Learning Resources MicroPro Elite
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1. also try making a natural dye by putting a slice of beet root ina blender and using the purple red beet juice as a dye Be sure to get an adult s permission first Transfer a drop of the dye to your slide with the pipette Be careful with dyes as they can stain clothing furniture or carpets Making a Temporary Slide 1 Wipe the slide clean 2 Prepare a thin sample You may have to slice it with a scalpel or a razor blade Be very careful Check with an adult before using any sharp tools for slicing specimens 3 Pick up your sample with the tweezers and put it on the center section of the slide Add one drop of water If needed you can now add a drop of dye 4 Gently place a temporary slide cover over the sample being careful not to allow any air bubbles in 5 Remove any excess water or dye with a piece of paper towel by pressing it down gently over the slide cover 6 Now you can observe your slide Making a Permanent Slide 1 Start with a clean slide and cover 2 Follow Steps 2 and 3 as above 3 Before placing the cover over your sample add several drops of Gum Media Canada Balsam or other commercially available mounting adhesive Or use a piece of transparent tape 4 Place the cover gently over the sample and carefully squeeze out any air bubbles 5 Place your new slide in a safe place and let it dry for a day IMPORTANT NOTICE Wash your hands before and after preparing slides and after every project2. creatures moving around Some of these are tiny baby insect larvae Others are very tiny animals that live in the water and feed on the vegetation and on the insect eggs and larvae Make careful notes and drawings of what you see Things I saw in pond water PROJECT 7 Friendly Bacteria You will need microscope clean blank slides slide covers pipette yogurt must say active cultures on the label water petri dish Bacteria are very small life forms that you can only see through a microscope Some bacteria make us feel sick Some bacteria are friendly Do you like yogurt Did you know that friendly bacteria turn milk into yogurt Put a drop of natural yogurt on a slide Mix it with a drop of water and put a slide cover over it The sample should be spread very thinly Look through your microscope Scan the area carefully at 300X and 600X Try to look at the thinnest areas You should see small round objects These are the friendly bacteria Place several drops of yogurt in a petri dish or sample vial Mix it with several drops of warm water Do not cover your sample Place it somewhere relatively warm and out of reach Wait for one day Using your pipette place a drop or two of your sample on a slide and cover it with a slide cover Look for more bacteria You will probably see more bacteria They were in the air and landed on the yogurt There may be different shapes than you saw the day befo
3. will come on by itself Look dispose of any samples in a safe manner through the eyepiece and adjust the angle of the light until you see a Handle the prepared slides carefully They are made of glass bright circle Store your microscope set out of reach of small children Taking Care of Your Microscope Always handle the microscope with two hands one hand around the arm and another around the base Always remove and clean the slides from the microscope stage after each use Place the microscope in a case or cover it with a plastic bag after each use Clean your microscope with a damp or dry cloth do not immerse or spray 3 Once you can see a bright circle of light in the eyepiece your microscope liquid or water on the microscope is ready for use 4 Choose one of the prepared sample slides from your set Place it under the two spring clips on top of the stage A Special Reminder About Lenses The most important parts of your microscope are the lenses Handle them with care If the lenses are dirty or dusty you can clean them with a soft cotton cloth or a special lens cleaning tissue Do not wipe them with a finger or a regular facial tissue Avoid any direct contact between the viewing lenses and the stage When changing eyepieces work carefully but quickly to avoid introducing dust into your microscope Always return the lens cap to the eyepiece when finished 5 Next choose the magnifyin
4. EI 5301 Grades 3 Ages 8 MicroPro 48 piece Microscope Set Instruction and Activity Guide wg 7 tos WARNING CHOKING HAZARD Small parts Not for children under three 3 years h i E N WARNING fes SHARP EDGES this product contains a _ functional sharp edge on the scalpel Use under the direct supervision of an adult Welcome to the Microscopic World Welcome to the hidden world of the microscope Your new microscope is an instrument with lenses for making very small objects appear much larger so they can be studied There are millions of tiny living plants and animals that can be easily seen with your microscope In today s technological world every field of science utilizes microscopes Microscopes are used by biologists for studying microorganisms by geologists for studying rocks and minerals by archaeologists for studying ancient artifacts and by astronomers for studying fallen meteorites Your microscope set contains the following parts 1 Die cast Metal Microscope 1 10X Eyepiece 1 20X Eyepiece 1 Scalpel 1 Spatula 1 Stirring Rod 1 Tweezers 1 Test Tube with Cap 1 Petri Dish 1 Pipette 3 Specimen Vials 3 Prepared Slides 8 Blank Slides 8 Slide Labels 16 Slide Covers Instruction and Activity Guide What are all of these things for a Microscope The microscope holds samples of very small thi
