Unit objectives: This site is intended to introduce students to the world of the microscope. It is intended to stimulate interest and encourage practical activity, not to replace their hands-on investigation using a real microscope.

Text is kept to a minimum to make the pages more useful as a teaching and learning tool – images can be used to prompt questions, text can be revealed as needed although it does not follow the lines of any particular examination syllabus, it could be used to support learning in Science/Biology at Primary, Secondary Junior and Senior Cycles.

What You Need

To use this project with the students, teachers would need: PC – the larger the screen the better to effect of seeing the images. An interactive whiteboard is very effective. Flash plug-in installed (user will be prompted to download appropriate player when site is first used first used).

Internet connection is ideal, though the basic site pages may be useful if downloaded and used offline. Can be used in part in any class time from two minutes upwards! Adaptable for whole class work, small group work, or individual work.

Curiculum Addressed

Material from this project may be helpful in the following curriculum areas:Primary Level SESS, Infants to 6th Class : Strand – Living Things, Strand Unit – Myself, Plants and Animals

Second Level Junior Certificate Science: Topic 1C1 – Living Things; Topic 1C2 –The Microscope; Topic 1C8 – Microbiology; Topic 2A7 – Crystals; Topic 3B4 – Refraction of light

Second Level Transition Year: Any module on Animal Cells , Plant Cells, Microscopy

Second Level Leaving Certificate Biology: Unit 2.1.1: Microscopy; Unit 2.1.2: Cell structure; Unit 2.4.1: Tissues; Unit 3.1.1: Diversity of Organisms; Unit 3.1.4: Amoeba; H.3.1.9: Nature of Bacteria; H.3.2.3: Blood Cells

Objectives

This site is intended to introduce students to the world of the microscope. Although it does not follow the lines of any particular examination syllabus, it could be used to support learning in Science/Biology at Primary, Secondary Junior and Senior Cycles.