Hobbies And Interests
Human Cells
Teach kids how to make slides with some activities with human animal cells. Scrape the inside of your cheek with a flat toothpick. Wipe onto the center of a glass microscope slide. Hold a coverslip perpendicular to the area and wipe it across the area to smear it. Allow to dry and add a drop of methylene blue stain. Place a new coverslip over the stain and place under the microscope to view the cheek cells. Ask the children to draw the cells on paper then help them identify each component.
Insects
Examine insects as a microscope activity. Capture mosquitos by spraying insecticide where they reside. Place one on a glass side and observe it under a microscope. Look for a proboscis, or straw-like protrusion, to identify a female mosquito. The females bite and suck blood, while males have a a small blunt mouth for nectar. Check the antennae on the mosquito. Males also have hairy antennae. If possible, find larvae and eggs in stagnant water to observe under the microscope. The larvae are worm-like and the eggs are spherical clusters shaped like a raft.
Cellular Processes
Observe the cellular process of mitosis by looking at an onion root tip. Mitosis is when chromosomes split in the nucleus during cell division. Use a prepared onion root tip slide to see all the different phases. The first phase is called prophase, where the DNA condenses and looks like a mass of noodles. Metaphase is the second phase where the chromosomes pair up, which looks like the mass is lined up in the center. Pairs of chromosomes move to opposite ends of the cell in the anaphase, which is the third phase. Telophase is the fourth and final phase when the cell has divided into two daughter cells and an indentation is beginning on the outer cell wall.
Mold and Bacteria
Leave food, such as bread, on the counter to grow mold and bacteria. Mold is a type of fungi while bacteria are single-celled organisms. Mold uses spores to reproduce and are found all over the environment, while bacteria are powerful organisms responsible for making cheese and yogurt. However, some molds and bacteria make people sick. After there is considerable growth on the food, observe the mold or bacteria under a microscope. Experiment with different lenses and try to identify what grew on the food. Draw the organisms onto blank paper.