5. The supply terminals are not to be short circuited To prevent corrosion and possible damage to the product it is recommended to remove the batteries from the microscope if it will not be used for more than two weeks 3 Replace the cover and tighten the screws Do not over tighten 18 Notes Developed in Southern California by Educational Insights Fabriqu en Chine Informations conserver Educational Insights Inc Gardena CA U S A All rights reserved Learning Made in China Bitte bewahren Sie unsere Resources Ltd King s Lynn Norfolk U K Please retain this information Adresse f r sp tere Nachfragen auf Made in China Hecho en China Conservar estos datos www EducationalInsights com Educational Insights
6. Use warm water and soap Also wash any of your microscope kit equipment that you may have used Make sure that an adult knows what you are doing and is available to help you FAQs Frequently Asked Questions 1 What can see with my microscope You can see thousands of things that are difficult or impossible to see with your eyes You can see tiny plants and animals You can observe plant and animal cells You can see the differences between different plants different papers different fibers and hairs from different people You can study crystals rocks and minerals The uses for your microscope are practically endless 2 What is meant by power Power is a measure of the seeing ability of your microscope It is really a short way of saying magnifying power Your microscope has five powers They are 50X pronounced 50 times 100X 150X 300X and 600X This means that your microscope can magnify the view of a sample so that it appears 50 times 100 times 150 times 300 times or 600 times larger than the way you see it with your own eyes 3 I look through my microscope and all see is darkness Why This could be because the mirror is not positioned properly to aim light up into your microscope Another reason may be that the sample you are looking at could be too thick for the light to shine through it 4 All I can see is a partial circle of light Why To see your sample properly you need to have even light shi
7. What plant is it from What color is it Can you see the veins Can you see the stomata 12 13 PROJECT 4 Dirt and Sand You will need microscope several clean blank slides several slide covers samples of dirt and sand from different places specimen vials to hold the samples pipette water Dirt can have small pieces from rocks in it It can also have lots of organic material This is made up of decomposed plant and animal material Dead leaves and grass get broken down and eaten up by friendly bacteria and small animals like earthworms Dirt that has lots of organic material in it is called loam and it is very good for growing flowers and vegetables Sand can be made up of small grains of different rock types that have been broken down from bigger pieces There can also be tiny fragments of shells from long gone sea creatures In some places the beach sand is black because the fine particles have been worn down from pieces of coal Collect dirt and sand from around your house and from different beaches Bring small samples home from a vacation Use the specimen vials in your microscope kit to hold the samples Place a very thin layer of each sample on a slide You will see many small types of particles Then add one drop of water and place a slide cover over the sample Notes What do you see in your samples of dirt and sand Which samples would make good garden soil Be sure to wash
8. bs very slowly to bring the image of your sample into focus so you can see it clearly 4 Rotating Turret The turret holds the three objective lenses Turn the turret so that each lens clicks into position 5 Objective Lenses The objective lenses are the lenses closest to the objects you are examining Your microscope has three objective lenses each with a different magnifying power The shortest lens has the lowest magnifying power 5X The longest lens has the highest magnifying power 30X The third lens has a magnifying power between the two 15X The objective lenses work with the eyepieces to give your microscope a range of magnifications With the 10X eyepiece in place your microscope makes samples look 50 times 50X 150 times 150X and 300 times 300X larger than they appear to your eyes With the 20X eyepiece in place your microscope makes samples look 100 times 100X 300 times 300X and 600 times 600X larger than you can see them with your own eyes 6 Arm This curved piece is the backbone of the microscope and holds everything together You can tilt the arm backward to get a more comfortable viewing position 7 Stage The stage is the flat platform where your slides are held for studying 8 Clips The two clips on the stage hold your slide in position so that it doesn t move around while you are looking at it 9 Mirror The mirror aims light from a bright source like a sunlit window or a tab
