DIGITAL
MICROSCOPY:
IMPROVING IDENTIFICATION
& QUANTIFICATION IN A
FRESHMAN BIOLOGY
CLASSROOM
Elizabeth Smith
West Aurora High School
RET fellow, 2010 & 2011
University of Illinois-Chicago
NSF Grant CBET-EEC-0743068
BACKGROUND: MY RET AT UIC

Dr. Michael Cho’s lab
hMSCs
hMSCs &
Adipocytes
Breast
Cancers
Effect of
substrate
topography on
differentiation
Changes in
membrane
cholesterol levels
during
differentiation
Effect of
substrate rigidity
on cellular
structures
2010
2011
BACKGROUND: MY SCHOOL, MY
STUDENTS
Our District
State Averages
(%)
(%)
45
45
Mobility
18.6
13
Limited-English
Proficient
16.6
7.6
Graduation Rate
71.3
87.8
PSAE Meets & Exceeds:
Reading
Math
Science
Writing
41
43
41
41
54
53
52
55
Low Income
BACKGROUND: MY SCHOOL, MY
STUDENTS
 ALL
students take
some Biology

Sections of Biology
Honors
Biology
BioTech
ELL Bio
Biology:
50/50 Freshman &
Sophomores
 Most students:

Read below grade level
 ~30% of students have parents
that attend Open House or
Conferences or attempt to
contact the teacher
2
3
6

18
TECHNOLOGY
Current Technology

9 Biology classrooms



Cameras are old, only
show B/W images
 TVs are small, whole
class can’t see
13 scopes each
2 scope cams
Technology:

6 Compound Light
Microscope sets


Each has computer +
LCD projector
Current Challenges

Students:
Less than half have
used a microscope
 Students have little
concept of what they
are seeing!

TECHNOLOGY
A Solution

USB-based microscope
camera
MOTOCAM 1000
1.3 Mega Pixel camera

Calibration slide for accurate
measurements
Software: Motic Images
2.0





Capture stills & video
Measurements (including
area)
JPG, etc. to email/print
Image processing
& more!
OBJECTIVES

Use the MOTOCAM 1000 to:


Show the whole class proper microscope technique
Capture videos for later use & posting on school
website


Includes narration software
Capture images for statistical analysis

Quantifying Biology! Compatible with Excel
ILLINOIS STANDARDS
Goal 11
Inquiry and Design
•A.3a Formulate
hypotheses that can be
tested by collecting data.
•A.4b Conduct controlled
experiments or
simulations to test
hypotheses.
•A.4c Collect, organize
and analyze data
accurately and precisely.
•A.4d Apply statistical
methods to the data to
reach and support
conclusions
•A.3e Use data
manipulation tools and
quantitative and
representational methods
to analyze measurements.
•A.3g Report and display
the process and results of
a scientific investigation.
Goal 12
Goal 13
Concepts and
Principles
Science, Technology
and Society
•A.3a Explain how cells
function as “building
blocks” of organisms;
describe the requirements
for cells to live.
•A.5a Explain changes
within cells and
organisms in response to
stimuli
•A.4b Describe the
structures and
organization of cells and
tissues
•A.3c Compare and
contrast how different
forms and structures
reflect different functions
•A.4b Assess the validity
of scientific data by
analyzing the results,
sample set, sample size,
similar previous
experimentation, possible
misrepresentation of data
presented and potential
sources of error.
•A.3c Explain what is
similar and different
about observational and
experimental
investigations
TEACHING: MICROSCOPY TECHNIQUES
Digital Microscope
Application
Intro to Microscopes

Students learn how to
use a microscope

Wet mount slides




Letter “e”
Crossed threads
Printed paper
Misc. prepared Slides
(bugs, etc)
Analyze
Which way is the image
facing?
 What happens when you
move the slide left?
 Why can’t you focus on both
threads at once?

