Looking closely: using a magnifying glass
Biology · Key Stage 1 · The School
Using a magnifying glass safely
Hold the glass close to your eye. Move the object, not the glass. Move it slowly until it looks clear. Never point a magnifying glass at the sun. It can focus sunlight and start a fire.
What it shows you
A leaf looks smooth to your eye. Through a magnifying glass, you see tiny veins. A ladybird's spots become clearer. Grains of sand look like tiny rocks. Details hide everywhere, waiting to be seen.
Looking for minibeasts
Turn over a damp log carefully. Look under a plant pot. You might find a woodlouse, a beetle or a worm. Use the magnifying glass to see their legs and body parts clearly. Always put creatures back where you found them.
Recording what you see
Draw what you actually see, not what you expect. Label the parts you can name. Write the date next to your drawing. A record you can read later is worth more than a memory that fades. Keep your drawings together in one place.
One minibeast, looked at closely
You find a woodlouse under a log. To the naked eye, it is a small grey shape. Through the magnifying glass, you count seven pairs of legs. You see it can roll into a ball. You draw it, label the legs, and write the date. That drawing is now real scientific evidence, not just a memory.