Although research and new technologies have introduced different ways of observing microorganisms, including scanning and electron microscopy, these methods are expensive and require equipment that is typically not found in a middle school classroom. The transmission-through-dye technique (TTD; Gregg et al., 2010), a new optical microscopy method that can be used with current basic light microscopes, relies on the fairly simple mechanism of filtered light passing through a dyed medium to produce an image that reflects cell thickness. With this technique, living microorganisms look bright red against a dark background, and movement can be seen easily among dead microorganisms and debris that show up black. Since the technique is low-cost and easy to implement, it addresses the needs of practitioners and is appropriate for a wide array of school contexts. We describe a three-week, hands-on, inquiry-based unit on TTD microscopy for middle and high school students.
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September 2020
Research Article|
September 01 2020
Assessing the Effectiveness of a Novel Microscopy Technique in Middle & High School Science Classrooms
Sara Raven,
Sara Raven
SARA RAVEN is an Assistant Professor of Science Education in the Department of Teaching, Learning, and Culture at Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843; e-mail: [email protected].
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Emel Cevik,
Emel Cevik
EMEL CEVIK is a doctoral student in the Department of Teaching, Learning, and Culture at Texas A&M University; e-mail: [email protected].
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Michael Model
Michael Model
MICHAEL MODEL is a Research Associate Professor in the Department of Biological Sciences at Kent State University, Kent, OH 44240; e-mail: [email protected].
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The American Biology Teacher (2020) 82 (7): 463–469.
Citation
Sara Raven, Emel Cevik, Michael Model; Assessing the Effectiveness of a Novel Microscopy Technique in Middle & High School Science Classrooms. The American Biology Teacher 1 September 2020; 82 (7): 463–469. doi: https://doi.org/10.1525/abt.2020.82.7.463
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