Greta Posted February 2, 2011 Share Posted February 2, 2011 Any good recommendations for a course and/or a kit that could help us put a microscope to good use? DD is 11 years old, 5th grade, strong in science. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Capt_Uhura Posted February 2, 2011 Share Posted February 2, 2011 WE just looked at Elodea leaves under the microscope. The boys were fascinated by the streaming of the chloroplasts. I then showed them how to change solutions on a slide and we replaced the water with 10% salt solution. WE then watched as the chloroplasts moved to the center of each cell due to loss of water. We discussed the rigidity of the cell wall vs the cell membrane etc. For reference I have "The Ultimate Guide to Your Microscope." Home Science Tools has a protozoan kit that you hatch. You monitor the culture for several days and watch as the population changes. You can also buy individual protozoan and feed them. My boys are looking forward to that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greta Posted February 2, 2011 Author Share Posted February 2, 2011 For reference I have "The Ultimate Guide to Your Microscope." Home Science Tools has a protozoan kit that you hatch. You monitor the culture for several days and watch as the population changes. You can also buy individual protozoan and feed them. My boys are looking forward to that. Sounds pretty cool. Thanks! :001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Capt_Uhura Posted February 2, 2011 Share Posted February 2, 2011 OH if you look for Elodea....don't ask for Elodea....the plant goes by it's name Anachris. You can find it at PetsMart and those types of pet/fish stores. IT's a good plant to use b/c it's leaves are so thin. NO prep needed, just put a leaf under the microscope. There's another one I haven't tried yet. You're supposed to get a feel for how many chloroplasts are present and then put the plant in the dark over night and then look at the number of chloroplasts. If you google Elodea experiments, you'll come up with several. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Down_the_Rabbit_Hole Posted February 2, 2011 Share Posted February 2, 2011 Let her explore. Teach her the way to use the microscope then give her a few glass slides and cover slips, a dropper and some alcohol (for cleaning the slides afterward).I had a microscope when I was about 12 and was given freedom to look at whatever struck my fancy. I learned so much by searching for things to look at and researching what I actually did see through the lens. Give her a couple of library books on Microscope experiments/things to do with Microscope and a notebook. Have her draw things she sees through the lens, recording where she got her sample. Pond water or water found stagnant, drops of water from leaves, and experimental water with yeast and sugar will give great sightings of micro-organisms. I had a bunch of premade slides that looked great, but the slides I really learned from are the ones I made myself. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elegantlion Posted February 2, 2011 Share Posted February 2, 2011 Okay, some will think this is gross, but this was one of the first things we did with our microscope. We put scotch tape on our skin and then pulled off the tape and put the tape on a slide. Then we looked at the dead skin cells. Our current microscope was an inexpensive one, but it was still fascinating to look at. We did this on our arms, our faces, even our feet. One day we caught a dust mite, very gross, which led to a whole house cleaning and better hygiene habits for ds. We've done it several times since then, no more mites though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Capt_Uhura Posted February 2, 2011 Share Posted February 2, 2011 That is just downright COOL!!!! WE'll do that this week! Thanks for the idea! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greta Posted February 6, 2011 Author Share Posted February 6, 2011 Thanks for all the replies! Dd doesn't seem all that interested is just exploring on her own and putting everything she can find under the lens, which is what I did at her age when I got my first microscope! So I thought a kit or a course might help kick-start her interest. There are some great suggestions here for accomplishing that. Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChrissySC Posted February 6, 2011 Share Posted February 6, 2011 I found this link long ago ... http://eclectichomeschool.org/departments/units/unit.asp?articleid=125&resourceid=108&unitid=10&r=0&t=548 It may be appropriate to some extent. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1Togo Posted February 6, 2011 Share Posted February 6, 2011 Microscope Adventure by Kym Wright looks good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kalphs Posted February 6, 2011 Share Posted February 6, 2011 (edited) Here are some ideas... "Biology Experiments for Children" by Ethel Hanuer "The World of the Microscope" by Usborne "A World in a Drop of Water" by Alvin Silverstein Available for purchase at www.amazon.com Edited February 6, 2011 by kalphs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greta Posted February 6, 2011 Author Share Posted February 6, 2011 Thanks for the additional suggestions! I will check them out. Is anyone familiar with this? http://www.homeschoolscience.com/homeschool_science/microscopes.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jen500 Posted February 6, 2011 Share Posted February 6, 2011 Home science tools has pretty good activities--here are the microscope ones- http://www.hometrainingtools.com/microscopes-and-microscopic-life-projects/c/1074/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clarkacademy Posted February 6, 2011 Share Posted February 6, 2011 This is a great thread I have 5 microscopes and we have never really used them I think I may have to start Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
freerange Posted February 6, 2011 Share Posted February 6, 2011 Okay, some will think this is gross, but this was one of the first things we did with our microscope. We put scotch tape on our skin and then pulled off the tape and put the tape on a slide. Then we looked at the dead skin cells. Our current microscope was an inexpensive one, but it was still fascinating to look at. We did this on our arms, our faces, even our feet. One day we caught a dust mite, very gross, which led to a whole house cleaning and better hygiene habits for ds. We've done it several times since then, no more mites though. :D never thought of skin cells. now i have a good excuse to buy a new microscope. sorry for typos - typing one handed with a pen, since poorly dd on lap and ketboard just out of reach:lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
freerange Posted February 6, 2011 Share Posted February 6, 2011 (edited) ds once cut himself shaving and dd2 very sympathetically passed him a slide and said, 'bleed on this' Edited February 6, 2011 by freerange Typo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Capt_Uhura Posted February 6, 2011 Share Posted February 6, 2011 I have a similar story. My DD, then 2yrs old, came down the hallway crying with blood running down her leg. The boys ran to her, I screamed "Wait, let me grab a slide!!!!!" :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greta Posted February 6, 2011 Author Share Posted February 6, 2011 ds once cut himself shaving and dd2 very sympathetically passed him a slide and said, 'bleed on this' I have a similar story. My DD, then 2yrs old, came down the hallway crying with blood running down her leg. The boys ran to her, I screamed "Wait, let me grab a slide!!!!!" :lol: :lol: You might be a homeschooler, if . . . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Capt_Uhura Posted February 6, 2011 Share Posted February 6, 2011 :lol: if the sight of blood makes you grab a slide! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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