Booklet Science Life FAAA

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GENERAL SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS All experiments listed here are meant for children above 8 years.

It is mandatory to have Adult Supervision while performing experiments.

Perform only authorized and approved experiments. Do not deviate from instructions.

Read all the Instructions before performing experiments, follow them and keep them open for reference.

Use Safety Gear as instructed, contains corrosive and toxic materials.Read all the material safety information on labels for chemicals before using them.

Keep hands away from face, eyes, and mouth while using STEM materials or when working with chemicals.

Do not touch the Battery Terminals when in use. When not in use, turn the battery pack off and remove the batteries.

Keep emergency equipment handy: a. Water. b. First Aid Kit. c. Telephone.

If chemical spills occur on people or clothing, rinse thoroughly with lots of running water, and seek medical attention if necessary.

Do not eat or drink while performing the experiments.

Please wash your hands with soap in running water after performing experiments.

Handle all glassware with care.

01

MIcroscope

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A microscope is a powerful tool used to identify and understand the structure of cells, and living organisms that are otherwise not visible to human eyes. Anthony van Leewenhoek (1632–1723), a Dutch biologist, was the first to realize the potential of the microscope for the study of the world of microorganisms. The technological developments that came in the coming years has led us to learn more about the fine details of cells, tissues and their activities.

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100x

General instructions to operate the microscope

B.

Place the glass slide or the sample on the slide holder at the bottom of the microscope.

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Slide out the battery cover (A) and install 2 AA batteries with positive terminal facing down. Close the battery cover.

A.

A

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Set zoom switch (B) to lower magnification power (60x) by sliding the zoom switch upwards, look through the eye piece (E) and turn the focusing wheel (C) to obtain a sharp image before moving to higher magnifications.

60x

60x

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D

D.

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Switch on the light (D). For brighter image turn the bulb rotation knob sideways to concentrate the light beam on the specimen.

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C.

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E

B

C

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1. Staining cheek Cells 1

2

Let’s gear up! Wear your gloves and goggles and don’t forget to bring your excitement to learn and explore!

Before you start, carefully read the general safety advice given in the instruction book.

3

Dispose any solid waste along with the other house hold garbage. Any liquids need to be poured down the sink and wash with an excess of water.

GENERAL SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS

Gloves

Googles

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60x

100x

MATERIALS REQUIRED

100x Microscope

Blot Dry Paper

Sterile Cotton Swab

Glass Slides

Dropper

03

Methylene blue

Cover Slips

Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) topics covered: A. Science & Engineering Practices Scientific Knowledge is Based on Empirical Evidence Constructing Explanations and Designing Solutions Obtaining, Evaluating, and Communicating Information

B. Disciplinary Core Ideas

C. Crosscutting Concepts Structure and function

PS1.A: Structure and Properties of Matter

Patterns

PS1.B: Chemical Reaction LS1.A: Structure and Function LS1.B: Growth and Development of Organisms

Procedure: A.

C.

Add a drop of water onto the center of the slide using a dropper.

Touch the cotton swab on the water droplet and make a smear in the center of the microscope slide.

Open the individually wrapped sterile cotton swab. Use the soft tip to gently scrape the inside of your mouth.

B.

D.

Add a drop of the methylene blue to the smear and place a coverslip on top.

A

WA RNI NG: Ple a s e re a d th e m a ter i a l sa fety dat a s heet in b o o k le t b e for e u si n g M eth y l en e bl u e .

CA UTI O N : M e t h yle n e bl u e i s tox i c i f i n g ested .

DR

OP

!

04

Remove any excess stain by gently touching the edges of the cover slip with a blot dry towel

F.

Gently place the slide on the microscope stage at the bottom of the microscope. The slide should be positioned such that the coverslip is right in the center between the 2 clips that hold the slide in place.

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Look through the microscope and make a note of what you see!

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G.

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E.

Observation 1. Large irregularly shaped cells (squamous epithelial cells) with distinct cell membranes.

2. A lightly stained cytoplasm in each cell.

3. The large blue dot in the center of each cell is the nucleus.

4. The small blue dots are bacteria from our teeth and mouth.

What makes the cells visible: Methylene blue stains negatively charged molecules in the cell, including DNA and RNA, blue.

