Two Easy Kid Science Projects Using Microscopes
Two Easy Kid Science Projects Using Microscopes
Kid science projects are the first few discovery lessons that children can learn a lot from. From learning new scientific mechanisms they actually can witness in their daily lives to knowing other information and traits that will make them more confident and ready to face more challenges in their lives, kid science projects are a great way to show kids the way to how things happen in our world.
One of the best kinds of kid science projects includes those that make use of the ever wondrous microscope. A microscope is an instrument that makes minute organisms visible with the naked eye. Here are some of the most fun and easy kid science projects that your children can enjoy and learn from:
Kid Science Project I: Observing Bacteria Cultures in Yogurt
The materials you will need for this kid science project are the following:
- yogurt that contains active bacteria cultures
- a light monocular or binocular microscope
- glass slides and glass cover slips
- distilled water
- a dropper
Here are the procedures for this kid science project:
To start off with this kid science project, rid the glass slides and cover slips of any dust or particles. Then, drop a small amount of yogurt on the slide. Then, add a drop of water and cover it with a cover slip. For the fun part of this kid science project, put the specimen on the microscope’s stage and focus until you find a thin part of the yogurt. That thin part will show the bacteria. This kid science project will be more successful if you have a microscope with at least a 400x high power magnification to better see the bacteria cultures. This kid science project can even teach a microscope newbie how to use an oil immersion objective which should make the microorganisms a lot easier to see and appreciate. Another advance version of this kid science project is viewing the arrangements and shapes of bacteria. You should let the yogurt stand in a warm area for 24 hours first to see a wider variety of bacteria in this more complex kind of kid science project.
Kid Science Project II: Observing Elements of Blood
The materials you will need for this kid science project include the following:
- a compound light microscope
- a matchbook
- a pin
- band aid
- glass slides
- cover slips
Here are the procedures for this kid science project:
Note: This kid science project requires the utmost supervision of an adult.
The first step of this kid science project involves carefully running a pin through flame to sterilize it. Then, with a glass slide ready, after cooling the pin a bit, quickly poke your little finger. Do it lightly, though. Then, squeeze that finger until a drop of blood comes out. Let that blood drop onto the glass slide and quickly cover it with a clean cover slip. To practice safety precautions in performing this kid science project, you can use an antiseptic or cover your poked finger’s wound with a band-aid immediately to avoid getting it infected. For the enjoyable part of this kid science project, place the slide on the stage of the microscope and start adjusting the focus knobs using the low power objective. After seeing the specimen under LPO clearly, switch to high power objective. Observe the red blood cells in their bounty. White blood cells and blood platelets can be seen, too through this kid science project. Observe all the parts of blood and describe what you have seen in this kid science project. Don’t forget to clean the glass slide that you have used in this kid science project. Also, avoid getting into contact with another person’s blood to avoid any health problem.
If you want to see an animal’s blood elements, you can try this kid science project using the blood of a frog. However, for this kid science project, you don’t need to prepare the frog’s blood specimen yourself since it won’t be advisable. You can check out the various elements of a frog’s blood using a prepared slide that you can ask from your laboratory technician. This kid science project using a frog’s blood smear will enable kids to differentiate the elements of human blood from that of a frog’s. The difference is with the red blood cells and with the platelets. Go check out yourself in this kid science project what differentiates the red blood cells of a human and a frog.
Hundreds of kid science projects can be accomplished with the use of a microscope. Other microorganisms such as protozoans, hair, fibers, and other small insects can be observed with the help of a microscope. Just always remember to be supervised by an adult when trying these kid science projects.