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Exploring Tools: Special Microscopes
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In this activity, learners use a flexible magnet as a model for a scanning probe microscope (SPM). They learn that SPMs are an example of a special tool that scientists use to work on the nanoscale.

Tools of Magnification
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In this activity related to microbes, learners use water drops and hand lenses to begin the exploration of magnification. This activity also introduces learners to the microscope.

Be a Scanning Probe Microscope
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In this activity, learners investigate Scanning Probe Microscopes (SPM) and then work in teams using a pencil to explore and identify the shape of objects they cannot see, just as SPMs do at the nano

What is a Nanometer?
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This lesson focuses on how to measure at the nanoscale and provides learners with an understanding how small a nanometer really is.

Mitten Challenge
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In this activity, learners try to put together toy bricks—wearing oven mitts on their hands! This activity shows learners how difficult it is to build small things when your tools are too big.

Life Size: Line 'em up!
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In this activity on page 1 of the PDF, learners compare the relative sizes of biological objects (like DNA and bacteria) that can't be seen by the naked eye.

Observing Different Microbes
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In this activity, learners use a microscope to examine three different microbes: bacteria, yeast and paramecia. Educator will need to prepare the yeast solution one day before the activity.

Crime Scene Investigation (CSI) with Powdery Mildew Fungi
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This exercise can be used to stimulate the investigative nature of learners as they use forensic plant pathology techniques to prove the learners' innocence in a mock murder investigation.

Size Wheel
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In this fun sticker activity, learners will create a size wheel with images of objects of different size, from macroscopic scale (like an ant) to nanoscale (like DNA).

Atoms and Matter (K-2)
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In this activity, learners explore atoms as the smallest building blocks of matter. With adult help, learners start by dividing play dough in half, over and over again.

Cutting it Down to Nano
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This simple activity uses paper and scissors to convey two key concepts to learners: the nanoscale is very small and working on the nanoscale requires special tools.

Coffee to Carbon
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In this activity, learners place cards featuring biological structures in order by their relative size from largest to smallest.

Exploring Tools: Mitten Challenge
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In this activity, learners build a LEGO® structure while wearing mittens. This activity shows learners how difficult it is to build small things when your tools are too big.

Perspectives: Powers of 10
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In this activity, learners complete a series of drawing activities to explore scale and powers of 10. Learners first trace each other on 1-meter-square pieces of paper.
Polarized Light
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In this optics activity, learners experiment with polarizers (small dark rectangles) to examine light intensity.

Paper Cutting
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In this activity about scale, learners investigate the world of the very small by cutting a 28 centimeter strip of paper in half as many times as they can.

Modeling Limits to Cell Size
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This investigation provides learners with a hands-on activity that simulates the changing relationship of surface areas-to-volume for a growing cell.

Diatom Ooze: Ooze Clues
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In this activity, learners will plot the distribution of various oozes using information from sediment maps.

What Cells Can I See in Muscle and Spinal Cord Tissues?
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In this activity (page 37 of the PDF), learners observe, on a prepared slide, muscle and spinal cord cells from a rat.

Magnifying and Observing Cells
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In this activity related to microbes, learners make slides of cells from an onion skin and Elodea (American or Canadian waterweed) to observe under a microscope.