following recent items about microscopes I would offer the following
observation based on recent museum experience.
If you can get 35mm slides of the subject you want to view then they can
be explored by the younger kids who do gain some benefit from a
magnification experince by making use of an old microfiche reader.
Many of these are being scrapped and the ones which read a postcard
sized sheet work really well.
A couple of extra words of advice: add a little timer circuit to the
unit so that say 2 minutes after being "pressed" into service the unit
switches off, a good bulb and power saver.
Have fun

Peter Millward
Manager, Education & Visitor Services
Melbourne Museum
PO Box 666E,   Melbourne,   VIC  3000
ph 61 3 9651 8162      fax 61 3 9651 6378
mobile 61 418 326 667
email [log in to unmask]