Ideas for Observation
Children: Always get an adult’s permission
before trying any experiments!
1.
Crystals: Place a few grains of dry salt or sugar on a slide to observe. Mix
salt with a spoonful of warm water in the test tube and then use the
plastic transfer pipet to place a couple drops on a plain slide. Let it dry
and observe the re-crystallized salt/sugar.
2.
Shake some grains of pollen from a flower onto a plain slide. Now
observe!
3.
Hairs, including pet hair, or pieces of feathers, can be observed. Try
comparing hairs from various animals. You can use a small piece of tape at
each end of the hair to hold it on the slide.
4.
Observe fibers in different kinds of paper, printing from a newspaper or
printer. Look at the color in comics. Compare threads or fibers from
different types of fabric.
5.
Stagnant water from a pond will contain live organisms. Place a drop into
the well of a concave slide for observation.
Many specimens may look transparent under the microscope. It’s common to
stain them to make the cells show up better. Iodine is a common stain. You
can also try soaking your specimens in a solution of ordinary food color and
water for a couple of minutes to stain them. Use the plastic forceps to pick up
the stained specimen. Allow the stained specimen to dry before mounting it
to the slide. Caution: the stain will color anything else it touches, not just your
specimen, so be careful with furniture and clothing.
