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How To Use A Microscope Properly
How To Use A Microscope Properly!
Tricks Of The Trade That Were
Designed To Make Your Life Easier!
http://shs.westport.k12.ct.us/mjvl/biology/microscope/microscope.htm
Check out the
Tutorial on
LOOKING VS SEEING!
Return to Mr. Lazaroff's Anatomy & Physiology, Forensics, or Biology
First of all, since the microscope costs between $600 and $800, lets try to figure out a few ways to AVOID my having to bill YOU for the cost
of replacing one! Part of the cost is due to the incredible advances made in light microscope structure over time, which doesn't even take electron
microscopes into account!
Click To Enlarge!
Microscope Parts Magnification General Procedures
Drawing Tips Making a Wet Mount Staining a Slide Final Note
Top
The Parts of a Typical Microscope
Click on the parts for more info!
Check out Histology World's Audio Microscope for definitions and pronunciations of the
parts above.
Be sure to also check out the Table of Contents for Audio Histology Slides, Histology Games, and more!
Microscope Parts Magnification General Procedures
Drawing Tips Making a Wet Mount Staining a Slide Final Note
Top
How to figure out the Magnification
NOTE: The colors of the lenses vary from the old scopes to the new scopes in our school.
If you are from a different school, please write in the colors and the
magnifications in the middle portion of the table below.
Older 'Scopes
Your School's 'Scopes
Write in the COLORS, and
the MAGNIFICATIONS below!
http://shs.westport.k12.ct.us/mjvl/biology/microscope/microscope.htm
How To Use A Microscope Properly
Eyepiece
Low
Power
10 x
Green =
GO!
High
Power
10 x
100 x
10 x
43 x
430 x
Yellow = Caution
10 x
97 x
Never
Red =
Use This or 100 x
STOP!
Lens!
Eyepiece
Low Power
Color =
_______
Green = GO!
Yellow =
Caution
Oil
Lens
Objective
Magnification
Lens
Medium
Power
Color =
_______
970 x
High Power
or 1000 x
Color =
_______
Oil immersion lenses are typically used with
bacterial cultures, which have been sterilized
on the slide, and there is NO COVER SLIP.
Use of this lens with a cover slip may
DAMAGE THE LENS!
Oil
Lens
10 x
Objective Lens
Magnification
4x
40 x
ALWAYS start out with this lens, focus and center
before moving on!
10 x
______ x
______ x
Focus (Fine focus knob only!) and center before
moving on!
10 x
______ x
______ x
Focus (Fine focus knob only!) and center before
moving on! STOP! Make your diagrams now!
10 x
______ x
Eyepiece
Low Power
Start out
A special oil is used with this type of lens to refract
the light.
It is NOT meant for slides with a cover slip!
DO NOT USE
ALWAYS
Medium
Power
10 x
Focus (Fine
Yellow =
Caution
High Power
10 x
Focus (Fine
before mov
Use Caution
Oil
Lens
______ x
Color =
_______
10 x
10 x
A special oil i
DO NOT USE
NOTE: Once again, some of the colors may be different on your Microscope.
Be sure to note the correct Colors and Magnifications in the middle portion of the table
above.
To get a sense of the importance of size in microscopy, see the following on Cell Size & Scale:
http://learn.genetics.utah.edu/content/begin/cells/scale/
(Just drag the bar right to increase, and left to decrease, the magnification.
Note, also, the scale that appears in the upper left hand corner!)
GENERAL PROCEDURES:
Microscope Parts Magnification General Procedures
Drawing Tips Making a Wet Mount Staining a Slide Final Note
Top
1. Make sure all backpacks are out of the aisles before you get a microscope! Always carry the microscope with one hand on the
Arm and one hand on the Base. Carry it close to your body.
2. Remove the cover, plug the microscope in, and place the excess cord on the table! If you let the excess cord dangle over the edge,
your knee could get caught on it, and the next sound you hear will be a very expensive crash. I will bill you later!
3. Always start and end with Low Power! The Green means GO! -- “Go ahead and put the slide on the stage.” “Go ahead and use the Coarse focus
knob.” “Go ahead and remove the slide from the stage.” “Go ahead and put the microscope away.”
