We had the opportunity to explore and do an activity with digital microscopes this week! It was such a fun and engaging activity. I will be adding this to my teacher toolbox!

What we did:

• Each student got a digital microscope (available at the District Resource Centre).
• With students it would be very important to teach and model how to use them, as well as safety.
• We then got the opportunity to explore and magnify different natural objects, as well as objects around the classroom.
• Then we drew a picture of what we saw through the microscope.
• Our last step was placing our natural object with our drawing on a table and other students guessing which is which.

AHA Moment

This activity showed me how something so simple could be so engaging for students. Throughout the activity, I was reflecting on my own experiences in science and using microscopes. This was an amazing way to introduce students to microscopes and scientific drawings. It was very low-stakes, so it allowed students to take as much time as they needed to focus an object. This is something that I wish I did throughout my schooling career, with both digital and compact microscopes!