Microscope days are exhausting days

Tweet

And with the way things fell I am doing them on the 3 days before Thanksgiving break. You know. . . when the students are all focused and serious. I don't know why I do this to myself. Well actually I do--the students like being able to work in groups and see a bunch of stuff they've never seen before and not having to listen to me go on and on about notes. I spent 40 minutes on Friday explaining the parts, how to use it, how to get things in focus, etc. Today I spent another 10 minutes reminding them of what and what not to do. Then I had them looking at various prepared slides--letter "e", colored threads, cork, elodea, mixed protozoa, and a bunch of random slides I have. By 7th period I was, as the students say, "cooked". I survived 8th but I forewarned them that I was exhausted and about out of patience so they needed to listen to directions the second time around rather than the 5th. Tomorrow they will be looking at wet mounts--slides that they make themselves. They will be observing their cheek cells, onion cells, bacteria in yogurt, and hopefully some stuff in pond water if students remember to bring some in. The onion skin is great for seeing plant cells but the classroom (and I) will smell like a sub shop all day. Wednesday they will be observing the effects of osmosis in hypertonic and hypotonic solutions with live elodea. I have to stop at PetSmart tomorrow to buy some. It is a common aquatic plant so hopefully they will have it. Then the scopes go away for at least a month or two.