NOTE: Some of the colors may be different on your Microscope. Write the correct color next to the sentence above.
4. Place the slide on the microscope stage, with the specimen directly over the center of the glass circle on the stage (directly over the
light). Then you have a 9 out of 10 chance of finding the specimen as soon as you look through the eyepiece!
NOTE: If you wear glasses, take them off; if you see only your eyelashes, move closer. Be sure to close, or cover your other eye!!
NOTE: If you see a dark line that goes part way accross the field of view, try turning the eyepiece. That dark line is a pointer that
will be very valuable when you want to point out something to your lab partner, or your teacher!
http://shs.westport.k12.ct.us/mjvl/biology/microscope/microscope.htm
It is NOT m
How To Use A Microscope Properly
5. If, and ONLY if, you are on LOW POWER, lower the objective lens to the lowest point, then focus using first the coarse
knob, then the fine focus knob. The specimen will be in focus when the LOW POWER objective is close to the lowest point, so
start there and focus by slowly raising the lens. If you can’t get it at all into focus using the coarse knob, then switch to the fine
focus knob.
6. Adjust the Diaphragm as you look through the Eyepiece, and you will see that MORE detail is visible when you allow in LESS
light! Too much light will give the specimen a washed-out appearance. TRY IT OUT!!
7. Once you have found the specimen on Low Power (100x), unless specifically asked to draw it on low power, center the specimen
in your field of view, then, without changing the focus knobs, switch it to High Power. If you don’t center the specimen you will lose
it when you switch to High Power (Yellow). [See Above]
NOTE: Some of the colors may be different on your Microscope. Write the correct color next to the sentence above.
8. Once you have it on High Power remember that you only use the fine focus knob! The Yellow means CAUTION! -“Caution, use only the fine focus knob.” “Caution, do not remove the slide when it is on High Power.” -- The High Power
Objective (430x) is very close to the slide. Use of the coarse focus knob will scratch the lens, and crack the slide. More expensive
sounds . . .
9. NEVER USE THE OIL LENS. Red Means STOP!! -- “Stop! Don’t use that lens!” -- It is an oil immersion lens. Without the oil to
lubricate the lens, you will destroy it! More expensive sounds . . . Also, the oil is needed to help gather enough light to actually see
through the lens!
NOTE: Some of the colors may be different on your Microscope. Write the correct color next to the sentence above.
Tips On Making Good Drawings:
Microscope Parts Magnification General Procedures
Drawing Tips Making a Wet Mount Staining a Slide Final Note
Top
1. Don’t even think of starting your drawing unless you have a PENCIL! Drawings in PEN are UNACCEPTABLE! This is for two
reasons:
(a) You can erase pencil!
(b) You can shade in areas more easily in pencil.
2. Each Drawing must be 1/2 page in size, and must include clear, proper labels! In the upper left hand corner of each circle include
the specimen name as written on the slide label. In the upper right hand corner, include the magnification (100x or 430x).
3. Labels should start on the outside of the circle. The circle indicates the field of view as seen through the eyepiece. All arrows
should end with the point touching the object to be labeled!
4. Animal cells should always include at least the following five labels: Cell membrane, Nuclear membrane, Nucleus, Chromatin,
Cytoplasm.
5. Plant Cells should always include at least the following seven labels: Cell membrane, Cell wall, Nuclear membrane, Nucleus,
Chromatin, Cytoplasm, Chloroplast (this last does not exist in certain plant cells).
6. Remember: This class is about Connections! I don’t want you to Look at the cells; I want you to SEE them! In order to do that,
you MUST:
Apply your knowledge of
cell structure to your drawings!
An unlabeled drawing is nothing more than
scratches on a piece of paper!
http://shs.westport.k12.ct.us/mjvl/biology/microscope/microscope.htm
How To Use A Microscope Properly
Check out the
Tutorial on
LOOKING VS SEEING!
