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What You Should Know
Dear Parents and Supervising Adults,
Children are curious by nature. They want to explore, study,
and understand their environment. This microscope kit will
give them a good introduction to the fascinating world of
the microcosmos.
In order to observe objects under the microscope, they need
to be obtained and prepared. To do this, young researchers
will need the accessories provided in this kit as well as other
common household items.
The equipment you have before you is compliant with US
and European safety standards. These standards impose
conditions on the manufacturer — for example, approved
ingredients, safety measures for electric toys, etc. However,
they also demand that parents or other adults be present
with their children to guide and help them with their new
hobby.
This is why we have addressed this section to you, the
parents and supervising adults. Please leaf through this
instruction manual together with your child and abide by the
following important rules when performing experiments.
Some Basic Rules for Safe Experimentation
1.) Read the instructions for the experiment carefully before
you begin, follow them, and keep them nearby for refer-
ence. In particular, pay close attention to indicated quantities
and the sequence of the individual tasks. Perform only the
experiments and additional experiments described or sug-
gested in this instruction manual.
2.) You should set up a suitable place for using the micro-
scope and for preparing your specimens. Make sure there
is good lighting, a level work surface, enough space for the
experiment materials and your microscope, and always have
a rag or a roll of paper towels ready in case you have to wipe
up spilled experiment materials. Make sure that the table
surface is resistant to staining, especially when you are work-
ing with the dyes. For this reason, you should also use older
clothing that you don't mind getting stains on. Always wash
your hands after experimenting, especially before you eat or
drink anything.
3.) When working with the dissecting needle and while cut-
ting objects with the scalpel or a razor blade, there is a risk
of injury. Particularly when using the scalpel or razor blade,
and during preparation of the razor blade (masking-off
or wrapping of one side of a blade, see also page 11), you
should let your parents help you. Cover slips break easily and
then have sharp edges.
4.) In some experiments, stain solutions and other household
chemicals (iodine solution, nail polish) are used. Be sure to
heed the warnings of the manufacturer. Handle the liquids
with caution and care and close the containers immediately
after use. It's best that you have your parents lend you a
hand with these experiments.
5.) If foods are required for experiments, place them in ap-
propriate containers and label them. Dispose of left-over
materials and do not by any means put them back into their
original containers. In the case of experimental objects of
plant origin from the household (fruit, vegetables), you
should cut the portion of the object that is to be used for
the experiment off or out before beginning. Dispose of
them immediately after use. It is necessary here that a strict
separation be made between household and experimental
accessories.
6.) Some of the suggested experimental plants (e.g. box tree,
ivy, etc.) are mildly toxic. So wash your hands after perform-
ing an experiment!
7.) After finishing an experiment, immediately wash the
equipment used in the experiment, such as tweezers, dissect-
ing needles, or slides. Old, dried incrustation is often very dif-
ficult and sometimes even impossible to remove. For this, use
running water and, as needed, a drop of dish-washing liquid.
Dry the equipment carefully using paper towel and dispose
of the paper in the household trash.
You should also clean the drop pipette thoroughly after
each use. To do this, fill it several times with diluted dish-
washing liquid and empty it out again. Then rinse it out
several times with clear water and allow it to dry.
8.) After experimenting, you should straighten up your work
area. Be sure that the experiment accessories are not in the
reach of smaller children or animals.
If you follow our tips, you're bound to have a lot of fun ex-
ploring the world of the microcosmos. Don't get discouraged
if something doesn't work the first time around. It takes time
and practice to learn to adjust the microscope and to pro-
duce a good preparation. If something doesn't work, then
start again from the beginning, first reading the instructions
carefully through again (did you miss a step?) and then go-
ing through the steps one by one. The more times you deal
with these procedural methods, the more natural they will
be for you to work with, and your results — with which you
can then impress your parents and friends — will improve,
too. Now go have lots of fun experimenting with your new
microscope!
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