Digital Postcards from the Microscopic World Project

Introduction

Below is a list of links to Web Postcards made by C. M. Eppes Middle School 8th Graders from Mrs. T's Science Class. To accomplish the projects, students utilized C. M. Eppes Middle School's new 40x to 1600x High Power Trinocular Microscope with 1.3 Mega Pixel Digital Camera. With this equipment, students are capable of capturing video and still images of microscopic entities directly to a computer. Software that helps students in building the web postcards was designed, written and provided by East Carolina University.

Clicking on a link below opens a web postcard in a new window.

Student Listing of Web Postcards

Pyogenic Bacteria	by Alexus S. & Mary C.
Strawberry DNA	by Anna S.
Paramecium	by Ashley L. & Byrann A.
Daphnia, water flea	by Brandon B.
Midge Larva	by Bryan H.
Spirogyra	by Austin R. and Zack N.
Lyngbya Contorta	by Axita P.
Paramecium	by Darryl J.
Colon	by Derrick D.
Euglena	by Dionna B. & Toma M.
Strawberry DNA	by Elizabeth C.
Strawberry DNA	by Jamie W.
Diatoms	by Jasmine H. & Mary M.
Spirogyra	by Kenya W.
Frog Blood Cells	by Keshonda E.
Daphnia	by Marquis B.
Radiolaria	by Patrick B.
Mougeotia Scalaris	by Rebecca B.
Human Colon Tissue	by Rebecca S. & Emma T.
Budding Yeast	by Samira W. & Shaquille S.
Fern Prothallium	by Shana M.
Onion cells	by Shantel M.
Mushroom Gills	by Simone B.
Paramecium	by Tameka R.
Paramecium	by Tiera and Jessica

About the Project

Part 1: Exploring the Microbiotic World

The project began with teacher presentations of successful, scientifically useful digital images taken with a high powered microscope and digital camera, equipment sought with this grant, and shown on the teacher‘s existing laptop and existing classroom digital projector. Images that clarify and portray topics from the curriculum, such as: single cell organisms, multicell organisms, organelles of microscopic organisms, etc.. were shown and explored.

Part 2: Documenting Student Journeys in the Microbiotic World with Digital
Photography

Students are asked to show and explore microbiotic organisms and organelles prepared from samples, (e.g. local pond water, plant specimens, etc…). Students capture images with the microscope mounted digital camera. With the help of the instructor, students identify the various organisms and organelles found in their exploration. Following identification, students conduct further research into the function of the various organelles or into the behavior, habits, and environment of the organisms.

Part 3: Building and Exhibiting an Internet Resource of Student-made
Digital Postcards from the Microscopic World on the class website

Once the student’s research is completed, students build digital postcards with a software tool designed by ECU faculty and provided to them by the teacher. In the past students built paper based posters on various topics explored throughout the academic year, e.g. The Ecosystem of the Galapagos Islands, Chemical Compounds found in the Home…etc. This project engages students in an innovative use of the internet to compile and exhibit their scientific work.

Students construct the digital postcards by including the digital images from their exploration into the microbiotic world taken from the microscope and camera and assembling the images with the identification explanatory facts about the organism or organelles portrayed, found in their research. The class main web page has an added link to leading viewers to this page you are currently viewing: a catalog of the postcards. Clicking the links above will take you to the corresponding digital postcard page.

Goals And Objectives

1) Improve Student Comprehension of Microbiology

The main goal of the project is to improve student comprehension of the aspects of microbiology required by the North Carolina Standard Course of Study. The innovative use of digital imagery and the internet is intended to address present challenges faced by students in studying microbiology science class content. Currently the students utilize microscopes individually or in pairs to explore the microbiological world. The problems with this are mainly: the inability of the teacher to be sure the students are finding and seeing the entities correctly, improper microscope operation, faulty or poor equipment, and a lack of means to capture or save the images to allow further research into those entities found. These challenges frustrate students from becoming fully engaged in a study of the fascinating world of microbiology. This project seeks to engage students through the innovative use of current technology allowing them to study, retain and exhibit their findings to their colleagues and family.

2) Each Student Complete One Digital Postcard

An individual student will have successfully accomplished this project by completing one digital postcard that contains all of the elements prescribed by his or her learning ability. Typically a single postcard will contain one main image, an identifying title, and various facts about the microscopic entity studied.

3) Engage Students More Deeply in the Study of Microbiology

Current classroom challenges in studying this content frustrate students instead of exciting them to learn about the fascinating world of microbiology. This project seeks to engage students through the innovative use of current technology allowing them to study, retain and exhibit their findings to their colleagues and family. By projecting microscopic images very large on a projection screen, students can feel more immersed in this fascinating world. Microbes appearing as gigantic monsters moving across the projection screen will infuse life into this course content. Having the ability to capture images of these monsters and further research them should sustain student’s involvement in this course of study.

Credits

Digital Postcards from the Microscopic World is made possible in part by a grant from the Pitt County Educational Foundation, Inc. and by C. M. Eppes Middle School in cooperation with faculty from the Animation/Interaction Design Program in the School of Art & Design, College of Fine Art & Communication at East Carolina University.