9. g power you want to use Your microscope can provide magnifying powers of 50X 100X 150X 300X and 600X Remember that the longer objective lenses used with the higher magnification 20X eyepiece provide the higher powers For optimal in color or content from the product in the package viewing start at the lowest power and work your way upward Most observing is done at low power We constantly improve and update our products Sometimes as a result of these improvements what is seen on the package or in the instructions may differ somewhat 6 To change the magnifying strength turn the rotating lens turret until you hear a click 7 Turn the focusing knob until the objective lens is almost touching the slide Don t let the lens touch the slide as you may break the slide and damage the lens Now look through the eyepiece and slowly turn the focusing knob back until you see the sample clearly 8 To change the eyepiece simply unscrew it from the body tube and replace it with the other eyepiece How to Make a Prepared Slide Samples for examination should be very thin so that light can pass through them If the sample is too thick it will appear dark in the microscope Cloth fibers pollen dust or salt crystals will be easy to see and make good samples for you to observe If the sample is very thin and clear a drop of red or blue dye may make details show more clearly You can obtain dyes from a science supplies shop You can
10. ghtly fibers loose you warm natural wound and spiky 10 11 PROJECT 2 Animal Fur You will need microscope 2 or more clean blank slides samples of different types of fur and hair An animal s fur is similar to the hair on your head Like your hair it protects the skin underneath from cold heat and sunburn Animals have different kinds of fur Some animals have fine smooth fur Others have stiff bristly fur Some fur is short and some fur is long Long haired animals can stay warm even when it is very cold Their fur traps and holds a layer of warm air next to their skin This is called insulation Study samples of fur from cats dogs and even your pet hamster Check paintbrushes you may have around the house Some small paintbrushes have hairs from squirrels Other brushes may have bristles from pigs Put several strands of animal hair or fur in between a slide sandwich like you did with the cloth fibers and look at them under your microscope If you look closely at 600X magnification you might see small rough lines going around each hair These are growth lines If there is a large space between these lines the hair is fast growing A lot of small spaces between lines indicate a slow growing hair Pull out a single hair from your head Ouch Does it look like any of the animal hairs PROJECT 3 Leaves You will need microscope 2 or more clean blank slides different types of
11. ith a strong solution of sugar Sugar also has a crystal shape Is it the same as a salt crystal Can you tell them apart Look at some of the crystals you have grown under your microscope Sometimes the little cubes will join together in strange or beautiful shapes Notes Salt Crystals Sugar Crystals 17 More Microscope Investigations Always keep your eyes open to find other ways to use your microscope Here are two examples Toothbrushes Compare the bristles of a new toothbrush to some from an old well used one Can you see why you should not use the same toothbrush for a long time Printing Compare printed material from different sources Compare a postage stamp with a piece of a newspaper or magazine picture Can you see the fine dots How many different colors of dots are there How can dots of so few colors make all of the colors you see in a color magazine picture Battery Installation and Instructions 1 Loosen the screws in the bottom cover of the microscope and remove the cover 2 Install 2 AA batteries following the diagram inside the compartment Do not mix old and new batteries Non rechargeable batteries are not to be recharged Do not use rechargeable batteries Do not mix different types of batteries alkaline standard carbon zinc or rechargeable batteries Only batteries of the same or equivalent type are to be used e Remove exhausted batteries from the unit
12. le lamp up through the slide you are studying so you can see the specimen more clearly 10 Illuminator Lamp When there is not enough light available for the mirror to do its job turn the mirror over and the bright electric LED illuminator will light your sample 11 Base The bottom of the base has a rubber cover to help prevent your microscope from slipping on a smooth tabletop Microscope Safety Tips Getting Started Keep these safety tips in mind as you enjoy hours of fun projects and 1 Insert two AA batteries into the base of the microscope following the experiments with your microscope instructions on page 18 Read all instructions before use Follow them and keep them for 2 Place the microscope on a flat surface near a bright light or in the daytime future reference a window Locate the mirror and adjust the angle so that when you look Keep small children and animals away from any experiments or projects into the eyepiece you see a bright circle of light Do not point the mirror towards the sun as eye damage may result If there is no bright light available or if the room lighting is poor use the microscope s electric illuminator lamp To turn on the illuminator lamp flip the mirror over so When working with samples keep your hands away from your mouth and eyes Eye protection is not included Always wash your hands carefully after handling any samples and always that the light bulb is aimed upward The light
