What Can a Microscope Teach Us?
What Can a Microscope Teach Us?
Owlo, something really strange happened to me today in the garden!
Tell me more, Koko. What did you see out there in the garden?
I was looking at a leaf, and I saw these tiny little dots on it. But I couldn't figure out what they were.
That sounds like a wonderful discovery. Some things are simply too small for our eyes to see clearly.
But how am I supposed to see them then, Owlo?
A very special instrument was invented for exactly that purpose. It is called a microscope.
A micro-scope? That sounds like something you use to scoop ice cream!
That is a very funny thought, Koko. But a microscope is actually an instrument used to look at very tiny things.
But how does it actually work, though?
I have an idea. Let us head to the science room. There is a real microscope waiting for us there.
Look, this is the microscope. Do you see those small round pieces of glass at the top?
Yes! They sparkle so nicely. What do they do?
Those are called lenses. A lens makes things appear larger than they really are. Just like a magnifying glass.
Oh! I have used a magnifying glass before. Everything looked absolutely enormous through it.
Exactly! A microscope uses several lenses together, so things appear even much, much bigger.
How much bigger can it make things look?
Some microscopes can make things appear one hundred times larger. Others can make them appear a thousand times larger.
A thousand times? Then an ant would look as big as an elephant!
Almost, yes. Shall I place your leaf under the microscope so we can take a look?
Yes, please do! I really want to finally see those tiny little dots.
Go ahead and look through this small round opening at the top. That part is called the eyepiece.
Wow. I can see tiny little round shapes, all sitting right next to each other. They look a little bit like bubbles.
Those shapes are the cells of the leaf. Every plant, every animal, and even you are made up of cells.
I am made of cells? I honestly had no idea about that.
Yes, billions of tiny cells working together make up you, Koko. They are so small that you could never see them with just your eyes.
Who actually invented the microscope in the first place?
A spectacle maker from the Netherlands, a very long time ago, around the year sixteen hundred. His name was Zacharias Janssen.
So the microscope was actually invented right here in our own country!
That is right, Koko. And thanks to that invention, scientists were able to see the world in a completely new way.
I think it is so amazing that there is a whole world out there that you normally cannot see at all.
That is exactly the magic of science. There is always more to discover than what you can see at first glance.
Owlo, can you tell me everything we learned today one more time?
I would rather leave that to you. Can you tell me what you discovered today?
Okay! A microscope is an instrument with lenses that make very tiny things appear much, much bigger.
Things can look up to a thousand times bigger through a microscope. And everything, including me, is made up of tiny things called cells.
And the microscope was invented in the Netherlands. So if anyone asks where it came from, I will just say it was invented practically next door!
Perfectly summarised, Koko. I am so proud of your curiosity today.
Next time I want to learn what else you can see under a microscope. Maybe even my own hair!
That is a wonderful plan. There is still so very much left to discover.
What Can a Microscope Teach Us?
Ages 6–8 · ~4 min
Join Owlo and Koko as they explore the wonders of a microscope and discover the tiny world around us in a fun way!
What you'll learn
- Understand what a microscope is
- Learn about tiny organisms
- Encourage curiosity about nature
What Can a Microscope Teach Us?
Ages 6–8 · ~4 min
What Can a Microscope Teach Us?
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