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hylabrook1
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| Posted: May 09 2009 at 5:47pm | IP Logged
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Has anyone used or seen this Kym Wright book? Also, can microscopes be rented? Where would I look to try to find a rental microscope? Please, feel free to share any other wisdom about microscopes, slides, and any related topic. Thanks.
Peace,
Nancy
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vmalott
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We used it the beginning of this year. It is very good for an e-book and I recommend it. I wish I had been more disciplined to really use it as it is designed. We mostly used it as a source of ideas for tinkering around w/the scope and I did print off some of the lab sheets for use. There is a helpful section on buying microscopes, etc. in the beginning of the book. There are also a few labs on how to use the microscope and making your own slides (wet mount, dry mount, well, etc.).
Valerie
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Valerie
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hylabrook1
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| Posted: May 13 2009 at 1:37pm | IP Logged
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Valerie -
Thanks. Did you get slides, etc. from some particular source? What type of microscope do you think would work best (not $$$)?
Peace,
Nancy
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JennGM
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It's funny how some topics don't grab you the first time. But I'm bumping this up. We brought home from my MIL's house dh's old microscope. But it is old, and not in good shape. I can't see a thing.
Nancy, did you get a microscope yet? What did you find out?
There's this old thread and here's the link to Cathy Duffy's review of Microscope Adventure! by Kym Wright.
Looks good. I'll have to get that resource.
But I'm in need of a simple student microscope for younger children...but perhaps that he can grow into. And what to use now (read inexpensive) that he's just itching to see things up close?
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Jennifer G. Miller
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vmalott
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Nancy,
I got slides at a local teacher's store along w/the cheap-o microscope (big mistake). If you have older kids, like high school, I'd spend more money for a good microscope! Sometimes you can find good deals on eBay or Craig's List. I don't know if anyplace rents them.
Home Science Tools looks like a great place to find what you need for science. I haven't ordered from them (yet), but my SIL did order a present for my son from them and service was great.
Valerie
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Valerie
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lapazfarm
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I ordered my compound scope from Home Science Tools as well as some prepared slides. Excellent quality and great customer service. I highly recommend them.They have a very nice selection of scopes.
For younger kids I actually prefer a dissecting scope (also called a stereoscope) rather than a compound because with lower magnification (40X is plenty for this) you get greater depth of field which means focusing is not so fiddly for little fingers (my kids have been able to work ours as young as 4 or so). Also because they can look at stuff like bugs and plants and pond water, sugar, salt dirt, fabric, etc, not just slides (which are not all that exciting for little ones) it means they can just grab whatever interests them and look at it in a dish without having to prepare slides.It leads to greater independent exploration.My 7yo takes ours out and just looks at stuff all the time with no help from me.
When it comes time to get a compound scope get the best one you can afford. It will pay off in quality of image and ease of use. Nothing is more frustrating than a scope that won't focus or has a lousy light source.That can lead to headaches and a distinct distaste for microscopy.
Hope that helps!
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JennGM
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lapazfarm wrote:
I ordered my compound scope from Home Science Tools as well as some prepared slides. Excellent quality and great customer service. I highly recommend them.They have a very nice selection of scopes.
For younger kids I actually prefer a dissecting scope (also called a stereoscope) rather than a compound because with lower magnification (40X is plenty for this) you get greater depth of field which means focusing is not so fiddly for little fingers (my kids have been able to work ours as young as 4 or so). Also because they can look at stuff like bugs and plants and pond water, sugar, salt dirt, fabric, etc, not just slides (which are not all that exciting for little ones) it means they can just grab whatever interests them and look at it in a dish without having to prepare slides. It leads to greater independent exploration.My 7yo takes ours out and just looks at stuff all the time with no help from me. |
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Is 20 to 30X sufficient? The price range is pretty hefty when it gets to 40X.
Very helpful, info, Valerie and Theresa. The stereo does seem to be what I want. But ouch!
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Jennifer G. Miller
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lapazfarm
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Yes, 20X should be fine. If you get one with eyepieces that can be changed out you could upgrade later if you find that 20X is not doing it for you.
This is the one I have which was donated to me by a university where I went to grad school. Otherwise I could not have afforded it.
National Model 411
btw I am pretty sure this is the compound scope I got from Home Science Tools:
Iris Diaphragm microscope
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hylabrook1
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My box from Rainbow Resources came yesterday, and I've been trying to figure out how Microscope Adventures is formatted. Not a negative comment, just that I need to spend some time with it before I actually use it; don't want to be starting, stopping to say "what on earth does that mean?" " But I don't have a (whatever)..", etc. Haven't bought a microscope yet because I wanted to see what would work with the book. So I'll be reading all of the links you ladies have so kindly provided.
Peace,
Nancy
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JennGM
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Thanks for the advice, ladies. So it looks like I need to budget up to $200 for a standard student stereoscope. I know we'll enjoy it.
We were reading an old copy of Greg's Microscope, a Science I Can Read book, which helped ignite our adventure, which has gone south now.
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Jennifer G. Miller
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vmalott
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hylabrook1 wrote:
| Not a negative comment, just that I need to spend some time with it before I actually use it |
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Nancy,
It helps to know that it is designed to be used with the Usborne Complete Book of the Microscope. Also, on p. 78 is the beginning of "Kym's Konstruction Kit" which is a type of lesson plan to help guide you through the Microscope Adventure. I have the eBook version of it, so it's a lot easier to navigate to, say, Unit 6, since it is 'linked' from the lesson plan to the right page.
Spending time with the book and learning how it is organized is helpful. Be sure to look over pp. 7-8 to see what materials are needed to complete the various labs.
Valerie
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Mackfam
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| Posted: July 25 2009 at 3:31pm | IP Logged
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I'm sorry I'm late to this conversation...I wanted to throw one other option out there...
You might call the science/biology/microbiology departments of local high schools, community colleges, medical schools/ and try local labs as well. They upgrade their equipment and sometimes give away or sell for a small fee to local schools. Labs are regularly purging because they have to keep up with technology. Our compound microscope was given to us by my dad when the medical school he was teaching at was tossing them in the dumpster!    It's a good quality microscope though not the latest and greatest. It's perfect for our needs and probably waaaaayyy more than I could have ever afforded. We were happy to take it in. This was years ago...or I'd alert you all and have a huge 4Real pick-up!!!  Anyway, I know budgets are stretched and as I was bringing ours out to look at some algae I was reminded how we came to have it! I like to have good quality equipment for the sciences - it's so frustrating to try to see something magnified and have the image quality be fuzzy or the magnification less than stellar.
It sure couldn't hurt to make a few calls and ask around...you never know...you might end up with a great deal on some awesome science equipment!
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