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Overview
Looking at little things—things too small to see with the naked eye—can be big fun. It’s certainly smart science, and award-winning authors Shar Levine and Leslie Johnstone are here to show kids the basics of creating their own professional-quality slides and using their own microscopes. A whole world will open up to budding scientists as they learn to identify the microscope’s different pieces, practice focusing, and prepare different kinds of samples for viewing. Illustrated throughout with photomicrographs (pictures taken through a microscope), and complete with a reproducible form for documenting specimens, this fascinating, in-depth guide explains how to put bugs, water, food, plants and pollen, and even parts of the body (like fingernails) under the scope for a close-up glimpse. Of course, there are troubleshooting answers to common questions and safety instructions for parents and teachers, too.Synopsis
Looking at little things—things too small to see with the naked eye—can be big fun. It’s certainly smart science, and award-winning authors Shar Levine and Leslie Johnstone are here to show kids the basics of creating their own professional-quality slides and using their own microscopes. A whole world will open up to budding scientists as they learn to identify the microscope’s different pieces, practice focusing, and prepare different kinds of samples for viewing. Illustrated throughout with photomicrographs (pictures taken through a microscope), and complete with a reproducible form for documenting specimens, this fascinating, in-depth guide explains how to put bugs, water, food, plants and pollen, and even parts of the body (like fingernails) under the scope for a close-up glimpse. Of course, there are troubleshooting answers to common questions and safety instructions for parents and teachers, too.
Children's Literature
Have you ever been handed a microscope and expected to know exactly how to utilize it without even a simple explanation? Since microscopes are introduced at different ages, there can be a range of general knowledge for young scientists-in-training, so instructors may not know each student's ability level. The Ultimate Guide to Your Microscope explains the different parts of a microscope, step by step instructions for using microscopes, and various activities students can try with the microscope that expand their abilities to use a variety of materials during research. The authors, Shar Levine and Leslie Johnstone, provided educators and students with this incredible guide to gain more knowledge into how to increase their ability to look beyond the obvious. In the activity section, the list of essential items needed to do the experiments allows the young researcher to prepare and organize each activity and notifies students if an adult needs to be present to help. I appreciated how the harder scientific terms are bold-faced and easy to find in the glossary at the back of the book. The photographs gave authenticity to the book and showed how magnifying minute specimens like a pond worm, water flea, or algae look different from viewing such items with the naked eye. I found the section on how to prepare a slide the most helpful because it can be the hardest part of using a microscope. The book also explained different slide techniques. This book belongs in any library that encourages readers to explore the world of science. Reviewer: Julia Beiker
Editorials
Children's Literature -
Have you ever been handed a microscope and expected to know exactly how to utilize it without even a simple explanation? Since microscopes are introduced at different ages, there can be a range of general knowledge for young scientists-in-training, so instructors may not know each student's ability level. The Ultimate Guide to Your Microscope explains the different parts of a microscope, step by step instructions for using microscopes, and various activities students can try with the microscope that expand their abilities to use a variety of materials during research. The authors, Shar Levine and Leslie Johnstone, provided educators and students with this incredible guide to gain more knowledge into how to increase their ability to look beyond the obvious. In the activity section, the list of essential items needed to do the experiments allows the young researcher to prepare and organize each activity and notifies students if an adult needs to be present to help. I appreciated how the harder scientific terms are bold-faced and easy to find in the glossary at the back of the book. The photographs gave authenticity to the book and showed how magnifying minute specimens like a pond worm, water flea, or algae look different from viewing such items with the naked eye. I found the section on how to prepare a slide the most helpful because it can be the hardest part of using a microscope. The book also explained different slide techniques. This book belongs in any library that encourages readers to explore the world of science. Reviewer: Julia BeikerSchool Library Journal
Gr 5-9
Through this fun and inviting book, readers can begin to explore the world using a microscope. Students are encouraged to learn the basics in the two first chapters and then undertake the 41 hands-on activities in the next eight chapters. Activities are presented in manageable one- or two-page uniformly formatted modules. Each one starts with an attention-grabbing title, such as "Charlotte's Parlor" or "Sounds Fishy to Me," and is then divided into three sections covering "What You Need," "What to Do," and "What Did You See?" Twenty-first century learners will like the crime-scene-investigation themes and the many informational sidebars and full-color visuals integrated into the text, including photomicrographs.-Caroline Geck, Newark Public Schools, NJ