Microworlds
Lesson 9
What Is It?
Students will work with well slides. They will try to identify four unknown substances.
3. Lesson Set-up and Management
4-5 INQA Scientific investigations involve asking and answering questions and comparing the answers with evidence from the real world.
4-5 INQD Investigations involve systematic collection and recording of relevant observations and data.
4-5 INQG Scientific explanations emphasize evidence, have logically consistent arguments, and use known scientific principles, models, and theories.
- Students will identify unknown substances through observations.
- Students will apply their skills of viewing 3-dimentional objects under a microscope.
3. Lesson Set-Up and Management
Materials:
- Make sure you number the four specimens with numbers 1-4. You need to use a different order than that listed in the book. Make sure you have it written down somewhere the order that you put them.
- It is easier to prepare the slides ahead of time. Label slides with the numbers 1-4. Fill the slides with the correlating numbered specimen. Make sure you have enough for each group of four students to have one of each slide.
- Students need to bring in a wide range of objects to observe for the next lesson. This can be homework.
 |
The student will need to use a microscope, well slide, and cover slip for observing the mystery substances. |
Student Management:
- Have each group come up to the distribution center and pick up their microscope and one of the pre-labeled slides. (Each group should have one person picking up one of each of the numbered slides, so each group has one of each number.)
- Read the information from the Student Activity Book pages 30 and 31 with the students before having them pick up materials. Discuss what the distinctive characteristics of each of the specimens are.
- Students work independently trying to solve the mystery of the names of the specimens.
- This is a good lesson to check for students’ understanding. Before starting the discussion, collect their notebooks. This way you can score their work. The most important part is to see if they identified the key properties to each of the samples. This is more important than getting the names correct.
Reading Support:
- Read the story Two Bad Ants by Chris Van Alsburg. This story shows an unknown specimen.
Math Support:
- Challenge students to measure the specimens in this lesson using hair widths.