How To Make A Wet Mount:
Microscope Parts Magnification General Procedures
Drawing Tips Making a Wet Mount Staining a Slide Final Note
Top
1. Gather a thin slice/piece of whatever your specimen is. If your specimen is too thick, then the coverslip will wobble on top of the
sample like a see-saw:
2. Place ONE drop of water directly over the specimen. If you put too much water over the specimen, then the coverslip will float
on top of the water, making it harder to draw the specimens as they float past the field of view!
3. Place the coverslip at a 45 degree angle (approximately), with one edge touching the water drop, and let go.
How To Stain a Slide:
Microscope Parts Magnification General Procedures
Drawing Tips Making a Wet Mount Staining a Slide Final Note
Top
1. Place one drop of Methylene Blue stain on one edge of the coverslip, and the flat edge of a piece of paper towel on the other edge
of the coverslip. The paper towel will draw the water out from under the coverslip, and the cohesion of the water (due to those
perennial favorites - Hydrogen Bonds) will draw the stain under the coverslip.
2. As soon as the stain has covered the area containing the specimen you are finished. The stain does not need to be under the
entire coverslip. If the stain does not cover the area needed, get a new piece of paper towel and add more stain until it does.
3. Be sure to wipe off the excess stain with a paper towel, so you don’t end up staining the objective lenses.
4. You are now ready to place the slide on the microscope stage. Be sure to follow all the instructions on the previous pages as to how
to use the microscope.
5. When you have completed your drawings, be sure to wash and dry both the slide and the coverslip and return them to the
correct places!
6. All slides must be put away in the proper trays! Students will not leave until all materials have been put way properly. You are a
team!
Final Note:
NOTE: These procedures will remain the same,
regardless of the type of stain,
or the addition of a hypertonic/hypotonic solution to your specimen.
REMEMBER: Be careful with the equipment,
and be sure to leave the lab
in the same condition it was in when you arrived.
HAVE FUN!
Check out the
Tutorial on
LOOKING VS SEEING!
Microscope Parts Magnification General Procedures
Drawing Tips Making a Wet Mount Staining a Slide Final Note
Top
Return to Mr. Lazaroff's Anatomy & Physiology, Forensics, Biology, or the SCIENCE DEPARTMENT page
http://shs.westport.k12.ct.us/mjvl/biology/microscope/microscope.htm
Microscope Magnification Table
Microscope Magnification Table
Your School's 'Scopes
Older 'Scopes
Eyepiece
Low
Power
10 x
Green =
GO!
High
Power
100 x
10 x
43 x
430 x
Yellow = Caution
10 x
97 x
Never
Red =
Use This or 100 x
STOP!
Lens!
Eyepiece
Low Power
Color =
_______
Green = GO!
Yellow =
Caution
Oil
Lens
Objective
Magnification
Lens
10 x
Medium
Power
Color =
_______
970 x
High Power
or 1000 x
Color =
_______
Oil immersion lenses are typically used with
bacterial cultures, which have been sterilized
on the slide, and there is NO COVER SLIP.
Use of this lens with a cover slip may
DAMAGE THE LENS!
Newer 'Scopes
Write in the COLORS, and
the MAGNIFICATIONS below!
Oil
Lens
Color =
_______
10 x
Objective Lens
4x
Magnification
40 x
ALWAYS start out with this lens, focus and center
before moving on!
10 x
______ x
______ x
Focus (Fine focus knob only!) and center before
moving on!
10 x
______ x
______ x
Focus (Fine focus knob only!) and center before
moving on! STOP! Make your diagrams now!
10 x
______ x
______ x
A special oil is used with this type of lens to refract
the light.
It
is
NOT
meant
for
slides with a cover slip!
DO NOT USE
Low Power
Start out
Medium
Power
Yellow =
Caution
High Power
Use Caution
Oil
Lens
Eyepiece
Objective
Lens
Magnification
10 x
4x
40 x
ALWAYS start out with this lens, focus and
center before moving on!
10 x
10 x
100 x
Focus (Fine focus knob only!) and center
before moving on!
10 x
40 x
400 x
Focus (Fine focus knob only!) and center
before moving on! STOP! Make your
diagrams now!
