Learning Resources MicroProElite
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1. eyes Eye protection is not included e Always wash your hands carefully after handling any samples and always dispose of any samples in a safe manner Handle the prepared slides carefully They are made of glass Store your microscope set out of reach of small children Taking Care of Your Microscope Always handle the microscope with two hands one hand around the arm and another under the base e Always remove and clean the slides from the microscope stage after each use Place the microscope in a case or cover it with a plastic bag after each use Clean your microscope with a damp or dry cloth do not immerse or spray liquid or water on the microscope 3 Once you can see a bright circle of light in the eyepiece your microscope is ready for use 4 Choose one of the prepared sample slides from your set Place it under the two spring clips on top of the stage A Special Reminder About Lenses The most important parts of your microscope are the lenses Handle them with care If the lenses are dirty or dusty you can clean them with a soft cotton cloth or a special lens cleaning tissue Do not wipe them with a finger or a regular facial tissue Avoid any direct contact between the viewing lenses and the stage When changing eyepieces work carefully but quickly to avoid introducing dust into your microscope Always return the lens cap to the eyepiece when finished 5 Next choose the magnifying p2. EI 5302 Grades 3 Ages 8 MicroPro Elite 98 piece Microscope Set Instruction and Activity Guide A WARNING CHOKING HAZARD Small parts Not for children under three 3 years D A WARNING SHARP EDGES this product contains a functional sharp edge on the scalpel Use under the direct supervision of an adult iJ Welcome to the Microscopic World Welcome to the hidden world of the microscope Your new microscope is an instrument with lenses for making very small objects appear much larger so they can be studied There are millions of tiny living plants and animals that can be easily seen with your microscope In today s technological world every field of science utilizes microscopes Microscopes are used by biologists for studying microorganisms by geologists for studying rocks and minerals by archaeologists for studying ancient artifacts and by astronomers for studying fallen meteorites Your microscope set contains the following parts 1 Die cast Metal Microscope 1 10X Eyepiece 1 30X Eyepiece 1 Camera Adapter 1 Projection Drawing Device 1 Scalpel 1 Spatula 1 Tweezers 1 Magnifying Glass 1 Measuring Graduate 1 Stirring Rod 1 Pipette 1 Test Tube with Cap 1 Petri Dish 6 Specimen Vials 5 Prepared Slides 18 Blank Slides 18 Slide Labels 36 Slide Covers Storage and Carrying Case Instruction and Activity Gu
3. Now add another spoonful and stir it well If all of the salt dissolves in the water try to mix in a third spoonful Now place the pencil across the top of the glass so that the string is hanging in the salt water Place the glass somewhere safe where small children cannot reach it Do not move the glass around Let it sit undisturbed for a day and then examine the string Leave it another day and examine the string again You will see small white cubes growing on the string These are salt crystals This crystal structure is salt s basic shape Try the same experiment with a strong solution of sugar Sugar also has a crystal shape Is it the same as a salt crystal Can you tell them apart Look at some of the crystals you have grown under your microscope Sometimes the little cubes will join together in strange or beautiful shapes Salt Crystals Sugar Crystals 20 More Microscope Investigations Always keep your eyes open to find other ways to use your microscope Here are two examples Toothbrushes Compare the bristles of a new toothbrush to some from an old well used one Can you see why you should not use the same toothbrush for a long time Printing Compare printed material from different sources Compare a postage stamp with a piece of a newspaper or magazine picture Can you see the fine dots How many different colors of dots are there How can dots of so few colors make all of the colors you s
4. e Scan the area carefully at 450X and 900X Try to look at the thinnest areas You should see small round objects These are the friendly bacteria Place several drops of yogurt in a petri dish or sample vial Mix it with several drops of warm water Do not cover your sample Place it somewhere relatively warm and out of reach Wait for one day Using your pipette place a drop or two of your sample on a slide and cover it with a slide cover Look for more bacteria You will probably see more bacteria They were in the air and landed on the yogurt There may be different shapes than you saw the day before Draw pictures of what you saw Wash your hands thoroughly Place the slide cover in the garbage Wash the slide in hot soapy water with several spoonfuls of liquid bleach added Ask your parents to help you because bleach can hurt you and the bottle is heavy Wash your hands again Notes Friendly Bacteria Other Bacteria 19 PROJECT 8 Crystals You will need microscope 2 clean blank slides string a drinking glass very warm water enough to almost fill the glass a spoon to measure and stir with table salt sugar Take a piece of string about 3 inches 7 6 cm long and tie it around the center of an old pencil Now take a small drinking glass and almost fill it with hot water from the tap Be careful not to burn yourself Stir in a spoonful of salt until it is well mixed and has all dissolved
