Samantha Lopez Clinton

Microcosm Explorers CDMX (Mexico City)


 En el marco de mi servicio social, estoy ofreciendo un taller a diversos grupos de niños, niñas y jóvenes en la Ciudad de México. El taller se titula “Exploradores del Microcosmos”. Yo soy estudiante de la carrera de biología en la Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana, Unidad Xochimilco.


 As part of my social service, I’m offering a workshop to several groups of children and youngsters all over Mexico City. The workshop is called “Microcosm Explorers”. I’m a biology undergraduate student at the Metropolitan Autonomous University, Xochimilco Unit.

<figure class="wp-block-image">
 <img alt="photo5755745318036678577" class="wp-image-133301 gcloudimg" data-attachment-id="133301" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta='{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}' data-image-title="photo5755745318036678577" data-recalc-dims="1" src="https://storage.googleapis.com/microcosmosdelta.appspot.com/images/transfer_133300/photo5755745318036678577.jpg"/>
 <figcaption>
 Uno de los grupos que tomó el taller la semana pasada. One of the groups that took the workshop last week.
 </figcaption>
</figure>

 Nos toma aproximadamente una hora completar el armado de los foldscopes. A ese tiempo se le suma lo que nos tardamos en cubrir un poco de teoría básica al principio, y practicar el uso del foldscope (meter las muestras, enfocar, mover el lente…), lleva a unas dos horas en total para la primera sesión del taller.


 It takes us around an hour to complete the foldscope set-up. To that, we add the time it takes for us to cover a little bit of basic theory at the begining and to practice the use of the foldscope (placing samples, focusing, moving the lens…), so it takes us around 2 hours to complete the first workshop session.

<figure class="wp-block-image">
 <img alt="photo5755745318036678578" class="wp-image-133303 gcloudimg" data-attachment-id="133303" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta='{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}' data-image-title="photo5755745318036678578" data-recalc-dims="1" src="https://storage.googleapis.com/microcosmosdelta.appspot.com/images/transfer_133300/photo5755745318036678578.jpg"/>
 <figcaption>
 Todos y todas vamos armando el foldscope al mismo tiempo. We all work on setting up a foldscope at the same time.
 </figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>
 Diversidad y adversidad en la CDMX
</h2>

 La intención de mi servicio social es ofrecer los talleres a grupos de personas que de otra manera
 
 no
 
 tendrían acceso a herramientas de este tipo. Los lugares en los que planeo dar el taller incluyen un bachillerato técnico, un grupo de niños y niñas
 
 indígenas otomíes
 
 desplazados por el sismo del 2018, un proyecto educativo no tradicional, un centro educativo para personas con dificultad de aprendizaje, de conducta, con bajo aprovechamiento escolar o inmadurez social. Quiero conseguir más foldscopes porque me encantaría ofrecer el taller en otros lugares como centros comunitarios o con grupos de jóvenes interesados en la ciencia pero sin los recursos necesarios para seguir construyendo su conocimiento.


 The goal of my social service is to offer the workshops to groups of people that would otherwise
 
 not
 
 have access to scientific tools like this one. The places I plan on giving the workshop at include a technical highschool, a group of
 
 indigenous “otomi” kids
 
 that lost their home in the 2018 earthquake, a non-traditional education proyect and an education centre for people with learning or conduct difficulties, with low “learning achievement” or social inmaturity. I intend on getting my hands on more foldscopes because I would love to offer the workshop in other places like community centres or with groups of youngsters who are interested in science but lack the necessary resources to continue building their knowledge.

<figure class="wp-block-image">
 <img alt="photo5755745318036678580" class="wp-image-133307 gcloudimg" data-attachment-id="133307" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta='{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}' data-image-title="photo5755745318036678580" data-recalc-dims="1" src="https://storage.googleapis.com/microcosmosdelta.appspot.com/images/transfer_133300/photo5755745318036678580.jpg"/>
 <figcaption>
 El proceso de armado de nuestros foldscopes… The process of putting together our foldscopes…
 </figcaption>
</figure>

 Estaré publicando más sobre los talleres y el proceso, así como sobre nuestros hallazgos de exploradores del microcosmos. ¡No te lo pierdas! Gracias por leerme.


