Recently we reviewed the Intel Play QX3 Computer Microscope ('Larger than life', Nursery World, 20 June). Almost all nursery topics can include ideas for looking at magnified objects, but here are a few for your budding scientists: First, introduce the microscope and its function to the children. They will love looking at familiar objects under a low magnification. Pins, paper clips, postage stamps and jewellery all look good. Try experimenting with top lighting when looking at objects you can't see through like coins, hair or paper. Take snapshots of the items, print them and compare the pictures with the actual size of the object. You could also magnify objects without telling the children, such as a screw, fork, needle or pencil, and ask them to identify them. Move each object around until the children recognise distinguishing characteristics.
Plant and animal material
Children usually gasp with wonder and awe when they look at magnified plant and animal material. Start by examining plants and plant roots, or parts of dead insects, such as butterfly wings, honeybee legs and bird feathers.
Take photographs and create a slide show to present to the whole class.
Live animals are much harder to examine, but if you can keep them from crawling away, earthworms, ants, ladybirds and woodlice all make good subjects for snapshots or movies. Detach the microscope from its base, position and secure and take a time-lapse movie of a flower opening, bean sprouts germinating or mustard seed growing.
Comparisons
What appears smooth and shiny to the naked eye is often rough and cracked under magnification. Examine different types of paper and compare them with other materials and surfaces such as wool, silk, wood, brass hinges and CD-Roms. Are they all really smooth? Various types of hair look different close up, too. Are there differences between hair colours? Is curly hair different from straight hair? Is cat, dog and rabbit hair different to humans'?
Thawing and dissolving
Place some ice crystals scraped from the freezer or an ice lolly under low magnification and make a time-lapse movie of what happens when they melt.
Another idea is to place some salt or sugar in the bottom of a dish, add some warm water and watch the crystals dissolve. Try different mixtures.
Does brown sugar dissolve faster than white sugar or salt? What happens to a mixture of sand and salt?
Above all, explain that children must be careful when examining live specimens under the microscope and that they should always return them to their environment. For health and safety reasons, never examine blood or cheek cell swabs.
