Skip navigation

The Laboratory

These are usual tools that we can find at a laboratory. Look at the images, listen and check how to write the words.

Pipet


Beaker Test Tube

Flask

See the word See the word See the word See the word
Funnel Graduated Cylinder Watch Glass scales

See the word See the word See the word See the word
microscope Petri Dish Ring Stand Magnifying Glass

See the word See the word See the word See the word
Tube rack Bunsen Burner Spatula Mortar
See the word See the word See the word See the word

Pipet

Funnel

pipet

beaker

test tube

flask

funnel

graduated cylinder

watch glass

balance

magnifying glass

ring stand

Petri dish

microscope

tube rack

Bunsen burner

spatula

spatula

mortar

Activity 1

1. Complete with the missing letters or words.
Suddenly I feel like reading Dr Jekyll and mister Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson 1- MOR 2- SPA 3- FL
4- NEL 5- BA 6- KER
7- STAND 8- RACK 9- PETRI

Enable JavaScript

Activity 2

2. Listen and write the word you hear.
1.  1. 2.  2.
3. 3.
4.  4. 5.  5.
6.  6.
7.  7. 8.  8.

Enable JavaScript

Activity 3

3. Listen and mark with an X the corresponding image.
A- 
C- 
E- 
F-
G-

Enable JavaScript

Activity 4

4. Choose the right word for each sentence.


 

a. We use it to crush and grind materials:
b. We use it to transfer liquids to containers with small openings:
c. We use it to hold some test tubes:

I can start my experiments now!

d. We use it to measure weigh:
e. We use it to hold laboratory containers so that they don't fall down:
f. We use it to heat things:
g. We use it to transport a measured volume of liquid:

Enable JavaScript

Activity 5

5. LAB RULES

Look at the rules students must follow when they are working at the laboratory. Make sure you understand all of them.

Lab rulesLab rules. Yolanda Varela. (CC-BY-NC-SA)

Team workNow have a look at something a student wrote after a class at the laboratory. Discuss in groups of three which things they did incorrectly.

Class at the labAt the lab. Yolanda Varela. (CC-BY-NC-SA)

Extra activity

Look at these two photographs. Can you name all the tools you see?

Lab1           Laboratory. Goodward. PIxabay. Pixabay Licence.

Lab2          Laboratory. Migon87. Pixabay. Pixabay Licence.

The Microscope and Antoine Van Leeuwenhoek

Lenses through History

The ancient Egyptians and Babylons used simple lenses to magnify objects. Greeks and Romans filled glass spheres to use them as a lens. However, the combination of two lenses didn't happen till the beginning of the 17th century.


It is not clear who first invented the microscope. Some people say it was Zacharias Janssen, a Dutch spectacle-maker, the one who first combined lenses. Others claim it was Hans Lippershey, another spectacle maker, because he was the first one to apply for its patent.

Team work

In pairs answer the questions about the first part of the text and prepare to explain your answers to the rest of students.


1. Is it true that ancient civilizations didn't know how to magnify objects?

2. Search the Internet to find out where Babylonians lived.

Antoine Van Leeuwenhoek

Antoine Van Leeuwenhoek, born in the Netherlands (1632-1723), designed high-powered lens.

He first opened a draper's shop where his interest in better regarding the quality of fabric led him to improve lenses and microscopes. Then his interest moved to the microscopic world and he studied red blood cells, the fine structure of plants, parts and reproduction of insects, bacteria, muscle fibers, etc. 

Now he is considered as the father of Microbiology.

 

Antoine Van LeeuwenhoekPortret van Anthonie van Leeuwenhoek. Jan Verkolie. Wikipedia. Public Domain.

A- Read the text and answer the questions. Get ready to justify your answers aloud.

B-Read the text. Are the statements true (T) or false (F)?

- What century did Leeuwenhoek live in?

- What was Leeuwenhoek's first job?

- Was Leeuwenhoek only interested in plants?

- Leeuwenhoek was French.
- Leeuwenhoek died when he was eighty-five years old.
- Leeuwenhoek devoted all his life to science.

Enable JavaScript

PROJECTS

1. Make a poster with a microscope and name all its parts. Learn how to pronounce them so that you can teach them to the rest of students.

These links can help you: Sciencing and Microscopemaster.

2. Make a slide show with the different types of microscopes and explain what they are used for.

Here you can find some information: Sciencing and Microscope-detective

3. Search the Internet to find out which important scientific discoveries happened in the 17th century.

Here you have some links that may help you: Inventions and discoveries, Thoughtco, and Science time line.

4. Study the role of women in society in the 17th century and record a video with the information. You can find some information here: Localhistories.org, encyclopedia.com