Think time!

Fun activity

05

Compare animal cells to the plant cells.

What are the differences you observed? What can an animal cell do that a plant cell can’t and vice versa? Did the experiment support or disprove your hypothesis? Explain your answer?

Can you measure the cell? Are animal Cells bigger than plant cells?

2. Staining Plant Cells Let’s gear up! Wear your gloves and goggles and don’t forget to bring your excitement to learn and explore!

Before you start, carefully read the general safety advice given in the instruction book.

GENERAL SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS

Dispose any solid waste along with the other house hold garbage. Any liquids need to be poured down the sink and wash with an excess of water.

Googles

Gloves

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60x

100x

MATERIALS REQUIRED

Dropper 100x Microscope

Iodine

Glass Slides

Cover Slips

Blot Dry Paper

06

MATERIAL REQUIRED (NOT PROVIDED)

Onion peel

Water

Procedure: Add a drop of water onto the center of the slide using a dropper.

A.

A

OP

Pull out a thin layer of the inner skin of an onion and place it on the drop of water.

!

How to peel the inner skin on an onion: Peel the outer dry layers of the onionand inside you will find a thick juicy layer. If you gently scrape the outside of this layer, a thin skin, on top of the layer, will start to peel off.

Gently pull out a small piece of this skin.

Add a drop of the Iodine on the onion membrane !

Touch a blotting paper on one side of the slide to drain excess stain

Look through the microscope and make a note of what you see!

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D.

F.

Place the cover slip on the membrane and press it down gently to remove air bubbles

Gently place the slide on the microscope stage at the bottom of the microscope. The slide should be positioned such that the coverslip is right in the center between the 2 clips that hold the slide in place.

100x

E.

OP

60x

A

DR

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C.

G.

DR

B.

WA R N I NG : P l e as e r e ad t he mat e r ial s afe t y da ta she e t in bo o kl e t be fo r e us ing Io dine .

C A U TI ON: Io dine is t o x ic if inge s t e d.

Observation 1. Large, rectangular interlocking cells with distinct cell walls 2. Dark stained nucleus 3. Large vacuoles at the center

What makes them visible The onion skin contains simple sugars (carbohydrates) some of which are stored as starch granules. Iodine binds to the starch granules when the two come in to contact making them visible.

Variations Try staining the outer skin of a potato with iodine and observe under the microscope, Try observing a leaf underneath the microscope. What do you see? Write down your observations, compare it with the onion peel. Do they have something in common?

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3. HISTOLOGY SLIDES Let’s gear up! Wear your gloves and goggles and don’t forget to bring your excitement to learn and explore!

Gloves

Before you start, carefully read the general safety advice given in the instruction book.

GENERAL SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS

Googles

MATERIALS REQUIRED

MUSCLE CELL

NERVE CELL

Dropper

SKELETAL CELL

Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) topics covered: A ) Science & Eng ineering Practices Scientific Know ledge is Base d on E mpi ri c al Evidence Obtaining, Evaluati n g, an d C ommu n i cating Information

B) Di sc i p l i nary C ore Ideas PS1.B: C he mical Reaction LS1.A: S tr uctur e and Function

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C)Crosscu ttin g Con cep ts Stru c tu re an d fu n c ti on Pattern s

Questions: Do you think the cells from different tissues have the same shape? Or do you think cells from all tissues of the body look the same? Let’s learn more about human tissues! Are you ready?

HYPOTESIS: Write down your hypothesis.

B.

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Observe! Make a note of the shape of the cell. Draw a picture.

100x 60x

Now let’s check the next one out.

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C.

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100x

Gently place a histology slide on the microscope stage at the bottom of the microscope.

The slide should be positioned such that the coverslip is right in the center between the 2 clips that hold the slide in place.

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A.

100x

PROCEDURE:

?

D.

What are the similarities and

?

dissimilarities you observed?

Did the experiment support or disprove your hypothesis?

Explain your answer?

?

