Frequently Asked Questions
Question: When do I need to order the living materials for Lessons 12-14?
Answer: You will need to fax Carolina Biological Company at least 20 days before you need the living organisms to arrive.
Question: How should I have students grouped for this unit?
Answer: Students will each have their own microscope and slides. They will have to share some of the other supplies, so it works best to have them in groups of four.
Question: Where in the lessons do my students get to plan and conduct an investigation?
Answer: Within the lessons, there is no opportunity for this. However, there is an extension after Lesson 14 that students can do. This extension involves Vinegar Eels and the kind of environment they need to survive. Doing this would add more time to the unit.
Question: When do I need to set up the hay infusions?
Answer: You will need to set up the hay infusions at least two week prior to Lesson 15. Look at the instruction in Lesson 10 for setting this up.
Question: Why can’t I just use regular pond water for Lessons 15 and 16?
Answer: Depending on the time of year and the sample collected, sometimes there are a lot of organisms in the pond water. However, at other times it is hard to find organisms in a pond water sample. By doing the hay infusions, it greatly increases the number of organisms in the water. There are many organisms that are in a partially dried out state that resume regular life in the pond water.
Question: How can I make connections with the real world with this unit?
Answer: There are a couple of ways to help your students see connections with the Microworlds unit and the real world. First, most middle school or high school science teachers are willing to let you come to their lab during a prep period or after school. They usually have higher powered and more sophisticated microscopes that your students can use. If this isn’t an option, you might be able to get some of their microscopes on loan. Second, you can invite a person who uses microscopes for their career to visit your class. This could be someone who works in the medical field or agricultural research to name a couple. Doing this could meet some of the EARL 3 standards.