 I will be posting more about the workshops and the process, as well as about our findings as microcosm explorers. ¡Don’t miss it! Thanks for reading.

Exploradores del microcosmos CDMX (ESP &amp; ENG)

Una observación más cercana la pubescencia de las hojas de la planta “Vaporub”, perteneciente al género
 
 Plectranthus
 
 . Un segmento de hoja fue cortado con navaja, colocado en el portaobjetos de papel con ayuda de cinta transparente y luego visualizado con el foldscope.


 A closer observation of the pubescent leaves of the Vaporub plant, belonging to the
 
 Plectranthus
 
 genus. A segment of the leaf was cut with a pocket knife, placed in the paper slide with some clear tape and then visualized using the foldscope.

<figure class="wp-block-image">
 <img alt="photo5476823239821993962" class="wp-image-134454 gcloudimg" data-attachment-id="134454" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta='{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}' data-image-title="photo5476823239821993962" data-recalc-dims="1" src="https://storage.googleapis.com/microcosmosdelta.appspot.com/images/transfer_134453/photo5476823239821993962.jpg"/>
 <figcaption>
 Foto de la hoja tomada con ayuda de la lupa incluída en el kit the Foldscope. Photo of the leaf taken with the help of the Foldscope magnifying lens.
 </figcaption>
</figure>
<figure class="wp-block-image">
 <img alt="photo5476823239821993963" class="wp-image-134455 gcloudimg" data-attachment-id="134455" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta='{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}' data-image-title="photo5476823239821993963" data-recalc-dims="1" src="https://storage.googleapis.com/microcosmosdelta.appspot.com/images/transfer_134453/photo5476823239821993963.jpg"/>
 <figcaption>
 Una mirada más cercana de la pubescencia de las hojas en la planta vaporub. A closer look at the pubescent leaves on the vaporub plant.
 </figcaption>
</figure>

 Nos dimos cuenta que un corte de hoja limpio y delgado daba mejores resultados que uno grueso y “mordisqueado”.


 We noticed a cleaner and thinner cut of the leaf would yield better results than a thick and sloppy cut.

<figure class="wp-block-image">
 <img alt="photo5476823239821993966" class="wp-image-134456 gcloudimg" data-attachment-id="134456" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta='{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}' data-image-title="photo5476823239821993966" data-recalc-dims="1" src="https://storage.googleapis.com/microcosmosdelta.appspot.com/images/transfer_134453/photo5476823239821993966.jpg"/>
 <figcaption>
 En esta imagen se observa los “pelitos” en la parte superior y la hoja misma en la parte inferior. In this image we can see the “hairs” in the top and the actual leaf in the bottom.
 </figcaption>
</figure>
<figure class="wp-block-image">
 <img alt="photo5476823239821993965" class="wp-image-134457 gcloudimg" data-attachment-id="134457" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta='{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}' data-image-title="photo5476823239821993965" data-recalc-dims="1" src="https://storage.googleapis.com/microcosmosdelta.appspot.com/images/transfer_134453/photo5476823239821993965.jpg"/>
 <figcaption>
 Zoom hecho con el celular. A zoomed-in image using my phone.
 </figcaption>
</figure>
<figure class="wp-block-image">
 <img alt="photo5476823239821993964" class="wp-image-134458 gcloudimg" data-attachment-id="134458" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta='{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}' data-image-title="photo5476823239821993964" data-recalc-dims="1" src="https://storage.googleapis.com/microcosmosdelta.appspot.com/images/transfer_134453/photo5476823239821993964.jpg"/>
 <figcaption>
 Zoom a todo lo que da para observar los “pelitos” individuales. Maxed-out zoom to make out the individual hairs on the leaf.
 </figcaption>
</figure>

 Este post es un ejemplo utilizado durante los talleres “Exploradores del microcosmos” para que los alumnos y alumnas puedan ver cómo podrían reportar sus descubrimientos.