13. leaves Plants breathe through their leaves Most leaves have small holes in their underneath side called stomata Plants breathe in carbon dioxide from the air and release oxygen back out People do the opposite We breathe in oxygen and breathe out carbon dioxide In this way people and animals help plants and they help us The scientific name for a relationship like this is a symbiotic relationship Collect leaves from different tree and plant types The needles of pine fir and spruce trees are also leaves but they look a little different If you gather your leaves in the spring and summer they will be mainly green In the fall and winter they may be red or brown or orange all except the small fir pine and spruce needles They stay green all year round The trees from which these leaves come are called evergreens Look closely at your leaf samples at 300X magnification Look for patterns of lines running through the leaf These are the veins of the leaf and they carry nutrients or energy food back and forth between the leaf and the main plant A plant s leaves are like tiny food factories Chlorophyll a green chemical in leaves traps energy from sunlight The plant uses this energy water and carbon dioxide to make food in a process called photosynthesis Notes Notes Sample Where is it Is the hair Would it keep Can you see from smooth the animal growth rings warm Sample
14. m where you collected them to where you have your microscope set up Prepared Slides These slides have samples on them that have been prepared by professionals for you to examine Blank Slides These are the clear slides that you will place prepared samples on for examination under your microscope Slide Labels These are little pieces of paper with sticky backs You can write on them and stick them on your slides to record information such as when the sample was prepared Slide Covers These are little squares made of thin clear plastic They are used to cover very small samples on a slide See the instructions in this guide for making temporary and permanent slides Getting Acquainted with Your Microscope 1 Eyepiece gt lt 2 Body Tube 4 Rotating Turret 3 Focusing Knob 5 Objective Lenses gt f 8 Clips 9 Mirror 11 B 10 Illuminator ase Lamp with LED Learning About Your Microscope 1 Eyepiece The eyepiece is where you look into the microscope It is a small magnifying lens that collects the image projected up by the three objective lenses Your microscope comes with two different eyepieces The 10X eyepiece makes an image look 10 times larger The 20X eyepiece makes an image look 20 times larger 2 Body Tube This is the main tube of the microscope The image from the sample travels up this tube to the eyepiece 3 Focusing Knob Turn these kno
15. ngs on clear slides It shines a bright light through the small sample and then lenses make the sample look very big Your microscope can make things look 50 times 100 times 150 times 300 times or even 600 times larger than the way you see them with your own eyes Eyepieces These eyepieces are special magnifying lenses that work with your microscope s other lenses Scalpel A scalpel is a sharp blade used to cut very thin pieces of material so you can look at them with your microscope Spatula The spatula has a large flat blade but it is not as sharp as the scalpel The spatula is used for scraping off bits of material for testing and to mash and flatten soft samples Stirring Rod Use this rod to mix fluids until they are well blended An example is when you mix salt and water Tweezers The tweezers are used to pick up small specimens and to handle samples that you don t want to touch with your hands like slimy mold Test Tube with Cap This thin clear tube used to hold liquid samples makes it easy to observe if anything is happening such as when a sample changes color Petri Dish This round flat dish with a clear cover is used to grow and observe samples such as molds Pipette This is a plastic device that you can dip into a liquid to transfer drops to a slide for examination Specimen Vials These are little plastic bottles with tight fitting lids They are used to carry your samples fro
