ThinkTac DIY 100x Microscope (Science Kit)

Description

The microscope is one of the most important scientific instruments ever made. Usually involving a pretty complicated optical set-up, with prohibitively expensive parts, most children rarely get to use one, let alone make one! Here, using a simple but high-quality transparent glass bead, we mount it on a piece of cardboard or wood to create a simple microscope, with nearly 100X magnification to view anything from leaves, thread fibres, pollen and fungi to smaller cells visible in onion peels or even cheek cells. Here, apart from the glass bead, we provide you with a glass slide and cover slips, with a staining agent, so that you may view onion cells through your own hand-made microscope in all their glory. Can you identify the cell arrangement in the onion peel? What about identifying the nucleus of each onion cell? We also provide you with a 5mm glass bead, which is nothing but a biconvex lens – a magnifying glass of sorts to observe various things in close detail around you. Now you can always just carry your own microscope in your pocket! ThinkTac TACtivities use simple and accessible materials to develop scientific temper by observing physical realities, testing, hypothesising, questioning and analysing. Variations are designed to encourage tinkering, creating opportunities to apply logic, problem solve and think critically and creatively. All TACtivities are linked to the curriculum and help understand underlying science concepts, assisted by topic guides and videos. Our App provides access to step-by-step videos, interactive simulations, variation videos, topic guides, topic videos and exploration games for most TACtivities.