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Observe and Learn: L e arn i n g ab o ut t i ssue s wi l l i nc r e a s e yo u r u n d e r s t a n d in g o f h ow org a ns a r e p ut t o g e t he r a n d h ow t h e y wo r k . A n Org an i s a co l l e c t i o n o f 2 o r m o r e t is s u e s wo r k in g tog e t h e r i n p e r f o r m i ng a sp e c i f i c f u n c t io n

.

E p i t he l i al c e l l s- If th e epithelium is only on e c e ll-laye r th i c k , i t i s ca lled simple e p i t h e l i u m an d i f i t i s more tha n one l aye r th i c k , th e n i t i s c a lled stra tified e p i t h e l i u m.

Simple Epithelium

Stratified Epithelium

N e r ve c e l l s- You wi ll n ot ice la rge da rk ce l l s wi th lon g proj e c ti o ns poppingout of t h e m. Th e se are th e neurons. You w ill al s o n oti c e smal le r c e lls, ca lled glia l ce l l s . You wi l l se e a dot inside these ce l l s i f you look c lose l y, those a re the n u cl e i .

Sk e l e t al musc l e c e l l s- You will notice ce l l s are l on g, strai gh t, stra ited a nd m u l t i n u c le ate d.

Think time: What are their functions of each of these cells? How many types of tissues do we have?

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4. MONOCOT OR DICOT? Let’s gear up! Wear your gloves and goggles and don’t forget to bring your excitement to learn and explore!

Before you start, carefully read the general safety advice given in the instruction book.

GENERAL SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS

Gloves

Googles

Flower dissection is a good way learn about the reproductive parts of a flower!

Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) topics covered:

MATERIALS REQUIRED

5x Magnifying Lens

Glides Slides

Plastic Knife

Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) topics covered: A) Science & Engineering Practices Scientific Knowledge is Based on Empirical Evidence Obtaining, Evaluating, and Communicating Information

B) Disciplinary Core Ideas PS1.B: Chemical Reaction LS1.A: Structure and Function LS1.B: Growth and Development of Organisms

C) Crosscutting Concepts Structure and function Patterns Hypothesis: Let’s assume that flowers have a male and a female part that helps them reproduce!

Procedure and observation: A.

The first step is to remove the sepals and petals, by pulling them down toward the stem.

B.

Look at the petal under the microscope. What is the petal’s texture like?

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C.

Next, remove the flower’s stamens; break or cut them off of the stem. Examine the pollen with your magnifying glass or microscope.

E.

F.

G.

D.

What shape do each pollen grain have?

Make a drawing of the pollen.

As you dissect the flower, you will be able to identify the plant as either a monocot or a dicot. Almost all grasses are monocots, as are irises, lilies, and some other flowering plants. Monocots have petals in multiples of three and usually have parallel veins in their leaves. Most woody and common flowering plants are dicots. They have petals in multiples of four or five and have branched veins in their leaves.

After you have finished with the pollen, remove all parts except the pistil from the stem. Carefully cut the pistil in half lengthwise. Use your magnifying glass or microscope to look at the inside of it.

You will observe that the style is a long, hollow tube that carries pollen from the stigma to the ovary. You might be able to see tiny eggs, or ovules, in the pistil’s ovary.

Inquiry: Dissect another flower! Note the differences!

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Learn: Most flowers have both male and female flowers. Beneath the petals, you will see a smooth, leaf-like projections called sepals. T he male part of the flower is called the stamen; there are usually multiple stamens on each flower. The long stalk of the stamen is called the filament. At the top of the filament is the anther, which holds pollen. The female part of the flower is called the pistil. At the top of the pistil is the stigma, which collects pollen and carries it down though its hollow body, called the style, to the ovary, where the pollen fertilizes the flower’s eggs.

5. Selectively permeable cell membrane Let’s gear up! Wear your gloves

Before you start, carefully

Dispose any solid waste along

and goggles and don’t forget to

read the general safety

with the other house hold

bring your excitement to learn

advice given in the instruction

garbage. Any liquids need to

and explore!

book.

be poured down the sink and wash with an excess of water.

Googles

GENERAL SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS

Gloves

Selectively permeable membrane

Materials required:

Starch

Iodine

Rubber Band

Spatula

Cups

Concepts covered Selective permeability based on the size of the molecule, diffusion, movement of molecules.

Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) topics covered: A) Science & Engineering Practices Developing and using models Planning and Carrying Out Investigations Analyzing and interpreting data

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B) Disciplinary Core Ideas

C) Crosscutting Concepts

PS1.A: Structure and Properties of Matter

Structure and function

PS1.B: Chemical Reaction

Patterns

LS1.A: Structure and Function

One of the im p or tant pr op er ties of a m em b r ane is its sel ectiv e p er m eab il ity , the ab il ity by w hich only cer tain m ol ecul es to enter or exit the cel l . W e k now coffee fil ter pap er p r ev ents the coffee p ow d er fr om p assing thr oug h it, l ik e that our cel l m em b r anes ar e al so sel ectiv ely p er m eab l e. So, how d oes it d iffer entiate b etw een w hat m ol ecul es enter the cel l and w hat d oes not?

Hypothesis:

Let us assume that cells allow small molecules to enter the cell.

Procedure Fill 3/4th of

A.

a cup with water.

B.

Dip the selective permeable

60 Min

membrane in water and leave it in for a minute.

C.

After a minute, remove the

D.

membrane from the water.

C HOKING H AZ ARD - Children under 8 yrs. can c ho k e o r

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suffocate on the dialysis membrane. Adult supe r v i s i o n required. Keep unused membranes away from chi l dr en.

Discard broken membranes at once.

Open the tubing by rolling it between your thumb and index finger.

E.

Tie a knot at one end of the membrane to seal it. You may use a

Through the open

F.

end add a scoop of

rubber band provided to seal the

starch using the

end too. Make sure it is completely

spatula provided.

sealed.

G.

Use a rubber band to tie a knot and seal the end. Make sure

Place the

H.

membrane in

both the ends are sealed tight.

I.

the cup.

Take 5mls of water in a

J.

test tube and place it in the cup (This will be our

Add water to the cup.

control, as it has an impermeable surface).

K.

Add 25 drops of potassium triiodide to the cup and to the test tube.

25 S! OP

DR

M.

Watch what happens over 24 hours!

WA R N I N G: P l e a s e read th e m ater i al saf ety d ata s he e t i n b o o kl e t b ef o re u si n g P o tassi u m tr i i o d i d e.

CA U T I O N : P ot a ssi u m tr i i o d i d ei s to xi c i f i n g ested .

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6. Spirometer Let’s gear up! Wear your gloves

Before you start, carefully

Dispose any solid waste along

and goggles and don’t forget to

read the general safety

with the other house hold

bring your excitement to learn

advice given in the instruction

garbage. Any liquids need to

and explore!

book.

be poured down the sink and wash with an excess of water.

Googles

GENERAL SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS

Gloves

Materials required

1L and 2L pouch

Tubing

Play Dough

Boba Straw

Next Generation Science Standards(NGSS) topics covered: A) Science & Engineering Practices Developing and using models Planning and carrying out investigations

b) Disciplinary Core Ideas LS1.A: Structure and Function

Engaging in argument from evidence Obtaining, evaluation, and communicating information

c) Crosscutting Concepts Structure and function Systems and system models Cause and effect

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Patterns

Hypothesis: Spirometry is the method to measure lung volume and lung capacity.

Total lung capacity (TLC) is the volume of air in the lungs upon the maximum effort of inspiration. The average lung capacity of a healthy adult is about 6 liters. Age, gender, body composition, and ethnicity cause variations in the lung capacity among individuals.

A.

Fill the big 2L pouch,

B.

Insert an end of the long tube all the way into the 2L

3/4th the

pouch in such a way that

way with

the other end is inserted

water.

into the small 1L pouch (you will have to hold it in

C.

Insert a boba

place with your hand).

straw into the 2L pouch, in such a way that the

D.

opening of the 2L pouch and seal the opening.

straw stays just

(Remember: The opening

above the water

must be completely sealed

level.

for this to work!)

Let’s test it out!

E.

Put play dough around the

F.

Take a deep breath and blow into the boba straw.

G.

Measure the amount of water in the 1L pouch. The measured volume of water is equal to the vital capacity of the lung. A full bag is 1L, half bag is 500 milliliter and if it’s filled 1/4th the way then its 250 milliliters.

