Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Lunar Disk

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Learners analyze lunar material using actual moon rocks that were brought back by Apollo astronauts. The teacher and student activity sheets are well-designed.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Indoor Air: What's the Matter?

For Teachers 4th - 9th
Learners investigate the variety and amount of particulate matter in the air. They locate the general sources of pollution for a specific area and develop some suggestions for improving air quality.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Pond 1: Pond Life

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students work together to investigate familiar and unfamiliar ecosystems. Using the internet, they discover how different organisms use their environment to satisfy their needs. They also examine the relationshiops between organisms...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Indoor Air: What's the Matter?

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Students develop a greater awareness of the variety and amount of particulate matter in the air. They try to locate general sources of pollution for a specific area and develop some suggestions for improving air quality.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Using Magnetotactic Bacteria to Study Natural Selection

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students demonstrate that living organisms may possess incredible adaptations which enable them to survive. They observe bacteria that are able to orient themselves using the Earth's magnetic field and formulate a hypothesis as to how...
Lesson Plan
BioEd Online

Bio Ed Online: The Science of Microbes: Tools of Magnification

For Teachers 6th - 8th
The invention of magnifiers that allow us to see things that are otherwise invisible to us has revolutionized science. In this lesson, students use several types of magnifiers to investigate magnification, and record their observations....
Website
Nobel Media AB

The Nobel Prize: Microscopes Help Scientists Explore Hidden Worlds

For Students 9th - 10th
This is a site full of information about various microscopes and the objects and processes scientists study with them. Includes timelines and interactive simulations.
Interactive
South Carolina Educational Television

Know It All: Microscope | Hobby Shop

For Students 9th - 10th
In this activity, students use a virtual biology lab to perform investigations and learn lab procedures using compound and dissecting microscopes to look at a variety of animal and plant cells.
Interactive
Florida State University

Florida State University: Magnification Module

For Students 9th - 10th
Explore the effect of increasing the magnification on a microscope when viewing various samples such as onion root mitosis.
Handout
Georgia State University

Georgia State University: Hyper Physics: Microscope

For Students 9th - 10th
This site from Georgia State University Physics Department provides a discussion of how light refracts through the lenses of a microscope. Demonstrates the parts of a microscope and includes an interactive form in which the magnifying...
Website
Florida State University

Florida State University: Microscopy Primer: Anatomy of the Microscope

For Students 9th - 10th
The premier web site on the physics of microscopy. Includes several pages and numerous Java applets about microscopes and refraction. Thorough, well-illustrated, interactive, fun, and educational. What more can one ask for?
Handout
Science Struck

Science Struck: Light Microscope vs Electron Microscope: A Comparison

For Students 9th - 10th
Looks at the differences and similarities between a light microscope and an electron microscope. Discusses their structure, how images are formed, their resolution and magnification, how color is manifested, their portability, cost, and...
Activity
TOPS Learning Systems

Tops Learning Systems: Top Science: Pinhole Microscope [Pdf]

For Students 3rd - 8th
Create and use a pinhole magnifier.
PPT
Museum of Science

Museum of Science: Scanning Electron Microscope (Sem)

For Students 9th - 10th
View a video or a click-through a slideshow to find out how the SEM works. In addition, find an interesting gallery of magnified images captured with an SEM, links to related sites, and a teacher resource section.
Handout
Florida State University

Florida State University: Virtual Microscopy

For Students 9th - 10th
These interactive tutorials allow you to adjust the magnification and focus of the object. Requires Java.
Activity
Other

Microscope Master: How to Use a Microscope

For Students 3rd - 8th
This website gives detailed step-by-step instructions on how to use and adjust a compound microscope.
Activity
Optical Society

Optical Society of America: Optics for Kids: Perspectives: Powers of 10

For Students 9th - 10th
A drawing and measuring activity to give students an appreciation of magnitude in powers of ten, and of microscopes. Students draw themselves and an object life-size, and then examine smaller and smaller pieces of their picture.
Website
Open Door Team

Open Door Web Site: Biology: Calculating Magnification on a Compound Microscope

For Students 6th - 8th
Learn how to calculate the total magnification of a microscope on this concise site. Links to making a slide, questions on the use of the microscope, and other related microscope topics are included on this site.
Website
Florida State University

Florida State University: Molecular Expressions: Basic Concepts in Optical Microscopy

For Students 9th - 10th
This site explores the microscope in great detail. Content includes a focus on the microscope's basic functions (including a general diagram), the history of the microscope, each feature of the microscope, differing objectives,...
Unit Plan
CK-12 Foundation

Ck 12: Biology: Laboratories

For Students 9th - 10th
[Free Registration/Login may be required to access all resource tools.] Describes a scientific laboratory, lab equipment, and lab safety.
Unknown Type
My Science Site

Bj's Science: Microscope Word Search [Pdf]

For Students 6th - 8th
Site provides a helpful word search teachers can use to help their students familiarize themselves with a microscope and have some fun at the same time.
Graphic
Curated OER

A Compound Microscope

For Students 6th - 8th
Learn how to calculate the total magnification of a microscope on this concise site. Links to making a slide, questions on the use of the microscope, and other related microscope topics are included on this site.
Interactive
Florida State University

Florida State University: Virtual Scanning Electron Microscopy

For Students 9th - 10th
An interactive Java tutorial that allows you to view several animals using electron microscopy. You are able to adjust the focus, contrast, brightness, and magnification to optimize specimen appearance.