In this 3 week course, students will master the parts of a microscope, learn how to use them like a pro, prepare a microscope slide, compare and contrast specimens under different magnifications, and conduct an investigation to answer a question of their own using their observations. 

Lesson 1: Students learn the names of the parts of their microscope and how each one is used. At the end of the lesson we will play a review game where students can check what they remember. 

Lesson 2: Students conduct their first experiment using the "letter e lab" to see how a microscope changes the image we see while observing. Develop a question about a specimen of choice and build a hypothesis (prediction). 

Example: If I view cotton fibers and polyester fibers under the microscope, then polyester fibers will be uniform throughout and cotton will have imperfections because polyester is a synthetic fiber while cotton is a natural fiber. 

Lesson 3: Bring 2 samples of your choice to compare (leaves, sand, fabric, etc) and learn to focus the image under the microscope and take detailed observations using low, mid, and high power magnifications. Learn new strategies for focusing images.