Blog

Summary:

• Vascular plants distribute water and food internally via specialized structures.
• Xylem moves water up from the roots to the leaves.
• Phloem moves food up and down to where it is needed.
• You can see these structures using your Foldscope! Share your observations with others to show what you learned!

It is March and all around me plants are starting to emerge from the ground after the cold winter season. It is also the month for St. Patrick’s Day and four leaf clovers! All of these things make me think of the color green and how we can learn more about it under aFoldscope. Let’s take a closer look at what makes something green!

This Foldscope Explores... blog covers three microscopy techniques that can take your Foldscope explorations to a whole new level. Expand your skills so you can discover even more of the microscopic world.

Summary:

• Ladybugs are not all female.
• Ladybugs are not bugs.
• Microscopic studies can reveal connections between the structure and function of the different parts of the ladybug.
• Share your observations with others to show what you learned!

Vital stains are valuable not only for their role in histology, but also for their inherent natural beauty. So let’s learn what they are, who first used them in histology, and what they look like under aFoldscope.

Foldscope Explores... Spaghetti is here to help you celebrate National Spaghetti Day on January 4th! Fix up a plate of your favorite pasta, grab your Foldscope, and explore with me!

Foldscope Explores... Tea Leaves is all about the macroscopic and microscopic beauty of tea leaves. Grab a mug of your favorite tea and your Foldscope and explore with me!

This blog is all about crystals! Crystal formation from a supersaturated solution is an example of a physical change - and a microscope can let you watch the phenomenon of crystal formation in real time! Understanding the crystal structure of materials can help us create anything from medicine to art!

Holly Stuart's recount of her experience at the Teach Better 22 Conference at the National Inventors Hall of Fame Middle School in Akron, OH on October 13-15. She held a Foldscope workshop session helping educators see the power of providing high quality scientific equipment for all students.