5-8

C2: Prepare and examine microscope slides of single-celled and multi-celled organisms.

Curriculum Organizing Questions	How do cells in this organisms compare with cells in other organisms? Is this organism single-celled, or multi-celled? How can we prepare this sample so that we can see it better under the microscope? What structures can you see at this level of magnification?
Elaboration	Students should be encouraged to look at cells from many different body cells as possible, and then move on to cells of other animals, microbes, and plants.
Specific Ideas	All living things are composed of cells, from just one to many millions, whose details are usually visible only through a microscope. Benchmark 5C1 Most organisms are single-celled. NSES C1b Microscopes show tissues and organs are made up of different kinds of cells. Benchmark 5C2 To see details through a microscope, special techniques are used to prepare slides. Some structures are only visible under certain magnifications. Benchmark 5C1
Developmental & Instructional Implications	This should be taught in the upper years of this grade span so that students fine motor skills are developed enough to be successful in using a microscope. Students tend to confuse the term "cell" with the term "molecule." Driver p. 25 Emphasizing vocabulary can impede understanding and take the fun out of science. Discussion of what needs to be done is more important than naming the parts that do it.
Examples

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