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Observation: As you blow into the pouch through the inlet pipe, the air entered in the bottle displaces equal amount of water into the 1L pouch.

Learn:

Lung function tests assess the weather the lungs are functional by the measuring the volume of air breathed in and out. Air in the lung is called lung volume or lung capacity. The instrument used to measure lung volume is called a spirometer.

Try:

Compare to see if there is significant difference in the lung capacities based on whether they are male, female, athlete, singer dancer etc.

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Let’s gear up! Wear your gloves and goggles and don’t forget to bring your excitement to learn and explore!

Before you start, carefully read the general safety advice given in the instruction book.

GENERAL SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS

Gloves

Dispose any solid waste along with the other house hold garbage. Any liquids need to be poured down the sink and wash with an excess of water.

Googles

Material Required: Tubing (A - Long one and B, C- Short one)

Rubber Band

Y connector

Cups

Balloon

Play Dough

Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) topics covered: a)Science & Engineering Practices Developing and using models Planning and carrying out investigations Engaging in argument from evidence Obtaining, evaluation, and communicating information

c)Crosscutting Concepts b) Disciplinary Core Ideas

LS1.A: Structure and Function

Structure and function Systems and system models Cause and effect Patterns

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Hypothesis: How to lungs help us breathe? How do we breathe in and exhale?

PROCEDURE: A.

Attach plastic tubing (A) (long one) to one of the openings of the Y connector, make sure it seals airtight, if not use some playdough around the area where the tube connects to the y connector to make an airtight seal.

B.

A

Attach tubes (B) and (c) on the other two ends of

C.

the y connector.

Attach 2 balloons to the ends of the Y connector, where tubes (B) and (c) have been attached to and seal the place where the

B

D.

C

Open the red cap of the bottle. Notice the hole at the base of the bottle.

balloon connects to the tubing using a rubber band. Make sure the rubber bands tightly hold the balloons in place.

E.

C

Place the balloons and Y connector inside the bottle, in such a way that tubing (A) passes through the hole in the base of the bottle. Use a playdough and seal around the tube to make it air- tight.

C HO K I NG HAZ ARD - Children under 8 yrs. can cho k e o r suffocate on uninflated or broken balloons. Adult supervision required. Keep uninflated balloons from children. Discard broken balloons at once.

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B

A

F.

Take a new balloon, make

G.

a knot at the end where

Use the cut end of the balloon, to

you blow air in and cut

cover the

the tip of the balloon

bottom of the

horizontally.

bottle.

H.

Gently pull down and release the balloon at the bottom of the bottle using the knot and observe what happens to the balloons.

OBSERVATION: This lung model demonstrates what happens when we breathe. The balloons within the bottle expand as they fill with air and the balloons within the bottle contract as the air within them is expelled. The plastic bottle represents the chest cavity. The plastic tubing represents the trachea. The Y connector represents the bronchi. The balloons inside bottle represents the lungs and the balloon covering the bottom of bottle represent the diaphragm.

LEARN: Pulling down on the balloon at the bottom of the bottle represents what happens when the diaphragm contracts. Volume of air increases in the chest cavity (bottle), which lowers air pressure in the lungs (balloons). The decrease of pressure in the lungs (balloons) causes air from the environment to be drawn through the trachea (plastic tubing) and bronchi (Y connector) into the lungs.

Releasing the balloon at the bottom of the bottle demonstrates what happens when the diaphragm relaxes. The volume within the chest cavity decreases, forcing air out of the lungs (balloons).

22

8. Learn to pour an Agar plate!

Let’s gear up! Wear your gloves

Before you start, carefully

Dispose any solid waste along with

and goggles and don’t forget to

read the general safety advice

the other house hold garbage. Any

bring your excitement to learn

given in the instruction book.

liquids need to be poured down the sink and wash with an excess of

and explore!

water.

GENERAL SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS

Googles

Gloves

MATERIALS REQUIRED Conical Flask

Petri Plates

Agar

Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) topics covered: a) Science & Engineering Practices Developing and using models Planning and carrying out investigations Obtaining, evaluation, and communicating information

b) Disciplinary Core Ideas

c) Crosscutting Concepts

LS1.B: Growth and Development

Systems and system models

of Organisms

Cause and effect

23

Patterns

Procedure: A.