5. e counterclockwise and gently pull up to remove it Insert the viewer head over the focusing tube 2 Face the viewer head towards a white wall or a piece of white paper 3 Turn out the room lights and close any curtains For best results the room should be dark 4 Turn on the electric illuminator lamp and place a prepared slide on the stage 5 Try a distance of 3 to 4 feet 1 to 1 5 meters from the wall or paper 6 Adjust the illuminator lamp so that the image is as bright as possible 7 Carefully adjust the focus until you see a sharp image You may have to readjust the illuminator lamp position 8 You should now see a clear projected image If you use a higher magnification you will have to refocus the microscope How to Use the Drawing Device You can observe the image on the unit s projection screen or you can project an enlarged image onto a white surface 1 Make sure that the plastic viewing screen is in place in the slot on the top of the viewing hood 2 Adjust the focus and illuminator lamp until you see a clear image on the screen 3 To see an enlarged image remove the plastic viewing screen from its slot 4 Make sure that the microscope is in the upright position 5 Place a piece of white paper horizontally in front of the base of the microscope 6 Darken the room and adjust the angle of the viewer hood mirror until you see the image projected on the white paper Adjust the focus and illuminator la
6. ee in a color magazine picture Battery Installation and Instructions 1 Loosen the screws in the bottom cover of the microscope and remove the cover 2 Install 2 AA batteries following the diagram inside the compartment Do not mix old and new batteries Non rechargeable batteries are not to be recharged Do not use rechargeable batteries Do not mix different types of batteries alkaline standard carbon zinc or rechargeable batteries Only batteries of the same or equivalent type are to be used Remove exhausted batteries from the unit The supply terminals are not to be short circuited To prevent corrosion and possible damage to the product it is recommended to remove the batteries from the microscope if it will not be used for more than two weeks 3 Replace the cover and tighten the screws Do not over tighten 21 Notes Ws e Developed in Southern California by Educational Insights Fabriqu en Chine Informations conserver Educational Insights Inc Gardena CA U S A All rights reserved Learning Made in China Bitte bewahren Sie unsere Resources Ltd King s Lynn Norfolk U K Please retain this information Adresse f r sp tere Nachfragen auf Made in China Hecho en China Conservar estos datos www EducationalInsights com Educational Insights
7. ents of shells from long gone sea creatures In some places the beach sand is black because the fine particles have been worn down from pieces of coal Collect dirt and sand from around your house and from different beaches Bring small samples home from a vacation Use the specimen vials in your microscope kit to hold the samples Place a very thin layer of each sample on a slide You will see many small types of particles Then add one drop of water and place a slide cover over the sample Notes What do you see in your samples of dirt and sand Which samples would make good garden soil Be sure to wash your hands when you are finished PROJECT 5 Paper You will need microscope 2 clean blank slides writing paper tissue paper newspaper paper towel pen water Paper can be made from many things Most paper is made from trees Sometimes the paper maker adds finely chopped up cotton rags Other types of paper are made from paper that has been used before Paper can be thick or thin It can be smooth or rough It can be very strong or very weak Paper is used to write on to make packages with to clean up spills to blow your nose on and even to make clothes with Paper to write on is smooth while paper tissues are soft Paper towels are thick while newspaper paper called newsprint is thin Get different types of paper and compare them Try to write on them Try to clean up a few drops of spilled water with each type Then place
