Exploring Nanoscience and Scanning Electron Microscopy in K–12 Classrooms

Assessing the Effectiveness of a Novel Microscopy Technique in Middle & High School Science Classrooms

“…New technology, such as portable microscopes that can be paired with smartphones and tablets, are becoming more common, and while this can provide students with ways to see organisms in the field, the image produced is the same as basic light microscopy. Other innovations include integrating gaming elements into light microscopy explorations (Kim et al, 2016) and developing a mobile nanoscience laboratory (Coffey et al, 2015). In our review of the literature, we did not find any techniques to modify traditional optical light microscopy in K-12 classrooms that (a) were inexpensive, (b) could be used by students in a hands-on manner, and (c) provided a different visual than traditional light microscopy.…”

“…Middle school lessons on microscopes also tend to be the same every year (McIntosh & Richter, 2007). Although research and new technologies have introduced different ways of observing microorganisms, including scanning and electron microscopy, these methods are expensive and require unique pieces of equipment that are far beyond what is traditionally found in a middle school classroom (Coffey et al, 2015). As such, optical microscopy is the focus in most curricula, but advances with this technique are limited.…”

Destructive Tomography of Red Cabbage and Swiss Cheese: FIB-SEM Themed Educational Outreach

“…Some high schools have received donations and acquired microscopes for their own campuses [1][2][3][4][5]. Alternatively, K-12 schools located in vicinity of higher education institutions can collaborate with universities to access their microscopy facilities [1,[6][7]. Budget-constrained schools have taken advantage of technological advances such as remote online access and mobile table-top SEMs.…”

“…For example, projects like Bugscope [8], Project ExCEL [9], and nanoManipulator [10] allow K-12 students to remotely access SEM and scanning probe microscopes. Other efforts bring portable light optical microscopes [11][12] and table-top SEMs [6] directly to the students. However, hands-on activities related to imaging, especially in 3D, which could be performed by a large number of students simultaneously, are rare.…”