Blog

• Students need opportunities to use scientific tools and equipment
• Using a fun thing like candy can make taking scientific measurements an enjoyable experience
• Share your observations with others to show what you learned!

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!

Foldscope Explores... The Fibonacci Sequence

This blog explores the pattern of numbers known as the Fibonacci Sequence. You will learn how to calculate numbers in the sequence, how to model the numbers into a spiral, and how to find the Fibonacci Sequence in nature! And of course, you will take a close look at what you find by putting it in a Foldscope!

Summary:

Foldscope Explores... convex lenses. This blog post describes how light interacts with convex lenses and guides you through some activities so that you can have fun playing with light and your Foldscope!

Summary:

• Spider webs are made of four basic parts
• Microscopic views of spider silk reveal the structural differences of the four parts
• The vibrations traveling along the silk strands alert the spider as to what is happening on the web
• Share your observations with others to show what you learned!

Summary:

• Sand is a great way to ease into the new school year
• Sand is interdisciplinary
• Sand makes science fun
• Share your observations with others to show what you learned!

The relationship between Foldscope Instruments and Cypress-Fairbanks Independent School District (Cy-Fair ISD, Texas) began one year ago during the pandemic. At the time, Cy-Fair ISD was looking for creative ways to engage teachers and students with science and found Foldscope. One year later and approximately 3,600 Foldscopes distributed, here we are as a team deploying Foldscope training services for middle and high school teachers. The goal is to prepare Cy-Fair teachers to incorporate Foldscopes as their newest classroom tool to excite and engage students in STEM learning. 

TL;DR

• Close observation helps improve focus
• Close observation involves all five senses
• Close observation is interdisciplinary
• Share your observations with others to show what you learned!