Microscope Stations:

 Compound Microscopes

1.                  The Letter “e”

2.                  Paramecium

3.                  Stained Leaf

4.                  Elodea Leaf – Wetmount

5.                  Human Blood Smear

6.                  Trypanosomes

7.                  Nostoc – Wetmount

8.                  Yeast – Wetmount

 Dissection Microscopes

9.                  View Your Own Fingerprints

10.              Barbs on a Feather

11.              Beetle Wings

12.              Fibers, Dirt, Etc. on a Dead Lichen

13.              Holes in Coral

14.              Is a Pillbug an Insect?

15.              Small Animals in a Pond

16.              How do Planaria Eat?

Compound Microscope with Camera and Projection System

DEMO:  Observe protists swimming across the projection screen.
Information, Instructions, and Questions Provided at Each Station 

Compound Microscopes 

1.                  The Letter “e”

A.     Notice that the “e” is right-side up on the slide.

·        Draw the “e” as it appears through the microscope. 

B.     Compare the size of the “e” on the slide with the magnified “e” through the microscope.

·        Multiply the magnifying power of the eyepiece by the power of the objective to find the total magnification.

·        Eyepiece x objective = 10 x 10 =  X

·        This is how many times bigger the “e” appears under the microscope.

2.                  Paramecium

This is a single-celled organism that can be found in pond water.  It has been stained, so it is easier to see.

·        What is the dark, round structure called?

(Hint:  the DNA is found here.) 

3.                  Stained Leaf

This leaf has been stained to show its structures.

As you can see from the diagram, there are 3 layers of cells in this leaf, even though it is paper thin.

The structure by the pointer allows carbon dioxide to enter the leaf, so that photosynthesis may take place.

·        Draw a picture of this structure and find its name on the diagram.

4.                  Elodea Leaf – Wetmount

This is a leaf from the plants floating in the fish tank by the door.  The plant is called Elodea.

A.     What shape are these plant cells?

B.     What are the green spheres found inside each cell?

5.                  Human Blood Smear

The pink cells are called “red blood cells”.  They carry oxygen through out your body.

The cells stained purple are called “white blood cells”.  These cells fight germs that make you sick.

A.     Which cells do you have more of – red or white blood cells?  (Which do you see more of on the slide?)

B.     Use the diagram by the microscope to identify the type of white blood cell by the pointer in the microscope.

6.                  Trypanosomes

Some illnesses are caused by animal-like cells.  The curved, purple-stained cells in this blood sample are called trypanosomes.

They cause African sleeping sickness.

A.     Are most of the trypanosomes inside the red blood cells or outside of them?

B.     Look at the diagram of malaria next to the microscope.  Are these parasites inside or outside the red blood cells?

7.                  Nostoc – Wetmount

A.  Beside the microscope is a dish of a brown material.  This is a huge number of bacterial cells living in a mass.  The bacteria are called Nostoc

·        Draw a picture of the bacterial cells as seen in the microscope.

B.   Nostoc is a type of bacteria which makes fertilizer that plants can use.  Similar bacteria live inside the roots of pea and bean plants.

·        Observe the enlarged areas on the pea plant’s roots in the jar.

8.                  Yeast – Wetmount

Yeast is used to make bread rise and to make beer and wine.

Look at yeast under the microscope.

·        Is yeast a chemical or a life form?

·        Why did you answer this way?

Dissection Microscopes

9.                  View Your Own Fingerprints

Put your finger palm-side up under the dissection scope.

·        Can you see the swirls of your fingerprint?

·        Can you draw them?

10.              Barbs on a Feather

Look at the barbs on a feather.  A bird preens itself to align the barbs and to work oil in for waterproofing.

11.              Beetle Wings

Look at the body of an insect under the dissection microscope.

·        Do beetles have soft wings under their hard shells?

12.              Fibers, Dirt, Etc. on a Dead Lichen

Look at the dead lichen on this tree bark.  Notice the various fibers, dirt particles, etc. Wow – it’s like a crime scene investigation!

13.              Holes in Coral

Look at the holes where the animals that made this coral used to live.

14.              Is a Pillbug an Insect?

Pillbugs eat dead plants and leaves.

·        Look at a pillbug under the dissection scope.  How many legs does it have?

·        How many legs does an insect have?

·        So, are pillbugs really “bugs”?

15.              Small Animals in a Pond

This water sample contains tiny freshwater shrimp, little one-eyed animals called “cyclops”, and some mites.

The shrimp and cyclops are related to crabs, lobsters, and pillbugs.  They are all called “crustaceans”.

See if you can find these small animals under the microscope.  They are fast swimmers, aren’t they?

16.              How do Planaria Eat?

These “flatworms” are found in ponds and streams.  They are some of nature’s recyclers.  They feed on dead animals and help return nutrients to the soil and water.

·        Observe the planaria feeding on pieces of liver.

·        Where is a planarian’s mouth?  Is it in the head like yours is?

·        What else is different about the way planaria feed?

Note:  You may see planaria that have lost their tails.  Do not worry!  This is one way that planaria use to reproduce – they split the head and tail regions, and the head grows a new tail, while the tail grows a new head!