Name: __________________________________ Date: ____________
Activity Title: Observing a Newsprint Letter e
Goals:
To use a microscope to observe a newsprint letter e.
To find a specimen using the low, medium, and high power objectives of a light microscope.
To discover what happens to the appearance of an object under the microscope.
Background Information: The microscope is an important tool and a serious scientific instrument for the biologist. It is also fun to use it to look at everyday things. Discovering what common objects look like under magnification is often surprising. By looking at a printed letter e under the microscope, you can practice focusing a microscope, find a specimen using all three objective lenses, and enter the microworld at the same time!
Materials: One lower case letter e in a strip cut from computer paper or newsprint, scissors
Accessing Prior Knowledge: (Write a sentence or two about what you already know about how images appear when viewed with a microscope.)
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Procedure:
Place the strip of lower case letters in front of you. Be sure the letters are facing in the proper direction for reading – right side up!
1. Draw an illustration of one letter e in the left-hand circle below.
2. Click the low power objective in place under the body tube of your microscope. Use the coarse adjustment knob to raise the body up as far as it will go.
3. Center the letter e over the stage opening. Use the stage clips to hold the slide in place.
4. Use the coarse adjustment knob to focus the letter e. Draw what you see in the right-hand circle below. Be sure the pointer in your field of view is touching some part of the letter e.
5. Click the medium power objective lens into place. Adjust the focus with the course adjustment knob. (Normally, you would not use the coarse adjustment for medium power, but for a newsprint slide it’s acceptable.)
6. Draw what you see in the labeled, left-hand circle below.
7. Click the high power objective into place. Use the fine adjustment knob ONLY to focus the letter e.
8. Draw what you see in the labeled, right-hand circle below.
Answer the following questions about your observations – in complete sentences.
1. Explain how the image of the letter e when viewed with a microscope is different from the image of the letter e as seen with your unaided eye.
2. Explain what happened to the AMOUNT of the letter e you were able to see as you switched from a lower power objective to a higher power objective.
3. Give a detailed description of how the TEXTURE of the paper looked as you switched from a lower magnification to a higher magnification.
4. Describe what you learned during this activity.
5. What question(s) do you still have about the images of specimens when viewed with a microscope?