10 x
100 x
1000 x
A special oil is used with this type of lens to
refract the light.
DO NOT USE
It is NOT meant for slides with a cover
slip!
http://shs.westport.k12.ct.us/mjvl/biology/microscope/microscope_table.htm
Looking vs. Seeing: A Tutorial on Getting the MOST out of your Microscope Viewing!
Looking vs. Seeing
A 15 Minute Tutorial on Getting the MOST
out of your Microscope Viewing!
Check out Histology World's Table of Contents for Audio Histology Slides, Histology Games, and more!
Return to: How to Use a Microscope
To get a sense of the importance of size in microscopy, see the following on Cell Size & Scale:
http://learn.genetics.utah.edu/content/begin/cells/scale/
(Just drag the bar right to increase, and left to decrease, the magnification.
Note, also, the scale that appears in the upper left hand corner!)
Define Each Term: How are they DIFFERENT?
Looking: Light passes through the lens of the eye, and the vitreous humour, hits the retina, which stimulates rods (B/W) & cones (color) to send images are sent along the optic
nerve . . .
Seeing: The brain actually processes the information, based upon prior knowledge, and assigns meaning to the images received.
Parts of the Brain Involved:
When we LOOK, light hitting the Retina at the back of the eye sends a message along the
Optic Nerve also known as the 2nd Cranial Nerve (N II) passes through the
Optic Chiasm, by which the Sensory Data crosses over from Right to Left, and vice versa, then along the
Optic Tract to the
Lateral Geniculate Nucleus of the Thalamus (Diencephalon) to the
Primary Visual Cortex of the Occipital Lobe.
The Sensory Data is then PROCESSED, allowing us to SEE!
Why are we Talking about this:
I have noticed many of my students over the years giving me drawings made while looking under the microscope that in no way resemble the actual tissues observed under the
microscope.
These drwings almost always either have no labels, or the labels are so ill-conceived as to be of little value.
The usual response from students when I point these things out is "That's what I saw."
Given our definition of seeing above, it is clear that far from seeing, these students were only looking.
Had the students actually been seeing the specimen, not only would their drawing have been more accurate, but all of the visible eukaryotic cellular structures would have been
properly labeled (The structures that follow depend upon the specimen being observed: cell wall and/or cell membrane, cytoplasm, nuclear membrane, nucleus, nucleolus,
flagellum, cilia).
NOTE: Even though students may understand that they are looking at cells, it is VERY common to get drawings that fail to have cell membrane boundaries, and which focus only
on the nuclei, which are usually mislabeled as cells, and usually just drawn as a bunch of dots.
After completing this tutorial, you should be able to focus your prior knowledge about cells and tissues upon what you are looking at, and you will most likely then be seeing it for
the first time.
Your drawings will not only be more accurate representations of the specimens, but they will also contain more accurate labels. Am unlabeled drawing is little more than random
scribbles on a piece of paper. Labels indicate that you actually were seeing the cells.
Before we continue w/ looking and seeing, we need to emphasize the issue with an analogy:: Listening vs. Hearing. There is another page at the end of the
following tutorial that compares microscope photos (photomicrographs) with the drawings that you should be able to make from them.
Listening vs. Hearing
Why are We Talking About Listening & Hearing Now?
One of the best ways to appreciate the difference between Looking and Seeing is to step back and compare Listening vs. Hearing.
The best way to truly understand the difference is to listen to a piece of music twice: the first time without preparation, and the second time using the new knowledge you are
about to receive, which will help your brain to interpret the music differently!
Define Each Term: How are they DIFFERENT?
http://shs.westport.k12.ct.us/mjvl/biology/microscope/looksee.htm
Looking vs. Seeing: A Tutorial on Getting the MOST out of your Microscope Viewing!
Listening: Compressed waves of air (sound waves) hit the typanic membrane (ear drum), the vibration is amplified through the auditory ossicles (the bones of the inner ear), and
the vibrations cause compressions in the fluid within the cochlea, causing the hair cells to and images are sent along the vestibulocochlear nerve . . .