16. ning up through the slide If you are using the mirror for light try gently moving it about while looking through the microscope until you see an evenly lit full circle 5 I have a very thin sample on my slide but I can t see any detail First make sure that the image is in sharp focus by adjusting the focusing knobs If the problem still exists add a drop of red or blue dye to the sample Dyes make hard to see objects like plant cells stand right out PROJECT 1 Cloth Fibers You will need microscope Scissors to cut small samples scrap pieces of cloth of different types clean blank slides All types of cloth are made from long thin strands called fibers Some like wool come from animals Others like cotton come from plants Still others are made from chemical actions Nylon and polyester are samples of man made fibers Take small samples of various fibers such as cotton wool and polyester Put one sample at a time between two clean blank slides like a sandwich Put the slide sandwich under your microscope Can you see the difference between natural and man made fibers Look at how tightly the strands are wound Some are very tight and smooth Others are loose and spiky The loose fibers can trap air This trapped air can help to keep you warm Compare a wool fiber with a polyester fiber Which one do you think will keep you warmer Notes Type of Is it man Are the Are the Will it keep cloth fiber made or fibers ti
17. re Draw pictures of what you saw in the boxes provided below Wash your hands thoroughly Place the slide cover in the garbage Wash the slide in hot soapy water with several spoonfuls of liquid bleach added Ask your parents to help you because bleach can hurt you and the bottle is heavy Wash your hands again Notes Friendly Bacteria Other Bacteria 16 PROJECT 8 Crystals You will need microscope 2 clean blank slides string a drinking glass very warm water enough to almost fill the glass a spoon to measure and stir with table salt sugar Take a piece of string about 3 inches 7 6 cm long and tie it around the center of an old pencil Now take a small drinking glass and almost fill it with hot water from the tap Be careful not to burn yourself Stir in a spoonful of salt until it is well mixed and has all dissolved Now add another spoonful and stir it well If all of the salt dissolves in the water try to mix in a third spoonful Now place the pencil across the top of the glass so that the string is hanging in the salt water Place the glass somewhere safe where small children cannot reach it Do not move the glass around Let it sit undisturbed for a day and then examine the string Leave it another day and examine the string again You will see small white cubes growing on the string These are salt crystals This crystal structure is salt s basic shape Try the same experiment w
18. s it How smooth is it Through your microscope you should have noticed that tissues and paper towels have soft fuzzy fibers that have big air spaces between them These air spaces can also hold water which is why these two samples did well picking up the water spill The writing paper did not have these air spaces and did not pick up water very well The newsprint did not work well either because its fibers are also closely packed 14 PROJECT 6 Pond Water You will need microscope a pail or bucket an empty jar pipette clean blank slides slide covers Get a sample of water from a pond in a wooded area It is best to get a sample in the late spring or summer Dip your pail or bucket in the pond to fill it Let it stand still for about a half hour Then dip your jar to the bottom of the pail and try to get some of the sludge that has settled to the bottom Use your pipette to place a drop on a blank slide and place a slide cover over it To do this stand the slide cover on end next to the drop Gently let it fall onto the drop Push it lightly with a toothpick but not hard enough to squash any little animals If water has squeezed out around the edges you can touch a tissue to it to clean it up Look through your microscope Start at 100X and work upward What are all of the small things you see Are some of them alive You will see small bits of dirt and vegetation If you are lucky you may see small
19. your hands when you are finished Material Sample 1 Sample 2 Sample 3 Sample 4 Rock Samples Shell Particles Small Pieces from Plants Coal Particles Insect Parts PROJECT 5 Paper You will need microscope 2 clean blank slides writing paper tissue paper newspaper paper towel pen water Paper can be made from many things Most paper is made from trees Sometimes the paper maker adds finely chopped cotton rags Other types of paper are made from paper that has been used before Paper can be thick or thin It can be smooth or rough It can be very strong or very weak Paper is used to write on to make packages with to clean up spills to blow your nose on and even to make clothes with Paper to write on is smooth while paper tissues are soft Paper towels are thick while newspaper paper called newsprint is thin Get different types of paper and compare them Try to write on them Try to clean up a few drops of spilled water with each type Then place small pieces of the different paper samples between two slides and look at them through your microscope If you look at small pieces from a magazine or newspaper you will see that the pictures are printed with tiny dots of colored ink Notes Writing Newsprint Paper Facial Paper Towel Tissues Can you write on it with a pencil Can you write on it with a pen How well does it pick up spilled water How strong i
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