INTEL QX3 MICROSCOPE:
MAGNIFIED STILL IMAGES, MOVIES, AND TIME-LAPSE
The "QX3," as we call it, is an excellent tool to have in the biology classroom. We used the microscope earlier in the year to capture parasitic wasps emerging from a tomato hornworm larvae and spinning cocoons. The kids were immediately hooked! We also used it to capture the germination of mustard seeds on a wet paper towel. The students were amazed by how quickly they sprouted, as they watched the seeds move around with their emerging cotyledon.
I used the following activity to give students an introduction to the different functions of the digital microscope:
Abe Lincoln on a Penny
60x
(Photo taken with QX3 microscope)
Part of this introductory lesson includes a plasmolysis activity with red onion cells. A more detailed description of that lesson plan is linked below:
This lesson, as well as the butterfly research, works better with more than one microscope in the room, particularly when trying to capture time-lapse movies of different butterflies. However, they can be accomplished with just one scope. In this case, students would rotate their use of the microscope.
DIGITAL CAMERA:
STILL IMAGES
The digital camera, easy to use and accessible, was the perfect technology to capture the full effect of the research. This was used for long-range shots that could not be taken with the QX3, but worked equally well for close-ups on the butterflies. Many of the students may know how to use the camera, but a short introduction to its functions is necessary for those who are not familiar with it.
WEBPAGE DESIGN:
For the design of the website created by my students, Dreamweaver Macromedia webpage design software was used, as it was most accessible at the high school. Other webpage design programs, such as Microsoft Frontpage or Netscape Composer could be used.
Link to my students' research webpage
