History of Microscopes Lesson

Sarita Cooper Valley Oak Elementary, Davis, California 10-9-07 California State Science Standard: 5th grade 1e. Students know scientists have developed instruments that can create discrete images of atoms and molecules that show that the atoms and molecules often occur in well-ordered arrays. Materials: Powerpoint presentation History of the Microscope for each group: reading stone, hand lenses, samples of eyeglass lenses, small lidded test tube filled with water, dropper, small beaker of water, leaf, hole punch, scissors, glue, scotch tape for each student: plain 8 1/2x11 paper, 1x1 square of overhead transparency film Procedure: 1. Guide students to make an 8 section accordion fold book (fold paper in half like a hotdog, cut along fold. Accordion fold each piece in to four sections, glue each section together). Students will make a time line of the history of microscopes in this book. 2. Students punch a hole near the bottom of the first page of the book 3. Tape 1x1 square of transparency film over the hole (do not cover hole with tape) 4. Write the title The History of the Microscope and your name on the first page above the hole 5. Tell students that a long time ago, before the microscope was invented, they did not know that anything existed that you can not see with the naked eye. 6. have students look at a leaf through the plastic covered hole in the book. Notice that nothing unusual happens. The leaf looks the same. 7. Now instruct students to place ONE DROP of water over the hole and look through it to the leaf. Notice that the leaf is now magnified. This might be how people got the idea to invent the microscope, they noticed that a raindrop on a leaf magnified the image. 8. Begin the Power Point presentation. Tell students that every time they see yellow words, that information goes on a section of the book. The key words are in yellow and must be included. Students can write only the key words OR write sentences of their own using the key words. If time, they may draw a picture if they want. 9. Slide 1- pass around reading stones clear melted marblescan be purchased at craft stores, used for floral arranging. Show students how to place them over the words on their books and notice that the image is magnified. 10. Direct students to take the small lidded test tubes from the lab supplies and look at words through this. Point out that it is the shape of the glass or the water that causes the image to be enlarged. 11.next slide, Salvino DArmate invented the first glasses. Pass around glasses lenses. Students should notice that if they look through them, images are blurry. But if these were for correcting a vision problem in their eyes, the images would not be blurry and it is the bend in the glass that allows this to work. 12.Continue through slides. When you get to 1830, Lister, ask students to take out 2 hand lenses and look through both. Notice that the image is increased as you add more lenses. You may have to raise or lower the top one to focus the image. This is how compound microscopes work. 13.When you get to 1931 explain how the electron microscope works. I compare this to sonographic images of the ocean floor. I demonstrate on the board how scientists get an image of the ocean floor without ever seeing it. This is how the electron microscope works only it is not with sound but with bouncing electrons.

14.When lesson is complete, students take time lines home and share the information with someone at home and tell them how microscopes work.