Good Vibrations . . .
Better
Vibrations . . .
Hearing: The brain actually processes the information, based upon prior knowledge, and assigns meaning to the sounds received.
Parts of the Brain Involved:
When we LISTEN, compression waves in the Cochlear Fluid stimulates Hair Cells sends a message along the
The Cochlear Branch joins the Vestibulocochlear Nerve, also known as the the Eigth Cranial Nerve (N VIII) travels through the
Vestibular and Cochlear Nuclei of the Pons and the Medulla Oblongata, and then travel through the
Medial Geniculate Nucleus of the Thalamus to the
Auditory Cortex of the Temporal Lobe.
The Sensory Data is then PROCESSED, allowing us to HEAR!
What Better Example for Our Analogy than MUSIC!
A Crash Course in Music:
The basic elements of music:
Melody = the succession of notes played one after another (the horizontal aspect of the music)
Harmony = the sound when two or more notes are played simultaneously (the vertical aspect of the music)
Rhythm = the number of beat per measure (4/4, 3/4, 6/8, etc.), as well as the pattern of beats used in the measure (4 equal beats, 1 beat then 2 faster beats then 2
beats like the first)
Tempo = the speed at which the music moves (i.e., the time a certain beat in the music is held), from adagio (very slow) to allegro (very fast)
Timbre = the specific sound of the instrument, from the wooden sound of a clarinet to the brassy sound of a trombone
Dynamic Level = the volume of the music, from pianissimo ( pp = very soft) to fortissimmo (ff = very loud): ppp . . . pp . . . p . . . mp . . . mf . . . f . . . ff . . . fff
Now Let's Use This To Listen to a Piece of Music!
Listen to this Movement from a Schubert Piano Sonata:
Try to identify any patterns in the music as you listen.
Try to identify the number of beats in the music (Most Rock & Roll is built on 4 beats -- it is in 4/4 time, hence the "boom, thwack, boom, thwack" alternation of bass drum on
the 1st and third beats, and snare/symbols on the 2nd and fourth beats, "one, two, three, four." Most Jazz, on the other hand, emphasizes the 2nd and fourth beats in4/4 time,
"one, two, three, four."); this leads to frustration when performing in front of audiences unaccustomed to Jazz, as such an audience will clap on one and three, while the band
will emphasize two and four!
Listen for any changes in dynamic level, tempo, or timbre.
Click HERE to hear a MIDI file of the 3rd Movement, a Minuet, from
Schubert's Piano Sonata # 18 in G major, "Fantasia," D. 894, Opus 78
Franz Peter Schubert
1797 - 1828
DON'T CLICK ON THE LINK BELOW UNTIL AFTER YOU LISTEN ALL THE
WAY THROUGH THE MINUET!
Now that you have listened to the minuet, click on the link below to learn about the FORM of a Minuet. After learning the FORM you need to listen to the music ONE MORE
TIME! The difference this time is that, having armed yourself with knowledge about musical form, you will actually HEAR the music for the first time!!!
Move on to The Form of a Minuet . . . or Return to How to Use a Microscope
http://shs.westport.k12.ct.us/mjvl/biology/microscope/looksee.htm
The Form of a Minuet
The Form of a Minuet
Return to: How to Use a Microscope or Looking vs. Seeing
Of the Things I Asked You to Listen For:
The minuet is a form of Dance music, albeit of a different century (the 18th), and it is full of many repeats. The basic form is
called an ABA form, but there are many repeats within that basic patten
The minuet is somewhat akin to a form of music that followed called the waltz, in that it is written in 3/4 time, with three
quarter notes (the beats) per measure (although the rhythm may vary, the number of beats in each measure remains 3
throughout.
Although the dynamic level (or volume) may have changed between sections, and the timbre changed with each change of
instruments, the tempo (or pace) of the music remained constant throughout.
The Actual Form of a Minuet From Schubert's Time:
[:A:] [:Avar A1:] [:B:] [:B var B1:] [A] [Avar A1]]
The A & B sections: are based upon different melodies, harmonies, and
instruments.