8. f your microscope i Measuring Graduate This plastic cup is marked with measuring lines so that you can accurately measure quantities of liquids in your experiments j Stirring Rod Use this rod to mix fluids until they are well blended An example is when you mix salt in with water k Pipette This is a plastic device that you can dip into a liquid to transfer a drop or two to a slide for examination I Test Tube with Cap This thin clear tube is used to hold liquid samples when you want to see if anything is happening such as when a sample changes color m Petri Dish This round flat dish with a clear cover is used to grow and observe samples such as molds e P n Specimen Vials These are little plastic bottles with tight fitting lids They are used to carry your samples from where you collected them to where you have your microscope set up o Prepared Slides These slides have samples on them that have been prepared by professionals for you to examine p Blank Slides These are the clear slides that you will place prepared samples on for examination under your microscope q Slide Labels These are little pieces of paper with sticky backs You can write on them and stick them on your slides to record information such as when the sample was prepared r Slide Covers These are little squares made of thin clear plastic They are used to cover very small samples on a slide See the instruc
9. ibers such as cotton wool and polyester Put one sample at a time between two clean blank slides like a sandwich Put the slide sandwich under your microscope Can you see the difference between natural and man made fibers Look at how tightly the strands are wound Some are very tight and smooth Others are loose and spiky The loose fibers can trap air This trapped air can help to keep you warm Compare a wool fiber with a polyester fiber Which one do you think will keep you warmer Notes Type of Is it man Are the Are the Will it keep cloth fiber made or fibers tightly fibers loose you warm natural wound and spiky 13 PROJECT 2 Animal Fur You will need microscope 2 or more clean blank slides samples of different types of fur and hair An animal s fur is similiar to the hair on your head Like your hair it protects the skin underneath from cold heat and sunburn Animals have different kinds of fur Some animals have fine smooth fur Others have stiff bristly hair Some fur is short and some fur is long Long haired animals can stay warm even when it is very cold Their fur traps and holds a layer of warm air next to their skin This is called insulation Study samples of fur from cats dogs and even your pet hamster Check paintbrushes you may have around the house Some small paintbrushes have hairs from squirrels Other brushes may have bristles from pigs Put several strands
10. ide What are all of these things for a Microscope The microscope holds samples of very small things on clear slides It shines a bright light through the small sample and then lenses make the sample look very big Your microscope can make things look 50 times 150 times 300 times 450 times or even 900 times larger than the way you see them with your own eyes b Eyepieces The eyepieces are special magnifying lenses that work with your microscope s other eyepieces c Camera Adapter Photograph your findings using your point and shoot camera and adapter d Projection Drawing Device This device lets you project an image of the slide you are examining either on a white wall onto its own small viewing screen or onto a piece of white paper You can share your discoveries with friends or trace the image to create your own drawings e Scalpel A scalpel is a sharp blade used to cut very thin pieces of material so you can look at them with your microscope f Spatula The spatula has a large flat blade but it is not as sharp as the scalpel The spatula is used for scraping off bits of material for testing and to mash and flatten soft samples Tweezers The tweezers are used to pick up small samples and to handle samples that you don t want to touch with your hands like slimy mold Magnifying Glass This is useful for taking a close look at a sample before examining it under the high power magnification o
11. ly You can obtain dyes from a science supplies shop You can also try making a natural dye by putting a slice of beet root in a blender and using the purple red beet juice as a dye Be sure to get an adult s permission first Transfer a drop of the dye to your slide with the pipette Be careful with dyes as they can stain clothing furniture or carpets Making a Temporary Slide 1 Wipe the slide clean 2 Prepare a thin sample You may have to slice it with a scalpel or a razor blade Be very careful Check with an adult before using any sharp tools for slicing specimens 3 Pick up your sample with the tweezers and put it on the center section of the slide Add one drop of water If needed you can now add a drop of dye 4 Gently place a temporary slide cover over the sample being careful not to allow any air bubbles in 5 Remove any excess water or dye with a piece of paper towel by pressing it down gently over the slide cover 6 Now you can observe your slide Making a Permanent Slide 1 Start with a clean slide and cover 2 Follow Steps 2 and 3 on page 8 3 Before placing the cover over your sample add several drops of Gum Media Canada Balsam or other commercially available mounting adhesives Or use a piece of transparent tape 4 Place the cover gently over the sample and carefully squeeze out any air bubbles 5 Place your new slide in a safe place and let it dry for a day IMPORTANT NOTICE Wash you
