Compound Interest in Biology with Compound Microscopes!
Help me give my students a classroom set of compound microscopes to allow them to explore the miniature world around them!
$2,543 goal
This project expired on July 20, 2025.
This project expired on July 20, 2025.
My Project
Biology, a subject that all of our students take in both 9th and 10th grade, begins with the cell and its contents. It's a complex topic that many students find intimidating because they can't necessarily visualize the things they're learning about. We are trying to remedy that by giving them something to visualize. In a push to become more hands-on with labs in the classroom, we are hoping to get a classroom set of binocular compound microscopes with mechanical stages. These will be used by 100+ students every year over the lifetime of the microscopes (which can be decades)!
You probably remember using microscopes in high school biology, but not like this.
Many classrooms typically use basic monocular scopes, which are often difficult for students to get used to because they can only use one eye to view specimens, which causes eye fatigue in short order. Additionally, using both eyes will allow students to see their specimens in clearer view than with a monocular microscope.
On those same microscopes, you probably remember using, a lack of a mechanical stage can be problematic for students trying to find or follow their target on the slide (especially if they have unsteady hands). At the highest magnification, you often just have to bump the slide a hair's width to have your entire field of view change and lose what you're looking at. This is made even more problematic when the target object is moving within the field of view. With the mechanical stage, simply turning one of the two knobs on the stage will ease the field of view a little at a time. It makes for much greater control over the work being done, and less frustration for the students.
More than three‑quarters of students from low‑income households
Data about students' economic need comes from the National Center for Education Statistics, via our partners at MDR Education. Learn more
105 students impacted
Boost your odds
Add a profile photo in addition to your classroom photo. If you add a photo, it'll show up right here on your project page.
You are more likely to receive funding if you put a face to your name.
DonorsChoose is the most trusted classroom funding site for teachers.
As a teacher-founded nonprofit, we're trusted by thousands of teachers and supporters across the country. This classroom request for funding was created by Mr. Hankey and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.