DEVRANI NARINE-GADAR 04740401 1

Unit & Lesson Planning

Task Analysis

Target Skill: Use of a Light Microscope to view slide specimen.

Pre-requisite Skills and Knowledge:

Students should know:

1. A light microscope is used to view structures and specimen that are difficult to see, or which cannot be seen, by the naked

eye.

2. The various parts that make up a microscope.

Materials / Resources:

1. Light microscope

2. Workbench

3. Electrical outlet

4. Slide specimen - Rhoeo epidermal cells (plant cells)

DEVRANI NARINE-GADAR 04740401 2

Type of chaining used: Forward chaining.

Task Name: Use of a Microscope to view slide specimen

Step Resources Time taken to

complete

1 Remove microscope from storage shelf by using both hands, Microscope 20 seconds

holding it securely at the base and arm.

2 Place microscope carefully on the level surface of the workbench. Workbench 10 seconds

3 Insert the microscope plug into the electrical outlet. Electrical outlet 15 seconds

4 Turn the revolving nosepiece, setting the lowest power objective 60 seconds

lens (x10) into the main focus position. Listen for a click to ensure

the objective is set properly into position.

5 Turn on the illuminator on the microscope by pressing the power 10 seconds

switch.

6 Turn the stage control knob to lower the stage away from the 30 seconds

nosepiece.
DEVRANI NARINE-GADAR 04740401 3

7 Pull the stage clips forward, and place the Rhoeo slide specimen in Rhoeo slide specimen 15 seconds

position on the stage.

8 Carefully place each slide clip over the left and right outermost 60 seconds

sides of the slide to hold it into position.

9 Turn the stage control knob to raise the stage to the highest level 60 seconds

towards the X10 objective on the nosepiece.

10 Place both eyes over the Eyepiece. 10 seconds

11 Use the diopter adjustment to adjust the distance between the 40 seconds

eyepieces to a comfortable distance for your eyes to be placed

unto it.

12 Turn the brightness adjustment dial of the illuminator to adjust the 30 seconds

light intensity so that the slide can be viewed comfortably through

the eyepiece.

13 Turn the coarse adjustment to bring the specimen into general 60 seconds

focus.

14 Turn the fine adjustment to increase the detail of the specimen. 60 seconds
DEVRANI NARINE-GADAR 04740401 4

15 Move eyes away from the eyepiece, and locate the stage control 10 seconds

knob.

16 Turn the stage control knob to lower the stage away from the 30 seconds

nosepiece.

17 Turn the revolving nosepiece, setting the X40 power objective lens 30 seconds

into the main focus position. Listen for a click to ensure the

objective is set properly into position.

18 Turn the stage control knob to carefully raise the stage to the X40 30 seconds

objective lens, ensuring the stage does not touch the lens.

19 Place eyes over the eyepiece and use the fine adjustment to 60 seconds

increase the detail of the specimen until it is clearly visible.

20 Use the stage control knob to move the stage left and/or right to 120 seconds

view different areas of the specimen on the slide.

Did you formerly give instructions in this detail? Did students have problems in using the microscope after instructions? Are there

stages that you think were left out that made it more difficult for students to use the microscope successfully?
DEVRANI NARINE-GADAR 04740401 5