12. mp position for the best result 7 Trace the image projected on the piece of paper IMPORTANT SUGGESTIONS When you are using the drawing device or the projection device you must be in a darkened room You will see the brightest views in a very dark room Make sure that the batteries are fresh and that all lenses and mirrors are clean Before studying your slides in the dark give your eyes a few minutes to adjust When using the projection device you may get some light spill This is unwanted light that comes directly from the illuminator lamp or bounces off of a reflective surface This unwanted light can overpower the projected image Try placing your hand in front of the illuminator lamp to block this extra light 11 12 FAQs Frequently Asked Questions 1 What can see with my microscope You can see thousands of things that are difficult or impossible to see with your eyes You can see tiny plants and animals You can observe plant and animal cells You can see the differences between different plants different papers different fibers and hairs from different people You can study crystals rocks and minerals The uses for your microscope are practically endless 2 What is meant by power Power is a measure of the seeing ability of your microscope It is really a short way of saying magnifying power Your microscope has five powers They are 50X pronounced 50 times 150X 300X 450X and 900X Thi
13. of animal hair or fur in between a slide sandwich like you did with the cloth fibers and look at them under your microscope If you look closely at 450X or 900X magnification you might see small rough lines going around each hair These are growth lines If there is a large space between these lines the hair is fast growing A lot of small spaces between lines indicate a slow growing hair Pull out a single hair from your head Ouch Does it look like any of the animal hairs Notes Where is it Is the hair PROJECT 3 Leaves You will need microscope 2 or more clean blank slides different types of leaves Plants breathe through their leaves Most leaves have small holes in their underneath side called stomata Plants breathe in carbon dioxide from the air and release oxygen People and animals do the opposite They breathe in oxygen and breathe out carbon dioxide In this way people and animals help one another The scientific name for a relationship like this is a symbiotic relationship Collect leaves from different tree and plant types The needles of pine fir and spruce trees are also leaves but they look a little different If you gather your leaves in the spring and summer they will be mainly green In the fall and winter they may be red or brown or orange all except the small fir pine and spruce needles They stay green all year round The trees from which these leaves come are called evergreens Look closely a
14. ower you want to use Your microscope can provide magnifying powers of 50X 150X 300X 450X and 900X Remember that the longer objective lenses used with the higher magnification 30X eyepiece provide the higher powers For optimal viewing start at the lowest power and work your way upward Most We constantly improve and update our products Sometimes as a result of these observing is done at low power improvements what is seen on the package or in the instructions may differ somewhat in color or content from the product in the package 6 To change the magnifying strength turn the rotating lens turret until you hear a click 7 Turn the focusing knob until the objective lens is almost touching the slide Don t let the lens touch the slide as you may break the slide and damage the lens Now look through the eyepiece and slowly turn the focusing knob back until you see the sample clearly Try changing the color filter to enhance your specimen s detail 8 To change the eyepiece simply unscrew it from the body tube and replace it with the other eyepiece How to Make a Prepared Slide Samples for examination should be very thin so that light can pass through them If the sample is too thick it will appear dark in the microscope Cloth fibers pollen dust or salt crystals will be easy to see and make good samples for you to observe If the sample is very thin and clear a drop of red or blue dye may make details show more clear
15. r hands before and after preparing slides and after every project Use warm water and soap Also wash any of your microscope kit equipment that you may have used Make sure that an adult knows what you are doing and is available to help you How to Use the Camera Adapter The camera adapter can help you photograph your findings using a point and shoot camera To position the camera adapter remove the microscope eyepiece and place the camera adapter over the focusing tube Place the camera on the camera adapter base plate so that the camera lens is directly over the hole in the base plate and shoot your photo 10 How to Use the Camera Adapter cont If your camera has a video display screen you can preview the image for positioning and focus sharpness If your camera does not have this screen you may have to experiment with different focus positions and checking the results Depending on your camera design you may not need to make any adjustment Take your first pictures with the objective lenses almost touching the slide Measure the position of the focusing tube carefully and keep records of each picture taking focus position When you find the best position that gives a sharp picture you may want to make a small mark on the focusing tube so that the microscope can be set at the same position for the next pictures you take You best results will probably be at the 300X setting How to Use the Projection Device 1 Twist the eyepiec