[:A:] = [A A]
Avar
The "A" Section will be repeated
= a variaton basesd upon a theme or themes from the "A" Section
A1 = a repeat of the "A" Section, but with some modifications, usually at the end
[:Avar A1:] = [Avar A1 Avar A1]
[:A:] [:Avar A1:] = [A A Avar A1 Avar A1]
[:B:] = [B B]
Bvar
The "A" Section will be repeated
= a variaton basesd upon a theme or themes from the "B" Section
B1 = a repeat of the "B" Section, but with some modifications, usually at the end
[:Bvar B1:] = [Bar B1 Bvar B1]
[:B:] [:Bvar B1:] = [B B Bvar B1 Bvar B1]
Written: [:A:] [:Avar A1:] [:B:] [:B var B1:] [A] [Avar A1]]
Heard: A A Avar A1 Avar A1 B B B var B1 Bvar B 1 A Avar A1
This time when you listen, look at the pattern and try to figure out not only
the basic ABA form, but also each of the 15 landmarks above.
http://shs.westport.k12.ct.us/mjvl/biology/microscope/minuet.htm
The Form of a Minuet
Now listen to the minuet ONE MORE TIME!
Click HERE to hear a MIDI file of the 3rd
Movement, a Minuet, from Schubert's Piano Sonata #
18 in G major, "Fantasia," D. 894, Opus 78
Franz Peter Schubert
1797 - 1828
Did You Hear It?
Did you figure out where each of the 15 landmarks were?
If You Didn't Hear it . . .
. . . then you need to listen to the music one more time . . .
If You Want to Test Your New Knowledge of Musical Form On Another Minuet -This One's Not So Easy -- Find Out If You Can Hear The Structure of This One . . .
Click HERE to hear a MIDI file of the 3rd Movement, a
Minuet, from Mozart's Symphony # 41 in C Major, K.
551, "The Jupiter Symphony," 1788
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
1756 - 1791
If that Minuet was too hard, try this easier one . . .
Click HERE to hear a MIDI file of the 3rd Movement, a
Minuet, from Mozart's Symphony # 39 in Eb Major, K.
543, 1788
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
1756 - 1791
For the Curious:
For the curious, can you listen for (and hopefully hear) the structure of a simpler minuet, this one
is written in a style and form much more akin to those written in Johann Sebastian Bach's day
(1685 - 1750)
[:A:] [B Bvar] [:A:]
I wrote this minuet for my wife, for Mother's Day in 1997.
THE NEXT STEP: Looking vs. Seeing Part II - Using Actual Microscope Images!
Return to: How to Use a Microscope or Looking vs. Seeing
http://shs.westport.k12.ct.us/mjvl/biology/microscope/minuet.htm
Looking vs. Seeing Part II - Using Actual Microscope Images!
Looking vs. Seeing Part II
Using Actual Microscope Images
Return to: How to Use a Microscope or Looking vs. Seeing or The form of a Minuet
Check out Histology World's Table of Contents for Audio Histology Slides, Histology Games, and more!
To get a sense of the importance of size in microscopy, see the following on Cell Size & Scale:
http://learn.genetics.utah.edu/content/begin/cells/scale/
(Just drag the bar right to increase, and left to decrease, the magnification.
Note, also, the scale that appears in the upper left hand corner!)
Resolution:
In your study of cells you may very well come across images similar to those below. Some things to consider:
These cells are in a level of detail that FAR EXCEEDS the magnification possible with a Compound Light Microscope.
In order to get the kind of resolution illustrated below, you would need to use an Electron Microscope.
As such, very few of the structures illustrated below are visible with a Compound Light Microscope.
Animal Cell
Plant Cell
Bacterium
More Information
More Information
More Information
All Images are from an INTRODUCTION TO CELL AND VIRUS STRUCTURE
created by Molecular Expressions, a wonderful website created by faculty at Florida State University
Prior Knowledge:
We will be using this to determine what we are LOOKING at, so that we might actually SEE it! What is actually visible with a Compound Light Microscope will act as the prior knowledge that will allow us to
comprehend what we are viewing through our eyepiece. This just leaves one question:
What is visible with a Compound Light Microscope?
