Microscope

Warning!- Adult supervision: choking hazards & liquids not for drinking.

Materials

· White Cardboard Tube

· Brown Cardboard Tube

· Strips of Cardstock (4’’ and 5’)

· Washi Tape

· 2 Plastic Lenses

· Laser Cut Stand Parts

· 2 Rubber Bands

· 2 Glass Slides

· Glass Mirror

· Flashlight

· Small White Tissue Paper

· Freeze-dried bugs

Procedure

ADULT SUPERVISION REQUIRED DUE TO GLASS PARTS

1. Fold the strips of cardstock into thirds. Place the ends together and tape them to make a triangular prism.

2. Use the washi tape to tape the smaller triangle inside the smaller tube against the end (see video for specific instructions). Do the same with the larger triangle in the larger tube. This will support the lenses.

3. Place the lenses (convex side out) over the triangles on each tube. Place washi tape around the edges to secure them. Now,  you should be able to look through the open side of each tube and see through the lens.

4. Slide the smaller tube inside the larger tube with both lenses  on the same side. This is your microscope! You can look through the open side and slide the smaller tube within the larger tube to adjust the focus.

5. Now assemble the laser cut stand—all of the parts can be pressed to fit together. The video (accessed using the QR code on the other side of this sheet) includes specific instructions for assembling the stand.

6. Attach the microscope to the dowel rod using one of the rubber bands. The bottom lens should be less than one inch above the slide arms.

7. Place the tissue paper over the light end of the flashlight and secure it with the second rubber band. Place the mirror at an angle in the bottom of the stand (held by the small square piece). Look down through the top of the microscope and practice shining the flashlight on the mirror so you can see the light.

8. Place one of the freeze-dried bugs on a glass slide, slide it into the slide arms on the microscope stand, and look at it through the microscope while using the flashlight! What do you see? What else can you place on your slides to look at through the microscope?

Science Behind it!

Scientists use microscopes to magnify things! Magnifying things allows scientists to see details that they couldn’t see before, which can help them learn new things. What did you notice about your bug that you would not have noticed without the microscope?