16. s means that your microscope can magnify the view of a sample so that it appears 50 times 150 times 300 times 450 times or 900 times larger than the way you see it with your own eyes 3 I look through my microscope and all see is darkness Why This could be because the mirror is not positioned properly to aim light up into your microscope Another reason may be that the sample you are looking at could be too thick for the light to shine through it 4 All I can see is a partial circle of light Why To see your sample properly you need to have light shining evenly up through the slide If you are using the mirror for light try gently moving it about while looking through the microscope until you see an evenly lit full circle 5 I have a very thin sample on my slide but I can t see any detail First make sure that the image is in sharp focus by adjusting the focusing knobs If the problem still exists add a drop of red or blue dye to the sample Dyes make hard to see objects like plant cells stand right out PROJECT 1 Cloth Fibers You will need microscope scissors to cut small samples scrap pieces of cloth of different types clean blank slides All types of cloth are made from long thin strands called fibers Some like wool come from animals Others like cotton come from plants Still others are made from chemical actions Nylon and polyester are samples of man made fibers Take small samples of various f
17. s clicks into position 7 Objective Lenses The objective lenses are the lenses closest to the objects you are examining Your microscope has three objective lenses each with a different magnifying power The shortest lens has the lowest magnifying power 5X The longest lens has the highest magnifying power 30X The third lens has a magnifying power between the two 15X The objective lenses work with the eyepieces to give your microscope a range of magnifications With the 10X eyepiece in place your microscope makes samples look 50 times BOX 150 times 150X and 300 times 300X larger than they appear to your eyes With the 30X eyepiece in place your microscope makes samples look 150 times 150X 450 times 450X and 900 times 900X larger than you can see them with your own eyes 8 Arm This curved piece is the backbone of the microscope and holds everything together You can tilt the arm backward to get a more comfortable viewing position 9 Stage The stage is the flat platform where your slides are held for studying 10 Clips The two clips on the stage hold your slide in position so that it doesn t move around while you are looking at it 11 Color Filter Unit Attached to the underside of the stage the color filters enhance slide contrast and detail Change the filters by turning the dial 12 Mirror The mirror aims light from a bright source like a sunlit window or a table lamp up through the slide
18. small pieces of the different samples between two slides Look at them through your microscope If you look at small pieces from a magazine or newspaper you will see that the pictures are printed with tiny dots of colored ink Notes Writing Newsprint Paper Facial Paper Towel Tissues Can you write on it with a pencil Material Sample 1 Sample 2 Sample 3 Sample 4 Can you write on it with a pen Rock Samples How well does it pick up spilled water Shell Particles How strong is it Small Pieces from Plants How smooth is it Coal Particles Insect Parts Through your microscope you should have noticed that tissues and paper towel have soft fuzzy fibers that have big air spaces between them These air spaces can also hold water which is why these two samples did well picking up the water spill The writing paper did not have these air spaces and did not pick up water very well The newsprint did not work well either because its fibers are also closely packed 17 PROJECT 6 Pond Water You will need microscope a pail or bucket an empty jar pipette clean blank slides slide covers Get a sample of water from a pond in a wooded area It is best to get a sample in the late spring or summer Dip your pail or bucket in the pond to fill it Let it stand still for about a half hour Then dip your jar to the bottom of the pail and try to get
