Activity

What van Leeuwenhoek Saw

Curated and Reviewed by Lesson Planet

When van Leeuwenhoek saw cells and single-celled organisms for the first time, he knew these small things were a big deal! Share his discoveries with young learners through a narrated video, model-building activity, and scale study. Pupils work alone or in groups to compare size and appearance of microorganisms, then practice determining appropriate scales using the metric system.

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CCSS: Adaptable
Additional Tags
Instructional Ideas
  • Keep cell models on hand to help individuals having difficulty with model building
  • Set up a few microscopes with slides from the video to incorporate some up-close observation into the lesson
Classroom Considerations
  • Decide ahead of time if students will be working as individuals or in pairs so you print enough cards
  • Adjust the level of detail required in models to fit the abilities of the class 
Pros
  • Activity contains great skills practice—cleverly disguised as hands-on fun!
  • The teacher's guide includes important resources for tailoring the lesson to your needs, as well as worksheets and activity cards
Cons
  • None