Animal Cell
Plant Cell
Cell Membrane
Cell Wall
Cytoplasm
Cell Membrane
Nuclear Membrane
Cytoplasm
Nucleus
Nuclear Membrane
Chromatin
(Its in there,
even if you can't
see the detail!)
Chromatin
Nucleus
Bacterium
It's SO SMALL,
all you will see is
The Cell Envelope
(Composed of,
from the inside/out
a cell membrane,
a cell wall,
and in some
species, a capsule.)
Chloroplast
Drawing Tips:
Before you start to practice your drawings, you should refer to the TIPS ON MAKING GOOD DRAWINGS, which can be found on my HOW TO USE A MICROSCOPE PROPERLY page. In addition to tips
on labeling, you must, above all, remember to:
Apply your knowledge of cell structure to your drawings!
An unlabeled drawing is nothing more than scratches on a piece of paper!
Drawing Cell Images From Light Microscopes: C O M I N G
SOON!
1. Practice first by making pencil drawings of the following images.
2. Include the appropriate labels on your drawings.
3. Once you have completed steps 1 & 2 above, you should check out the labeled drawings below to see how those drawing should appear.
How Your Drawings should Appear:
O.K. Folks! You are Now Ready to Try to Draw On Your Own, Using Real Microscopes & Slides!
HAVE FUN!
Return to: How to Use a Microscope or Looking vs. Seeing or The form of a Minuet
http://shs.westport.k12.ct.us/mjvl/biology/microscope/looksee2.htm
NSTA Conference Presentations (Present & Past)
NSTA Conference Presentations
http://shs.westport.k12.ct.us/mjvl/lazaroff/nsta.htm
Michael Lazaroff
Anatomy & Physiology, Forensics, Biology
Staples High School
70 North Avenue, Westport, CT 06880
To Facilitate the Sharing of Materials from my NSTA Presentations, I have placed all the relevant files here.
NOTE: I have been gradually changing the format of my handouts,
which hopefully better reflects what it was like attending my presentations.
Should you have any comments or suggestions, please feel free to share them here.
2011 - San Francisco - March 10th to March 13th, 2011
NOTE: All of these files were posted on the NSTA site
How to Find a Specimen Quickly Under a Microscope
Tired of helping frustrated students find microscope specimens? Here is a time-tested method that will have them finding
and drawing, accurately, within seconds!
Saturday, March 12 8:30–9:00 AM
Marriott San Francisco Marquis, Golden Gate Salon C3
How to Find a Specimen Quickly Under a Microscope (Includes Links to web pages I built on how to use a microscope.)
Dissection: How to Make the Most of It
End your year with dissection. Learn strategies to create a safe environment, engage all your students, and eliminate the
need for alternative assignments.
Saturday, March 12 12:30–1:30 PM
Marriott San Francisco Marquis, Sierra A
Dissection - How to Make the Most of It! (Includes Links to all three dissection labs: Earthworm, Crayfish, & Bullfrog.)
I am hoping to see you in San Francisco in 2011!
2010 - Philadelphia
NOTE: All of these files were posted on the NSTA site, under NSTA Communities
Bringing History, Art, and Literature into the Biology Classroom
Make your teaching interdisciplinary. Bring in history, art, literature, and your course will come alive, and you will bring
in students who previously hated science!
History, Art, Literature & Biology Handout
Teaching Evolution: Meeting the Challenge of S0-Called Iintelligent Design
Rather than skirt the issue, meet it head on! How to use the problems with intelligent design to strengthen your teaching of
evolution!
Evolution Handout
Evolution Powerpoint (This is a work in progress . . .)
Exploring Body Systems Conceptually: How to Link Every Biology Unit to Human Body Systems
Time for body systems? Every unit can be reinforced by linking to the structure and function of body systems, making
dissection a true culminating activity.
Body Systems Handout
Body Systems Powerpoint (This will be available later.)
The Dead T-Shirt Contest!
