"Column as I See 'Um"

"Ahh, hands-on science. We've been putting it off too long. Let's see. All we'll need for a microscopic study is ... a high quality microscope (ouch!), some books, slides, dyes ... Where's that science catalog?"

Never mind! Everything your children need for an exciting study in real science is in Microscopic Explorations, the latest in a series of science kits from Stratton House. It comes with a very good, easy-to-use pocket microscope along with all the materials and supplies you need to tune into the microscopic world for at least six weeks.

Your children (grades 1-8) will investigate cells, crystals, microscopic creatures, life in a pond, and more. The lessons are written for children to follow, and the parent guide is so easy to use, even a "science idiot" like me can handle it.

We have also thoroughly enjoyed the magnetic kit. Give them a call and your children's eyes will sparkle like my children's do at the mention of "science". These lessons require little or no prep time and are homeschool tested. As Jane Boswell put it, "Easy, affordable, and effective - this is failproof science at its best." I say, "If you try these kits, you'll be delighted!"

"Cool" is the word I heard over and over again as my kids (11 and 13) conducted the experiments suggested in the lesson plans that accompany this powerful pocket microscope kit. I shared their fascination with the surprises in store for us as we examined skin, scabs, hair, cat whiskers, Iguana scales, fabric fibers, newsprint, sugar crystals, plant leaves, and onion skin. It is so much fun to look through a pocket microscope that a great deal of learning takes place without any facilitating from a teacher or parent.

My kids have frequently been reluctant to follow lesson plans in educational kits that I have purchased -- but this one they actually used and enjoyed. I suspect part of the reason is that all 14 lessons (and 30 hands-on experiments) are simple to understand, come with diagrams that make the instructions very clear, and the pages invited the kids to write notes or draw pictures about their observations right on the lesson plans. Another wonderful aspect about this kit is that it can be instantly tailored for simple or complex investigations depending on the level of interest and ability.

It also states quite clearly in the instructions that you can skip around and do whatever lesson you like -- you don't have to follow a specific order. So my kids were delighted that they could start out with a lesson that demonstrated how microscopes work with image inversion, skip to studying cells in an onion membrane, and then move to the lesson where you grow protozoa soup. . . .

The comprehensive content and flexibility of this simple kit is astounding. It really does provide all of the equipment and guidance you need to conduct experiments that will hold the interest of 8th graders as easily as it will 1st graders. It comes with a parent's guide, lesson plans for a six week mini-course in science (although my kids were so taken with it we covered most of the material in 3 days), petri dishes, tweezers, solutions and mixtures for various experiments, slides, a pocket microscope -- and the best part (in my opinion) was not only a set of batteries for the microscope -- but a backup set as well! The forethought that went into this fun kit is remarkable.

References to prices have been deleted.

Reprinted by permission from Homefires ~ The Journal of Homeschooling:
1-800-4-HOME-ED