 This post is an example used during the “Microcosm Explorers” wokshops so that students can see how they could report their discoveries.

Planta vaporub &#8211; Vaporub plant (Plectranthus sp.) [ESP &amp; ENG)

[ENGLISH BELOW] Taller llevado a cabo en la Ciudad de Guadalajara, en el proyecto educativo de ALAS -aprendizaje en libertad. // Workshop in Guadalajara City, at the ALAS education project.

<figure class="wp-block-image">
 <img alt="photo5670509596103518133" class="wp-image-149223 gcloudimg" data-attachment-id="149223" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta='{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}' data-image-title="photo5670509596103518133" src="https://storage.googleapis.com/microcosmosdelta.appspot.com/images/transfer_149222/photo5670509596103518133.jpg"/>
 <figcaption>
 Orgullosos Exploradores del Microcosmos. //
 
 Proud Microcosmos Explorers.
 </figcaption>
</figure>

 El taller duró un poco menos de cuatro horas. Comenzamos con un poco de teoría para abordar conceptos básicos como ecosistema y microorganismos. Después a cada participante o equipo de dos participantes se les entregaron unas ilustraciones de diferentes ecosistemas microscópicos y sus descripciones. Cada quien tenía que elegir su microorganismo favorito y decirnos por qué lo había elegido. Entre los elegidos estaban un poliqueto, un pseudoescorpión, una planaria, y -por supuesto- un tardígrado.

<figure class="wp-block-image">
 <img alt="photo5670509596103518137" class="wp-image-149229 gcloudimg" data-attachment-id="149229" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta='{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}' data-image-title="photo5670509596103518137" src="https://storage.googleapis.com/microcosmosdelta.appspot.com/images/transfer_149222/photo5670509596103518137.jpg"/>
 <figcaption>
 Usé una presentación en Power Point como apoyo visual al abordar los temas teóricos. //
 
 I used a Power Point presentation as visual support for the theory section of the workshop.
 </figcaption>
</figure>

 The entire workshop lasted a little under four hours. We started out with a little theory on some basic concepts such as ecosystem and microorganisms. Afterwards, each participant or team of participants was handed a set of papers with illustrations depicting different microscopic ecosystems. Everybody had to choose their favourite microorganism and share with us why they chose that particular one. Among the chosen favourites we had a polychaete (I hope the spelling is right), a pseudoscorpion, a flatworm and -of course- a waterbear or tardigrade.

<figure class="wp-block-image">
 <img alt="photo5670509596103518138" class="wp-image-149224 gcloudimg" data-attachment-id="149224" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta='{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}' data-image-title="photo5670509596103518138" src="https://storage.googleapis.com/microcosmosdelta.appspot.com/images/transfer_149222/photo5670509596103518138.jpg"/>
 <figcaption>
 ¡Este microcosmos tenía ositos de agua, musgo y unos muy bonitos nemátodos! //
 
 This microcosmos depiction had waterbears, moss and some lovely nematodes!
 </figcaption>
</figure>

 Después de esta actividad, empezamos con el ensamble de los foldscopes. Algunos participantes se adelantaron y terminaron su foldscope mucho antes que los demás, ¡a pesar de estar utilizando instrucciones en inglés!


 After this activity, we started assembling the foldscopes. Some participants got ahead of us and finished setting up their foldscopes way before the rest, ¡despite using the english version of the instructions!

