Here is a quick, traditional introduction to microscope lab. I wrote this for a newcomer ELL class that was just starting to move into science content. These are high school students with a wide variety of backgrounds, some with no formal education in their past and some that had attended private schools in their home country.

This lab sheet has simple directions for students to draw what they see as they explored how to use a microscope. When I use this in my room we set out a selection of prepared slides with a print-out of some pictures of what they are looking at. For example, I have onion root tip slides, and I put them with some photos of onions growing and a close up photo of the roots, so they can help make the connection of what they are looking at.

The students practiced the parts of the microscope, and knew these vocab words before doing the lab: cell, nucleus, cell membrane, prokaryotic, eukaryotic, plant, animal, slide, coverslip, eyedropper.

Please let me know how this activity worked in your classroom-Thanks!