19. some of the sludge that has settled to the bottom Use your pipette to place a drop on a blank slide and place a slide cover over it To do this stand the slide cover on end next to the drop Gently let it fall onto the drop Push it lightly with a toothpick but not hard enough to squash any little animals If water has squeezed out around the edges you can touch a tissue to it to clean it up Look through your microscope Start at 150X and work upward What are all of the small things you see Are some of them alive You will see small bits of dirt and vegetation If you are lucky you may see small creatures moving around Some of these are tiny baby insect larvae Others are very tiny animals that live in the water and feed on the vegetation and on the insect eggs and larvae Make careful notes and drawings of what you see Things I saw in pond water 18 PROJECT 7 Friendly Bacteria You will need microscope clean blank slides slide covers pipette yogurt must say active cultures on the label water petri dish Bacteria are very small life forms that you can only see through a microscope Some bacteria make us feel sick Some bacteria are friendly Do you like yogurt Did you know that friendly bacteria turn milk into yogurt Put a drop of natural yogurt on a slide Mix it with a drop of water and put a slide cover over it The sample should be spread very thinly Look through your microscop
20. t your leaf samples at 300X magnification Look for patterns of lines running through the leaf These are the veins of the leaf and they carry nutrients or energy food back and forth between the leaf and the main plant A plant s leaves are like tiny food factories Chlorophyll a green chemical in leaves traps energy from sunlight Plants use energy water and carbon dioxide to make food in a process called photosynthesis Notes Sample from smooth Would it keep the animal warm Can you see growth rings 1 2 3 4 5 6 Sample What plant is it from What color is it Can you see the veins Can you see the stomata 15 16 PROJECT 4 Dirt and Sand You will need microscope several clean blank slides several slide covers samples of dirt and sand from different places specimen vials to hold the samples pipette water Dirt can have small pieces from rocks in it It can also have lots of organic material This is made up of decomposed plant and animal material Dead leaves and grass get broken down and eaten up by friendly bacteria and small animals like earthworms Dirt that has lots of organic material in it is called loam and it is very good for growing flowers and vegetables Sand can be made up of small grains of different rock types that have been broken down from bigger pieces There can also be tiny fragm
21. tions in this guide for making temporary and permanent slides Storage and Carrying Case This heavy duty case has been specifically made to hold the components of your microscope set safely and securely o Getting Acquainted with Your Microscope 1 Eyepiece 2 Viewer Screen gt 3 Viewer Head 7h 4 Focusing Knob 7 Objective Lenses gt 47 Te 8 Arm 9 Stage 5 11 Color Filter Unit 12 Mirror 10 Clips 13 LED Illuminator Lamp 14 Base Learning About Your Microscope 1 Eyepiece The eyepiece is where you look into the microscope It is a small magnifying lens that collects the image projected up by the three objective lenses Your microscope comes with two different eyepieces The 10X eyepiece makes an image look 10 times larger The 30X eyepiece makes an image look 30 times larger 2 Viewer Screen The observed image can be projected onto this screen so that more than one person at a time can look at it 3 Viewer Head The viewer head contains a mirror that will divert the viewed image for projection 4 Focusing Knob Turn these knobs very slowly to bring the image of your sample into focus so you can see clearly 5 Body Tube This is the main tube of the microscope The image from the sample travels up this tube to the eyepiece 6 Rotating Turret The turret holds the three objective lenses Turn the turret so that each len
22. you are studying so you can see the specimen more clearly 13 Illuminator Lamp When there is not enough light available for the mirror to do its job turn the mirror over and the bright LED electric illuminator will light your sample 14 Base The bottom of the base has a rubber cover to help prevent your microscope from slipping on a smooth tabletop Microscope Safety Tips Getting Started Keep these safety tips in mind as you enjoy hours of fun projects and 1 Insert two AA batteries into the base of the microscope following the experiments with your microscope instructions on page 21 of this guide e Read all instructions before use Follow them and keep them for future ralatenc 2 Place the microscope on a flat surface near a bright light or in the daytime a window Locate the mirror and adjust the angle so that when you look into the eyepiece you see a bright circle of light Do not point the mirror towards the sun as eye damage may result If there is no bright light available or if the room lighting is poor use the microscope s electric illuminator lamp To turn on the illuminator lamp flip the mirror over so that the light bulb is aimed upward The light will come on by itself Look through the eyepiece and adjust the angle of the light until you see a bright circle Keep small children and animals away from any experiments or projects e When working with samples keep your hands away from your mouth and
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