<figure class="wp-block-image">
 <img alt="photo5670509596103518134" class="wp-image-149233 gcloudimg" data-attachment-id="149233" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta='{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}' data-image-title="photo5670509596103518134" src="https://storage.googleapis.com/microcosmosdelta.appspot.com/images/transfer_149222/photo5670509596103518134-1.jpg"/>
 <figcaption>
 Primer paso, sacar todas las piezas del molde. //
 
 First step, remove al pieces from the mold.
 </figcaption>
</figure>

 Una vez terminado el foldscope, aprendimos a preparar y observar muestras. Entre ellas pudimos observar, tejido ósteo, una fracción de arteria, levaduras, masa madre, un ala de cucaracha, una hormiga y un pétalo de flor.


 Once the foldscopes where finished, we learnt how to prepare and observe samples. We were able to observe bone tissue, artery tissue, yeast, sourdough, a cockroaches wing, an ant and a flower petal.

<figure class="wp-block-image">
 <img alt="photo5670509596103518135" class="wp-image-149235 gcloudimg" data-attachment-id="149235" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta='{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}' data-image-title="photo5670509596103518135" data-recalc-dims="1" src="https://storage.googleapis.com/microcosmosdelta.appspot.com/images/transfer_149222/photo5670509596103518135.jpg"/>
 <figcaption>
 Dos facilitadoras del centro educativo nos acompañaron durante el taller. //
 
 Two teachers from the centre joined us for the workshop.
 </figcaption>
</figure>

 Terminamos el taller con una pequeña evaluación y discutiendo los requerimientos para abrir un perfil en la comunidad foldscope y saber publicar nuestros hallazgos.


 We finished the workshop with a small evaluation as well as a small intro on opening an account in the foldscope community and publishing our findings.

<figure class="wp-block-image">
 <img alt="photo5670509596103518136" class="wp-image-149238 gcloudimg" data-attachment-id="149238" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta='{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}' data-image-title="photo5670509596103518136" src="https://storage.googleapis.com/microcosmosdelta.appspot.com/images/transfer_149222/photo5670509596103518136.jpg"/>
 <figcaption>
 El ensablaje del microscopio nos tomó más de una hora. //
 
 Foldscope assembly took us a little over an hour.
 </figcaption>
</figure>

 Como conclusión personal, creo que entre más talleres doy y más me familiarizo con el foldscope, más cómoda me siento enseñándole a otros cómo usarlo. Mi momento favorito es cuando logran enfocar su propia muestra por primera vez y gritan de emoción, exactamente como lo hice yo con mi primera observación en el foldscope.


 As a personal conclusion, I think that the more workshops I offer and the more I am familiarized with the foldscope, the more comfortable I feel teaching others how to use it. My favourite moment is when they manage to focus their sample for the first time and gasp or scream in excitement, just like I did with my first foldscope observation.

Exploradores del Microcosmos ALAS, Guadalajara, Mexico. (SPA &amp; ENG)

Foldscope workshops Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico


 I’ve been offering these workshops for some months now and they’ve been a complete success. It all started out as my social service project for university, but I soon finished up all my donated foldscopes, so I decided to buy some out of my own pocket and offer these workshops to whoever was interested. I’ve had both adults and kids take the workshop and they’ve loved it.

<figure class="wp-block-image">
 <img alt="photo5674592602468493230" class="wp-image-166291 gcloudimg" data-attachment-id="166291" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta='{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}' data-image-title="photo5674592602468493230" src="https://storage.googleapis.com/microcosmosdelta.appspot.com/images/transfer_166290/photo5674592602468493230.jpg"/>
 <figcaption>
 One of the workshops we did in Guadalajara, we even had three generations of a family present (grandfather, father and kids)
 </figcaption>
</figure>

 I’ve realized I feel more comfortable with the workshops now than I did in the beginning because I’m more familiar with both the activities we do and the actual foldscope assembly itself. The four hour workshop now usually lasts three hours, depending on the age and amount of participants.

