Lesson Plan for Microscope Lab
Instructor’s Name: Khady Guiro
Course Title: Anatomy and Physiology
Chapter: 3
Topic: The Cell
Grade Level: 12
Instructional Objectives:
1. To learn the parts of the microscope.
2. To find specimens using low and high power.
3. To view your own human cheek cells under the microscope.
4. To compare plant and animal cells.
Inclusion: In this activity, students will demonstrate their ability to use a microscope through the
following procedures: preparing a slide, focusing on a slide under the microscope at both low
and high power. This task assesses students' abilities to use scientific equipment appropriately
and record accurate measurements.
Key Points:
The following microscope parts and their uses will be reviewed with the students to acquaint
them with their function.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
ocular/eyepiece
nosepiece
low power objective lens - 10x and/or color band
high power objective lens - 40x and/or color band
coarse adjustment
fine adjustment
light source and its switch
The basic technique for focusing a specimen under both low and high power will be discussed to
prevent possible damage to the microscope. Students will be reminded that only the fine
adjustment should be used on high power to sharpen the image.
Do Now Question :
What are the different types of microscopes?
How does a microscope work?
How does it allow us to view the specimen?
Rationale:
Cells have particular structures that underlie their functions. Every cell is surrounded by a
membrane that separates it from the outside world. Inside the cell is a concentrated mixture of
thousands of different molecules which form a variety of specialized structures that carry out
such cell functions as energy production, transport of molecules, waste disposal, synthesis of
new molecules, and the storage of genetic material. In this activity, students will demonstrate
their ability to use a microscope through four procedures: preparing a slide, focusing on a slide
under the microscope at both low and high power. This task assesses students' abilities to use
scientific equipment appropriately and record accurate measurements. Microscopes give you a
view of the world quite unlike that of your naked eye. In this lab we will also get the opportunity
to use microscopes to look at some common objects and see how they differ from what you see
with your naked eye.
Introduction:
Cells are the fundamental unit of life. They are the simplest organism unit capable of
independent existence. All living things are made up of cells.
Each part of the cell serves a distinct purpose.
Cell wall: Portion of the cell which gives it structure. Plants have thick cell walls to strengthen
the plant stem.
Nucleus: Control center for heredity and cell division
Cytoplasm: A clear liquid where most of the cells life functions occur.
Vacuole: Waste product storage location for the cell.
Guided Practice:
Procedure: Part 1- The letter “e”
1. Cut out the letter “e” and place it on the slide face up.
2. Add a drop of water to the slide.
4. Place the slide on the stage and view in low power (4x). Center the “e” in your field of view.
Draw what you see in Figure 1.
5. Move the slide to the left, what happens? Move the slide to the right, what happens? Up?
Down?
6. View the specimen in high power (10x). Use the fine adjustment only to focus.
Draw what you see in Figure 2.
Data: Part 1- The letter “e”
Figure 1: Drawing of the letter “e” in low power (4x).
Figure 2: Drawing of the letter “e” in high power (10x)
Analysis:
1. How does the letter “e” as seen through the microscope differ from the way an “e” normally
appears?
2. When you move the slide to the left, in what direction does the letter “e” appear to move?
When you move it to the right? Up? Down?
3. How does the ink appear under the microscope compared to normal view?
4. Why does a specimen placed under the microscope have to be thin?
Lab Procedures: Examining variety of cell types
A) Hairs
1. View the human hair slide and compare with hair from rabbit, mink, muskrat,
seal and lamb.
Analysis:
a. Draw and describe what you see under 10X
b. Draw and describe what you see under 40X
c. Does the human hair look exactly like the hair from rabbit, mink, muskrat,
seal and lamb? Explain
d. Which type of hair is straighter? Which type of hair is less straight?
B) Generalized cells
a. Compare and contrast the generalized plant cell, generalized animal cell, and
bacteria cell. Clearly label which one is which.
Analysis:
a. What does each cell type have in common? Explain
b. What makes each cell type different? Explain
c. Is the bacteria cell more similar to the animal cell or more similar to the plant cell?
Give your reasons.
C) Blood smears comparisons
1. Comparing cat blood to sheep blood
Describe what you see.
2. Comparing human blood to reptile blood
Describe what you see.
3. Comparing fish blood to bird blood
Describe what you see.
4. Comparing frog blood to bovine blood
Describe what you see
Analysis: Clearly Explain
a. How does the cat blood look compared to the sheep blood?
b. How does the reptile blood look compared to the human blood?
c. How does the bird blood look compared to the fish blood?
d. How does the frog blood look compared to the bovine blood?
e. How does the sheep blood look compared to the bovine blood?
f. How does the frog blood look compared to the fish blood?
D) Cheek cells and Frog skin comparisons
View slides and draw what you see.
Analysis:
a. How does the frog skin tissue look compared to the check cells? Explain why.
E) Raw and cooked meat comparison
View and draw what you see.
Analysis:
a. Describe the similarities between the raw meat and cooked meat?
b. Describe the differences between the raw and cooked meat?