Wow! Let's Explore Cells

Teacher Preparation:

The teacher should be prepared to give a brief review on how to properly use a microscope.

The teacher should prepare the classroom or lab with microscopes and slides prior to this activity.

The teacher will set up different stations around the classroom with visual representations of various cells, both prokaryotic and eukaryotic. This can include images, diagrams, or microscope slides.

• Prokaryotic cells images or microscope slides can include: Bacteria (e.g., Escherichia coli, Bacillus subtilis)  
• Archaea (e.g., Methanogens, Halophiles)
• Eukaryotic Cells images or microscope slides can include:
• Animal Cells (e.g., Human cells, Dog cells)
• Plant Cells (e.g., Leaf cells, Root cells)
• Fungal Cells (e.g., Yeast cells, Mushroom cells)
• Protists (e.g., Amoeba, Paramecium, Euglena)
• Algae (e.g., Chlamydomonas, Diatoms)

If microscopes are unavailable, the teacher can use this online microscope for students to view slides: https://www.ncbionetwork.org/iet/microscope/index.html

Click Explore, then click the Slide Box catalog to view a variety of slides.

Student preparation:

• The students will need to have prior knowledge of how to identify the parts of a microscope.
• Index cards: Students will use index cards to record their observations and answers at each station.
• Markers or colored pencils: Students will use these to annotate their observations on the index cards.
• Science notebooks (if applicable)