Microscopy Books, Videos, and Images for K-12

These sites have microscopy images, books and videos that can be used in the classroom.

Books and Posters

Educational Posters from David Scharf, a scientist, a photographer, and an artist, specializing in Scanning Electron Microscope (S.E.M.) imagery. His images define the state-of-the-art in this area of science and technology.

Children's Books on Microscopy is an annotated bibliography by Caroline Schooley that includes over 90 books and videotapes. From the Project MICRO (Microscopy In Curriculum - Research Outreach of the Microscopy Society of America.)

Videos and CDROMS

Microscopy Society of America Video Library

Oklahoma Microscopy Society
Video Tape Collection

Images for Educational Use

These sites permit the non-commercial and educational use of their images. These images can be transferred to your computer and printed. When using the images, please remember that the source and copyright should be noted.

Algae Images Bowling Green State University
Light and electron micrographs of diatoms and algae. 

Cells Alive from Quill Graphics
One of the earliest websites for obtaining images of cells. Contains images and explanation of cellular activities. Updated annually.

Bugscope Database 
A growing online collection of high quality images collected by in the remote microscopy outreach program from the Beckman Institute at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

Cynobacteria Image Gallery from Cyanosite
presenting over 150 beautiful images or videos of cyanobacteria that are uncopyrighted freeware and are provided for educational purposes.

Images of Nature, Arizona State University
An educational site that includes quizzes, optical and SEM images, EDS and PIXE microanalysis, of minerals, metals, living things, plants.

NanoTheatre from Veeco
This is an extensive collection of biological (cells, viruses, DNA, hair, and more), semiconductor, data storage, and materials Scanning Probe Microscopy images which are available for downloading for educational use only.

Microscapes Photo Gallery, Michael W. Davidson, Florida State University
A great collection of light microscopy images. The What's Cool section of the gallery contains wallpapers that can be used for WWW site backgrounds.

Entomology images, Iowa State University
Educational use is permitted for the MPEG movie of a potato beetle and ticks and dissecting microscope images of mosquitoes, fleas, ticks, lice, and Ixodes scapularis dissection sequence. Use of the scanning electron microscope images and the images in logos is not permitted.

NanoWorld: Centre for Microscopy and Microanalysis, University of Queensland, Australia
Extensive collection of scanning electron micrographs for teaching or general education.

Help Buying a Light Microscope

Buying Microscopes
Project Micro, Microscopy Society of America

Choosing a Microscope from Meiji Techno

Choosing and buying a microscope
Guidelines for the parent buying a microscope for a child or hobbyist interested in buying their first microscope. By Dave Walker