Featured in the NSTA Blog, "CSI Philadelpha"
http://nstacommunities.org/blog/2010/03/20/csi-philadelphia/
Participants will determine the cause, mechanism, and manner of death in an activity in which the students act as both
victims and forensic pathologists.
Dead T-Shirt Handout
Dead T-Shirt Files
Dead T-Shirt Activity
Dead T-Shirt Answers (NOTE: You can use these to create your own versions of these shirts.
Should you come up with your own designs, please share them,
and I will be happy to post them here for others to use!)
2009 - New Orleans
http://shs.westport.k12.ct.us/mjvl/lazaroff/nsta.htm
NSTA Conference Presentations (Present & Past)
The Ideal Mate Project: Authentic assessment in the construction and interpretation of Student’s own family pedigree!
Students collect family phenotypes, construct their family’s pedigree (even the adopted), determine their genotypes, and use
them to predict possible kids with their ideal mate!
Ideal Mate Handout
Frog’s Blood vs. Human Blood: Comparing RBC as a means to understand Cellular Respiration and SA/V
Students compare RBC under the microscope and discover connections to SA/V, Cellular Respiration, Endothermic &
Ectothermic metabolisms, and the evolution of body systems.
Frog's Blood Handout
The Dead T-Shirt Contest!
See in the NSTA Blog from 2010, "CSI Philadelpha" - http://nstacommunities.org/blog/2010
/03/20/csi-philadelphia/
Participants will determine the cause, mechanism, and manner of death in an activity in which the students act as both
victims and forensic pathologists.
Dead T-Shirt Handout
Dead T-Shirt Files
Dead T-Shirt Activity
Dead T-Shirt Answers (NOTE: You can use these to create your own versions of these shirts.
Should you come up with your own designs, please share them,
and I will be happy to post them here for others to use!)
2008 - Boston
The Student Construction of Schematics to Illuminate Complex Anatomical Issues.
Learn how to have students construct larger-than-life schematics of the body systems, illustrating anatomical connections &
their physiological implications, and greatly increase your students' understanding.
Schematic Instructions (This will be available later.)
The Final Project (a.k.a. The Final Mandala)
The Dead T-Shirt Contest!
See in the NSTA Blog from 2010, "CSI Philadelpha" - http://nstacommunities.org/blog/2010
/03/20/csi-philadelphia/
Participants will determine the cause, mechanism, and manner of death in an activity in which the students act as both
victims and forensic pathologists.
Dead T-Shirt Handout
Dead T-Shirt Files
Dead T-Shirt Activity
Dead T-Shirt Answers (NOTE: You can use these to create your own versions of these shirts.
Should you come up with your own designs, please share them,
and I will be happy to post them here for others to use!)
It was a pleasure making presentations these past few years. If you have any questions regarding any of the items above, or any other items, or if
you have items you want to share, please feel free to write or call, and I will do my best to contact you as soon as possible.
Sincerely,
- Michael J. V. Lazaroff
Author of THE COMPLETE IDIOT'S GUIDE TO ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY
1996 Access Excellence Fellow - http://www.accessexcellence.org
Anatomy & Physiology Teacher, Forensics Teacher, Biology Teacher
Staples High School
70 North Avenue
Westport, CT 06880
Voice Mail: (203) 341-1415
School E Mail: [email protected]
Personal E-mail: [email protected]
Web Pages (all designed, built, and maintained by myself):
http://shs.westport.k12.ct.us/mjvl/lazaroff/lazaroff.htm (My Home Page)
http://shs.westport.k12.ct.us/mjvl/anatomy/a&p-home.htm (My Anatomy Page)
http://shs.westport.k12.ct.us/mjvl/biology/biohome.htm (My Biology Page)
http://shs.westport.k12.ct.us/forensics/ (The Forensics Page, made with Mr. Rollison)
http://shs.westport.k12.ct.us/mjvl/default.htm (Science Department Page)
"It is not the strongest of the species that survive, nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change."
- Clarence Darrow (from the Scopes Trial, "The State of Tennessee vs. John Scopes," in 1925)
http://shs.westport.k12.ct.us/mjvl/lazaroff/nsta.htm