unsuspected animals scooting through the water or oozing lazily along,
accordingto their nature. You will also be able to see the tiny plants that
serve as food for thesemicroscopicanimals.
Equipmentyouwillneed
Foryourstudy of living things you will need a microscope. Goodones
are available at inexpensive prices. Yourmicroscopewill last for a very long
time if you take good care of it. Itwill be your basic tool, the mostimportant
aid inyourexplorationof thenatureof life. Withits help you will be able
to see the simpleststructuresof which all life iscomposed,cells and tissues.
Yourmicroscopewill open to you new worlds of life and exciting experiences
observingliving thingsbothvisible and invisible to your naked eye.
Inaddition,you will want to buy several glass slides and one or more
cover slips, littlerounddisks of glass or plastic which you will place over the
tiny objects you will beexaminingunderyourmicroscope.
The object on a slide is called a"specimen." As for yourspecimens,
mostof them are easy to find. They are allaroundyou. You need only walk
aroundyourhouse, into your yard or to theneighborhood stores to gather
the specimens you will study.
Now, you are ready to beginyourfascinatingexplorations.