Different Types of Teaching Microscopes Best Used for Grade School

Childhood is a great time to explore the world of microscopy and what better way to do it than in an educational setting? With the right type of teaching microscope, teachers and students can participate in exploration simultaneously and also take advantage of the many features these teaching microscopes are equipped with. There are several types of teaching microscopes that can be used as the perfect instruments for grade school exploration. However, they are not built alike although their function is basically the same.

The basics of teaching microscopes

Teaching microscopes are built with two sets of eyepieces – one for the teacher and another for the student. Although only one stage is available on which to mount the specimen, the lenses of the teaching microscope focus and produce the same image. This allows teachers to conduct lectures while presenting the specimen to the student. The teacher can also guide the student on the proper use and manipulation of the teaching microscope. With a teaching microscope, both the teacher and student can learn and explore together. Furthermore, students can also work together using just one instrument.

There are different types of teaching microscopes that can be used for grade school. These include:

Simple optical microscopes

These are the most commonly used microscopes in grade school, a good choice for basic microscopy. It is also the simplest setup. It doesn’t come with a lot of bells and whistles but the double convex lens features a short focus, allowing magnifications of as high as 15 times. For very young students or children who have never used a microscope before, this type of microscopy can be an excellent introduction to the world of small things. Using this type of teaching microscope, a young student can begin his foray into scientific exploration.

Even with the limited magnification power of this type of teaching microscope, there are plenty of possibilities for which it can be used. Teachers often use this microscope to allow their students to examine ordinary objects such as rocks, leaves and insects.

Compound light microscopes

A dual view compound light microscope can either be a monocular or a binocular scope. It is composed of two lenses – the objective lens and the ocular or eyepiece lens, found on both ends of the tubular head. These lenses are combined to produce greater magnification, something that is difficult to achieve with a single lens. Magnification is provided by several lenses that compose the objective lens, producing an enlarged image of the specimen. This image is the real image of the object. When light passes through the objective and on through the eyepiece lens, a virtual image is formed. This is the image seen by the observers. With a compound teaching microscope, teachers and students can expect magnification power by as much as 1000 times, even more.

Biological microscopes

Another important teaching microscope that is often used for grade school is the biological microscope. This is a compound microscope, capable of high magnification power. This is an excellent teaching microscope to use with grade school students when the lesson is all about minute organisms, such as those found in pond water. Teachers can also use biological samples to view samples donated or collected by the students themselves – swabbed cells from the sides of their mouths, fingernails, hair, dust, soil, even saliva. Since some biological microscopes allow the viewing of live organisms, children can even be introduced to cultured slides.

Most teaching biological microscopes can be an excellent tool to use in grade school, especially for older students and those who have had previous experience in microscopy. The magnification capability of the instrument can help increase the students’ interest in microscopy, since they already have an idea of how it works and what it can present.

Digital teaching microscopes

An even better microscope to be used for teaching grade school students is the digital microscope. It has several features that are not found with conventional optical microscopes, all of which can greatly benefit lecture and learning, especially in a class occupied by more students. Digital teaching microscopes have the type of optical capability that allows them to produce image at high resolution, minimum distortion and better colors.

Aside from the excellent magnification power digital teaching microscopes are capable of producing, these instruments can also capture, store and edit video and still images of the specimens being studied. Digital teaching microscopes are equipped with either a built-in digital camera to take pictures with or are at least designed with connectivity features. They can be easily hooked up to a separate device such as a computer, LCD monitor, CCTV, TV, projector or video camera.

During a class lecture, the image of a specimen may be viewed using the monitor or projected on a wall, allowing more students to view the same image. It can even be captured, kept as part of a file and used for slide show presentations. Furthermore, digital imaging allows images to be edited, so a teacher can simply add texts, drawings and even produce composite images of the specimen for the students to study.

If there’s one type of teaching microscope that every grade school student should experience, it’s probably the digital teaching microscope. It takes some skills for the teacher to learn it but the end result of its functionality and convenience is worth it.