Natalie Pawell's 5th graders were practicing the use of microscopes when KSN staffers stopped in at McKinley Elementary School in Abington. The class was learning about magnifying tools and investigating very small things with the help of STC's Microworlds - a kit that Natalie feels offers excellent support for hands-on science inquiry.

Before meeting the microscopes, students had practiced making and recording observations, and discovered the magnifying qualities of transparent, curved objects such as hand lenses and water drops.

To begin this session, Natalie reviewed the parts of the 30x microscopes, and reminded students of how to use the mirror, adjust the light and focus on what you want to see.

Enough microscopes are provided in the kit to allow each student ample opportunity to learn focusing and lighting techniques, and to put new skills to work observing things that can only be seen with these magnifying tools.

The Microworlds Teacher's Guide advises that when learning the basics of using a microscope it's best to start with easily managed objects: those that are flat, dry, and immobile. Following this suggestion, Natalie had prepared samples of black and white and color photos from newspapers and glossy magazines.

The lesson exercises offer practice with the microscope, but Natalie emphasizes that the main goal is to be able to use this tool for investigation. She lets the students know that what she'll be assessing are their observations; and encourages them to set up lab pages in their own way, using the kit's directions as a guide.

As students gaze into their microscopes, observations are shared and discussed, offering opportunities for students to use and expand their descriptive vocabulary: "I see dots." "I see pixels" "What are pixels?" "It looks sprayed - an array of dots."

Focusing questions guide students through the investigation: For example, they look for the differences between pictures and print on the black and white newspaper.

Looking closely at colored newsprint generates special excitement: A picture of the moon in a comic strip, looks white, but is discovered to have red and blue dots. Students also conclude that primary colors don't look as much like dots -- the dots are closer together, and all one color.

What makes the glossy paper different from newsprint? Differences the students noticed: in the newspapers letters were dotted - in the glossies they appeared solid.

The lesson's final exercise guides students to put a screen over a light area on a strip of newspaper, and draw what they see within one square. "Awesome! The squares look huge." Drawing a "real-life" connection, Natalie compares the technique with lab tests that involve counting white blood cells in a grid and calculating for body size.

Even though they may not have finished their observations, Natalie was delighted with the care students had taken, and the details they had noticed and described.

As they continue through the sequential phases of the unit, the students will learn to prepare slides and observe a variety of tiny specimens, including living organisms; and they can look forward to using the more powerful microscopes available in their classroom. Many thanks to Natalie and her students for allowing us to share this exciting glimpse into Microworlds!