Add the agar powder provided in the

B.

pouch into a 250ml conical flask.

Add 100mls of water to the flask.

Hold the neck of

C.

D.

the flask and mix

Microwave the mixture for 5 seconds each (5-10 times in total) until the agar dissolves to

gently by rotating

give a clear solution. After each 5-second

the bottom of the

microwave session use a microwave safe

flask in circles 5

mitten (not provided with the kit) to take the

times.

flask out of the microwave and gently mix by holding the neck of the flask and rotating the bottom of the flask in circles 5 times.

E.

Once the solution is clear microwave for 10 seconds. Use a microwave safe mitten (not provided with the kit) to take the flask out of the microwave.

F.

Wait for it to cool down for 10 minutes before you pour it into the plates.

G.

After 10 minutes. Arrange the petri dishes on a flat surface. Do not open the lids of the petri dishes right away.

CAUTION: Adul t s upe rvi si on req u i red ! Wear a m i c row a ve s a f e m i t t e n b efo r e proce eding to th e n ext step .

WARNIN G: F ol l ow the m i crow ave m an u f actu rer's i n s t r u c t i o n m a n u a l fo r r ecomme nded operati n g p roced u res an d saf e t y pr e c a u t i o n s .

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H.

Take the lid off the petri

I.

dish when you are ready to pour your

Use a microwave safe mitten (not provided with the kit)

agar, or the bacteria in

to hold the neck of

the air will grow on the

the flask.

agar surface and contaminate the plates.

J.

Pour 15mls into each agar plate (till the mark provided on the side of the plate).

You should be able to pour 6 plates with the 100mls of agar your prepared.

Learn: Agar is commonly used in labs to grow bacteria as it provides nutrients, cannot be easily degraded by bacteria, is firm and strong. Agar is a polysaccharide made of sugar subunits-agarose and agaropectin. It is a gelatinous substance obtained from polysaccharide obtained from the cell walls of some species of red algae. Agar gels at room temperature. Agar melts at approximately 85°C, and solidifies, 32-40°C. This property of agar is known as hysteresis.

25

9. Microbes around you!

Let’s gear up! Wear your gloves and goggles and don’t forget to bring your excitement to learn and explore!

Before you start, carefully read the general safety advice given in the instruction book.

GENERAL SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS

Gloves

Dispose any solid waste along with the other house hold garbage. Any liquids need to be poured down the sink and wash with an excess of water.

Googles

MATERIALS REQUIRED

Ziplock bags

Cotton swabs

Small Ziplock bags

Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) topics covered: a) Science & Engineering Practices Developing and using models Analyzing and interpreting data Constructing explanations and designing solutions Asking questions and defining problems Engaging in argument from evidence Planning and carrying out investigations Obtaining, evaluation, and communicating information

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b) Disciplinary Core Ideas LS1.B: Growth and Development of Organisms

c) Crosscutting Concepts Systems and system models Cause and effect Patterns

Hypothesis: Let us assume we live in a sterile environment, there is no microbes around you, because we clean our surroundings, our hands all the time, right?

PROCEDURE A.

Use the cotton swabs to swabanysurfaces thatyou think might be contaminated with microbes and place them in the small Zipper bag provided.

Tip: Label the Zipper bag with the place and time the sample was collected from. Recording the source is particularly important to better understand your results.

WARNING: DO NO T op en th e Zi p lock ’s or th e di s h e s o n c e m i c roorganis ms be gi n to grow. You cou ld b e cu l t u r i n g so m e s e rious one s an d n ot even k n ow i t. T h e co m f o r t i s t ha t the y were arou n d you all th e ti m e an y w ay a n d n ow yo u can s ee the m. B e ca re f u l !

27

LEAF

B.

Take the swab out of the Zipper bag and make a smear on nutrient agar plate, by gently rubbing the cotton swab on the agar surface.

Tip: Don’t poke the surface, just gently rub on the surface as if you are coloring the surface of the agar.

C.

Place all the nutrient agar plate upside down in the Ziplock bag provided and seal it. Label the bag with the date and time.

D.

