Activities
Labs
- These are photographs
of cells for showing students what they should be looking for under a
microscope.
- A
"Microscope Lab" on the proper use of
the microscope and how to prepare a slide or try "Learning to Use the Microscope."
- Osmosis
in Potatoes
Lab
- Compare
human cheek cells and onion cells in "Comparing
Plant and Animal Cells"
Lab. If Elodea (also called Anacharis)
is available at a pet store near you, you may add this to the lab to
observe chloroplasts.
- See
how boiling affects the absorption of
Methylene blue by yeast cells in the "Cell Membranes"
Lab.
- Use
a cheap plastic baggie and iodine to show diffusion.
- Observe osmosis using an egg.
- Do this "Speed of Diffusion"
demo using perfume and a 60-watt light bulb.
- A
fun
middle school lab is "Diffusion
of Water with Gummy Bears."
-
Bill
Froberg of Westford, MA modified the above lab. His version
is "Investigation: Osmosis with Gummi Bears" . He also suggested that you
try the experiment first since some brands of bears dissolves instead
of swell.
- "Smelly
Balloons"
 is a Flinn Scientific
demonstration.
- The
"Beanie Baby Mystery" is a middle school lab to
introduce students to the microscope.
- Try this
"Diffusion Through a Gel" lab
from Michael Gatton of
the NSTA Listserve.
- Do this
simple "Diffusion
Lab" that uses a cornstarch solution, iodine, and plastic
sandwich bags.
- Birgit
Musheno from the NSTA Listserve contributed the "What Is the Ideal Cell
Size"
lab that uses potatoes. It
has these teacher notes .
Links
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