Microworlds

Lesson 10

Students will work with well slides. They will try to identify four unknown substances.

1. Content Standards

4-5 INQD Investigations involve systematic collection and recording of relevant observations and data.

2. Concepts

3. Lesson Set-Up and Management

Materials:

Students will need a variety of objects to look at. They should have brought in things like seeds, spices, and coffee.
Living organisms should have been ordered by this time. They are needed for lesson 12-14 and require 10 days advance notice in ordering.
You will need to have several glass jars, hay, grass, and pond water to start the hay and grass infusions. It is suggested that teachers collect the pond water from the sides or bottom of the pond to get the maximum number of microorganisms. Also, collect a small amount of plant matter and soil.

Student Management:

Encourage students to share the slides they have created with each other, especially if some students did not bring very many items.

4. Teacher Tips:

At the beginning of this lesson, review the ways to make wet mount slides and well slides. Discuss when it is best to use each kind. Then, have students volunteer to demonstrate how to use the microscope.
To provide structure for this lesson, decide how many items you would like students to draw and list properties of in their student notebook. I have my students use the pattern circles to draw what they see.
When setting up the hay infusions, you may want to set up enough for each group of four to have their own. This will make distribution of materials easier in lesson 15.

5. Literacy Support

Writing Support:

Students could write a story about a micro-naut who journeys through one of the specimens that the students have observed.

Reading Support:

Students could read about scientists who made discoveries using microscopes, like Louis Pasteur, Robert Koch, Alexander Fleming, and Edward Jenner.
Students should read the selection on Robert Hooke (from page 35 of the Student Investigations book.

Math Support:

Last updated 02/20/2010