Check the plates for bacterial

16 June 14:00

growth for 5 days. Record your observations.

Variations Try adding different antibacterial sanitizers on top of the agar plate, let it dry and leave it in a sealed zipper bag, upside down, for a day. See if anything grows.

LEARN: There is an amazing variety of bacteria, molds, and fungi that live around you. You are most likely to see more and larger colonies over the next few days. You shouldn’t see too much growth where the disinfectants like hand sanitizers were used.

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10. Microscopic stomata Let’s gear up! Wear your gloves and goggles and don’t forget to bring your excitement to learn and explore!

Before you start, carefully read the general safety advice given in the instruction book.

GENERAL SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS

Gloves

Dispose any solid waste along with the other house hold garbage. Any liquids need to be poured down the sink and wash with an excess of water.

Googles

Materials required:

Glass slides

Coverslips

Miniature paint brush

29

Dropper

Iodine

Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) topics covered: a) Science & Engineering Practices Develop a model to describe the movement of matter among plants, animals, decomposers, and the environment.

Support an argument that plants get the materials they need for growth chiefly from air and water.

Construct a scientific explanation based on evidence for the role of photosynthesis in the cycling of matter and flow of energy into and out of organisms

b) Disciplinary Core Ideas

c) Crosscutting Concepts

LS1.A: Structure and Function

Structure and function Systems and system models Patterns

LS2.B: Cycles of Matter and Energy Transfer in Ecosystems LS1.C: Organization for Matter and Energy Flow in Organisms

How does gas exchange take place between plants and its environment?

There is a structure on the surface of a leaf that modulates exchange of gases like carbon dioxide (CO2), oxygen (O2) and water (H20) between the plant and its environment and these structures are called stoma or stomata. Can we see them under the microscope?

Hypothesis:

Let’s assume we can see them under a microscope.

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PROCEDURE A.

C.

B.

a drop of water on one end of the slide and a drop of potassium

Pluck a healthy leaf

triiodide in the other end of the

from the potted plant.

slide.

To remove a part of the peel from the lower surface of the leaf, fold the leaf in half and gently pull the outer skin

D.

peel into the potassium for a 2-3 minutes.

top of the water droplet on the slide.

Gently using the brush transfer the skin to a

Use the brush to transfer the triiodide droplet, let it stand

apart. Using a brush place the skin on

E.

Take a glass slide and gently add

F.

clean glass slide. Make sure the skin is not

Put a drop of water over the peel and gently place a clean coverslip over it.

rolled up and is stretched out and sitting flat on the slide.

G.

and water with the help of blotting paper.

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WAR N I N G: P l ea se r ea d th e m a ter i a l s afe t y d a t a s h e e t i n bookl et befor e u si n g I odine .

C AUT I O N : I odi n e i s tox i c i f i n g ested .

microscope.

100x

slide under the

60x

Remove the excess stain

Observe the

PUSH TO ZOOM

H.

Gently place the slide on the microscope stage at the bottom of the microscope. The slide should be positioned such that the coverslip is right in the center between the 2 clips that

microscope and make a note of what you see!

100x

Look through the 60x

J.

PUSH TO ZOOM

60x

100x

hold the slide in place.

PUSH TO ZOOM

I.

LEARN: When viewed under a microscope, stoma or stomata often look like coffee beans, sometimes kidney- shaped too. Stomata are usually found on both the top and the bottom of a leaf. Each stoma is made of two guard cells. These guard cells open the stomatal pore and close the stomatal pore, through which the gas exchange takes place. Dicots have kidney shaped guard cells and monocots have dumbbell shaped guard cells. Normally stomata open in the morning and close during the night. Some plants such as cacti and succulent plants open their stomata at night and close them during the day, to prevent losing too much water.

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eSTEM Club was founded by engineers and scientists, keeping the NGSS standards in mind, aimed at equipping kids to apply scientific ideas to provide an explanation and solve design problems, considering failures. Each kit is designed to train curious minds to plan and carry out Investigations by making hypotheses that specify what happens to a variable when an independent variable is manipulated.

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Geological Science Kit

PHYSICAL SCIENCE KIT

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PUSH TO ZOOM

60x

100x

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