NOTE TO TEACHERS:

These procedures are written to show you how you might use these technologies to teach science concepts. Suggested questions, approaches, and expected answers are all provided. Therefore, these activity descriptions should be used as a guide for your instructional planning, rather than as step-by-step directions for students.

Screenshots are from the prior version of the digital microscope, the QX3.

Prerequisite Skills

Before beginning this activity, students should have had some experience using the QX5 microscope. They will need to know how to focus the microscope, change magnification power, use the snapshot feature of the software program, and export images to a disk or other storage unit. The screen shot shows the live view of the QX5 with which students can focus on an object placed on the microscope stage, choose top and/or bottom lighting, vary the amount of light, and take snapshots or video images.

Getting Started

Teacher note: This activity works well with groups of two or four students to one microscope.

Elementary science curriculum often includes learning the parts of the flower, but this activity is also ideal for exploring the relationship between the structure and function of flower parts.

What are the parts of a flower?

To answer this question, begin by making careful observations of an Alstroemeria flower. Notice the designs on the petals and the stalk-like structures inside the flower. Make a sketch of your flower on the Flower Lab Sheet.

Does your flower have patterns on the petals? What color is it?

What do the structures inside the flower look like?

Write your observations on your lab sheet.



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