Intro to Microscopy (Ages 9-12)

In order to make one's own slides, one needs slides (glass slides have the best clarity, but plastic slides are safer for younger learners).  Personally, I avoid coverslips until learners are at least high-school age (if not college), but if you trust your learner with practically invisible shards of glass, that's your call.  High-quality stains and fixatives do exist, and someday your learner may want to explore that world, but for this class, we will use clear nail polish to fix slides.

For maximum benefit from this class, students should have access to a microscope, analog or digital, but even if a student doesn't have their own 'scope, this class will be interesting and useful.  That said, in a perfect world, your learner has (1) a microscope, (2) slides, (3) clear nail polish, and (4) something worth looking at, whether it's a plant part, hair, bug, or whatever strikes their interest.

Learners will not need to use any apps or websites beyond the standard Outschool tools.

I share slides made of various tissues and organs, which means a (non-human) animal had to die to make these slides.  I share a story about my mother pricking her finger to make my first blood smear slide.  

A good slide is made of glass, and coverslips are some of the thinnest, sharpest glass I know of - we will make slides using a 2nd slide as a cover, to avoid the use of coverslips completely.  (This is the same approach I use in secondary science classrooms.)  You know your learner best - if you think they need supervision to use glass slides, please join us in class.  If you prefer, plastic slides do exist, although the visual detail may not be so great.  

Microscopes can vary wildly in value and expense, ranging from easily-broken plastic toys to delicate laboratory machinery.  Again, supervise as you think necessary.  When I was young, I was able to use my microscope by myself, but needed an adult to help me pick up and move the 'scope whenever necessary.  Please err on the side of safety.  

Students are free to take this class even if they don't have their own 'scope, but the enthusiastic learner will want their own 'scope for further exploration.