Show students what
“in focus” looks like!
 Avoid the “Bubble
Eureka!” moment

TEACHING: PLANT V. ANIMAL CELLS
Comparing Cell
Structures

Have students create
& examine 3 cell
samples:
Onion skin cell
 Elodea cell
 Human Cheek cell
Analyze
 Compare & Contrast
the 2 plant cells
 Compare & Contrast
the plant v. animal
cell
Digital Microscope
Application


The first time that
many students see
cells!


Capture stills


Most have no idea
what the are seeing:
which things are
cells?!
Great for referring
back or for absent
students
Capture video of
TEACHING: OSMOSIS
Digital Microscope
Application
Watching Water Move
Using Elodea
samples, create a
slide, observe
 Flood the slide with
saline solution,
observe
Analyze
 What happens to the
cell?
 How could you reverse
the process?


Record video samples
of the lab to
share with absent
students &
 when teaching about
hyper-/hypo-tonic
solutions

TEACHING: MITOSIS & THE CELL CYCLE
Digital Microscope
Application
Seeing Mitosis



Use Onion Root tip or
other premade mitosis
slides
Students find & sketch
examples of interphase,
mitosis (PMAT), and
cytokinesis
Identify cell membrane,
cell wall, chromosomes,
cleavage furrow, cell plate
Analyze
 Compare & contrast
mitosis in plant & animal
cells


Before lab, use digital
projector to identify the
parts of mitosis in real cells
In lab, have students take
turns capturing & printing
images of different parts of
the root tip.
Count the # in each phase
 Create a graph to show
number of cells in each phase
 Analyze: Which phases are
the longest? Shortest?

TEACHING: POND WATER &
PROTISTS
Digital Microscope
Application
Protists in the Water!

Depression slide + pond
water,

Sketch, identify, and label the
structures.

Cell membrane, cytoplasm,
chloroplasts, cilia, flagella,
nucleus
Analyze

Beside each, describe:
 Unicellular or
multicellular?
 Autotroph or heterotroph?
 How does this protist
move?
Have the class work as a
group to capture an image
of each new organism
 Volvox & ameobae are
rare most years; capture a
video to share with other
classes
 Use pictures captured to
label in later assessments

TEACHING: PLANT ADAPTATIONS
Digital Microscope
Application
Anatomy of a Leaf

Have students exam cross
sections of a dicot leaf;
draw & label:

Cuticle, epidermis,
palliside mesophyll, spongy
mesophyll, vascular bundle
(xylem + phloem) stomata,
guard cells
Analyze

Describe how each helps
with photosynthesis or
protection

Have each group
capture a picture of the
epidermis from a
tropical & a desert
biome
Count the number of
stoma in the same size
area
 What differences do
you see? Why?

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
NSF Grant CBET-EEC-0743068
 Prof. A. Linninger, RET Program Director
 Dr. Michael Cho, Research Mentor
 Brandon Lutz and Hannah Wirtshafter, fellow
researchers
 University of Illinois- Chicago

REFERENCES & RESOURCES

Illinois Interactive Report Card


Swift Optical Resources


http://iirc.niu.edu/
http://www.swiftoptical.com/EducationalResources.as
px
Pictures

http://www.subbody.net/01subbody/Unfold/240/071013_volvox.jpg
http://www.kuhnphoto.com/gallery/biology/microscopic/stomata.jpg
http://faculty.irsc.edu/FACULTY/TFischer/bio%201%20files/testyourself%20mitosis.jpg
https://kleinsclasses.wikispaces.com/file/view/handbook-microscope_noshadowT.jpg/56048204/handbook-microscope_noshadow-T.jpg
http://www.workshopplus.com/productcart/pc/catalog/moticam1000setup_809_de
tail.jpg
http://www.tedpella.com/cameras_html/camera2.htm
http://www.ndt-educational.org/images/Artefatti26.jpg

http://wikidoc.org/images/a/a6/Chloroplasten.jpg





