: A Book About Decomposition and complete an...

Students examine a microscope and learn its functions.  In this microscope lesson students prepare a wet mount slide and complete calculations. 

Students explore scientific observations by examining the parts of a microscope. In this optics lesson plan, students discuss the importance of a focal point and focal distance when utilizing an optical device such as a microscope....

Students identify protists under a microscope, and using a stopwatch calculate the speed of a protist from a pond water sample. They use distance and time to identify the speed of a protist, and create a distance versus time graph to...

Students explore the parts of the microscope.  For this microscope lesson students are given a quiz on the parts of a microscope.

Plankton are so abundant in the ocean they outweigh all of the animals in the sea. In this three day activity, groups discuss and become familiar with plankton, capture females, and look for egg production on day three. 

Young scholars observe slides of cork cells and discuss the use of microscopes. They view a power point presentation on "Looking Inside Cells" and take notes aligned with the PPT presentation. They collaborate with a partner to create an...

Why do scientists rely on drawings rather than just photographs of their research studies? The activity introduces drawings of microscopic organisms and the importance of accuracy. Young artists draw organisms and learn why focus and...

Learners discover the processes that occur during mitosis and what makes each phase different and distinct from the others as well as how each contribute to the overall process of mitosis by looking at onion root tips under a microscope.

Proving microscopic structures exist is a difficult task. Learn how scientists did just that in the mid-1800s as they set out to identify the cellular structures related to genetics. The online lesson explains the collection of work that...

Students investigate how seeds are dispersed on land.  In this plant biology lesson plan, students use a dissecting microscope to study strawberry seeds and dandelion seeds, they draw what they see, then create a hypothesis on the...

Students investigate living creatures that inhabit a pond and explore how various organisms satisfy their needs within their environments. In this life in a drop of pond water lesson, students examine microorganisms under...

Young scholars examine animal and plant cells using a microscope and participate in a class discussion about the functions of the organelles.  In this biology instructional activity, students use microscopes and videos to better...

Students examine microscopic life by conducting a scientific investigation. In this cell analysis lesson, students define the prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells and discuss their word origins. Students view each type of cell on slides...

Students put bread out on a plate for a few days and put it under a microscope when it begins to mold. In this rotting food lesson plan, students discuss eating old food and what it does to your body.

Students examine the structure, function, and characteristics of microscopic organisms that inhabit freshwater through collection of water samples and observation through microscopes.

Middle schoolers compare and contrast the different characteristics of animal-like, plant-like, and fungus-like protists. They list examples and describe the characteristics shared by the three protist groups. They create a brochure or...

Students discover and discuss the differences between prokaryotes and eukaryotes. Using a microscope, they examine various prepared slides of prokaryotic and eukaryotic organisms.

Introduce the topic of astrobiology in a unit that's out of this world. Biology scholars examine the search for extraterrestrial life by culturing roundworms, a species that has been key in helping researchers understand the...

Experiment with optical resolution using an inquiry-based lesson plan. Young researchers calculate fellow classmates' optical resolutions. They apply the information to understand the inner workings of optical instruments.

Thirty percent of the world's oxygen is produced by rainforests found throughout the world. Seventh grade learners explore the processes of photosynthesis and respiration through 10 days of labs, manipulatives, and discussions. They...