Investigation Overview:

Students will observe plant and animal slides under a microscope. Students will compare and contrast the different cells they observe.

Materials:

*Microscopes

*Slides of plant and animal cells.

*Science text and Lab Journals.

Time Required:

One class period will be devoted to student planning and carrying out the investigation. Another class period will be for analyzing their findings and sharing it with their fellow classmates.

Guidelines:

1) Start off by showing students the different forms of life plant and animal cells originate from. Ask students what characteristics plant and animal cells share. Then ask students what characteristics they do have in common. Have students document their predictions in their lab journals.

2) Advise students on the parts and proper handling of the microscope. Also discuss with them safety techniques.

3) Have students break up into groups and observe the plant and animal cells under the microscope. Investigators will write down their observations in their lab journals. Students are required to have detailed drawings with the structures and cell labelled correctly.

4) Students will match their predictions with their observations. They will explain to the class why or why not their predictions matched their observations. There will be a discussion of why plant cells and animal cells have certain structures in common and why they do not.

Cautions:

Handle the microscopes with care.

Advise students on safety procedures.

Return slides to proper storage boxes.

Objectives:

*Identify the parts of a compound microscope and become skilled in its use.

*Describe the features of plant and animal cells and determine the characteristics they share.

*Discuss the complexity of multicellular organisms by observing representative cells.

*Keep a laboratory journal.

Evaluations:

Laboratory Journals & Quiz.