Have I mentioned I love my job lately? I do. I really do.  My work with the Schoolhouse Review Crew brings amazing products into our home – things I would not have known about. Today’s product, is one that, now that I DO know about it, I feel EVERY homeschool should have. Dare I say – Every family should have! I’d put it right up there with Backpack, Ruler, and #2 pencils for your 2012-2013 school supplies.

May I introduce, officially, the Discovery Scope©.

Discovery Scope  is a handheld, wide-field microscope.

I received One Basic Kit –  Includes one scope, one mini-clamp, one multi-use chamber holder, two 1″ x 3/4″ clear view chambers, and one water dropper. $40.00 value.

I have shared the Discovery Scope with you on a few of my recent nature walk posts:

• Larkspur Park – Tree and Pond Usage
• Iris and Pollination – Looking at the Details of Flowers, and
• Life and Beauty in the High Desert – Seeing the Tiny Yellow Flutes in a Desert Plant.

Just today – hubby found a mosquito in the house, and wondered if it were a male or female. (Ya, our whole family is weird).  We were able to look at the Mosquito indoors while it was raining out. It had a shorter abdomen, the proboscis was barely longer than the palps and antennas. After looking at the male/female photo above, we also noticed that the antennas were very feather like, so we went with Male Mosquito.

Which reminded us that we were saving feathers around the house, Robin and Stellar Blue Jay. We spent some time looking at the Orange/Red and Blue/Grey feathers. 

I still have not mastered taking great photos through the Discovery Scope. A few of my review buddies have it down. I think I’m too shaky. They mentioned using the iPod/Pad, which I tried today – but it didn’t work out.  However, in the field, for any object, getting a perfect visual – is simple.

Find a subject you would like to observe up close, intentionally to see the details.  We used the mini clamp the most.  You may slide the object up and down, back and forth, and in a circle to get just the right position. Drawing the subject closer to the lens brings in the 25x magnification. Just like a home microscope, playing with this push pull part, closer or farther, will magnify different layers of the object, like a moving 3D magnified object.  We played with the multi use chamber for water objects, and enjoyed looking at the algae.   We are supposed to be studying Yellow Jackets this week. I’m pretty sure the Multi Use Chamber will come in handy for that observational study!

We have been carrying around the Discovery Scope in our car, in my Letterboxing Back Pack.  I believe it should be a staple in any outdoor nature lover’s supply case!

Favorite Points from the ABOUT  on the Website:

Sturdy – Discovery Scope is practically indestructible. If your Discovery Scope experiences any problems during normal use – in the home, classroom, or field – we’ll replace the defective part, free.

No Stray Light – The optical pathway is a dark tube, capped with an eye cup. This eliminates all stray light, giving you the best possible view of the subject, whether it’s a tiny flower, the eyes of a spider, or the swimming legs of a water flea.

Ideal For Field Use – Discovery Scope is so convenient and compact, it can be used anywhere you go. With no metal parts, Discovery Scope will never corrode. It’s small enough to fit in a loose pocket or a small nylon bag. It’s ideal for backpacking, park exploring, kayaking and all outdoor activities.

Disclaimer: I received a Basic Kit Discovery Scope for free in exchange for using it outdoor, and telling you about my experience as part of my tour on the Schoolhouse Review Crew.