<figure class="wp-block-image">
 <img alt="photo5672773344516220846" class="wp-image-166292 gcloudimg" data-attachment-id="166292" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta='{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}' data-image-title="photo5672773344516220846" src="https://storage.googleapis.com/microcosmosdelta.appspot.com/images/transfer_166290/photo5672773344516220846.jpg"/>
 <figcaption>
 Workshop done on mats usually used to train capoeira and martial arts! You can build and use a foldscope ANYWHERE!
 </figcaption>
</figure>

 One of the best things about doing these workshops is the fact that we observe different things on different days. For example, one of the kids found a dead spider one day, another time, somebody went and got mosquito larvae from a laundry basin… That’s the foldscope magic, you don’t just satisfy your curiousity, but feed it as well!

<figure class="wp-block-image">
 <img alt="photo5674592602468493229" class="wp-image-166293 gcloudimg" data-attachment-id="166293" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta='{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}' data-image-title="photo5674592602468493229" src="https://storage.googleapis.com/microcosmosdelta.appspot.com/images/transfer_166290/photo5674592602468493229.jpg"/>
 <figcaption>
 Taken by a wokshop participant – spider fangs!!
 </figcaption>
</figure>
<figure class="wp-block-image">
 <img alt="photo5672450908436408239" class="wp-image-166294 gcloudimg" data-attachment-id="166294" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta='{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}' data-image-title="photo5672450908436408239" src="https://storage.googleapis.com/microcosmosdelta.appspot.com/images/transfer_166290/photo5672450908436408239.jpg"/>
 <figcaption>
 Close-up of one of the spider legs
 </figcaption>
</figure>

 More posts will come with discoveries that mostly the participants of the workshop have made. Thank you for reading! [Next post includes one of the kid participants inspecting lice off of his own head… fascinating!!]

Explorers of the microcosmos MEXICO

Worshop participants at Cinvestav (Laboratorio de Biocombustibles) in Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico decided to catch some mosquito larvae to observe under the microscope


 You can see the brushes near the mouth cavity that it uses for feeding, the segmented abdomen, antenae and even the little hairs it has on each segment.

<figure class="wp-block-image">
 <img alt="photo5674592602468493231" class="wp-image-166307 gcloudimg" data-attachment-id="166307" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta='{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}' data-image-title="photo5674592602468493231" data-recalc-dims="1" src="https://storage.googleapis.com/microcosmosdelta.appspot.com/images/transfer_166299/photo5674592602468493231.jpg"/>
</figure>
<figure class="wp-block-video">
 <video alt="IMG_0851-1.mov" class="gcloudimg" controls="" src="https://storage.googleapis.com/microcosmosdelta.appspot.com/images/transfer_166299/IMG_0851-1.mov">
 </video>
 <figcaption>
 IMG_0851
 </figcaption>
</figure>
<figure class="wp-block-video">
 <video alt="IMG_0850.mov" class="gcloudimg" controls="" src="https://storage.googleapis.com/microcosmosdelta.appspot.com/images/transfer_166299/IMG_0850.mov">
 </video>
 <figcaption>
 IMG_0850
 </figcaption>
</figure>

Samantha Lopez Clinton

Earth

Posts

Planta vaporub – Vaporub plant (Plectranthus sp.) [ESP & ENG)

Exploradores del Microcosmos ALAS, Guadalajara, Mexico. (SPA & ENG)

Explorers of the microcosmos MEXICO

Mosquito larvae at Cinvestav, Mexico

Exploradores del microcosmos CDMX (ESP & ENG)

Planta vaporub – Vaporub plant (Plectranthus sp.) [ESP & ENG)

Exploradores del Microcosmos ALAS, Guadalajara, Mexico. (SPA & ENG)

Explorers of the microcosmos MEXICO

Mosquito larvae at Cinvestav, Mexico

Exploradores del microcosmos CDMX (ESP & ENG)

Planta vaporub – Vaporub plant (Plectranthus sp.) [ESP & ENG)

Exploradores del Microcosmos ALAS, Guadalajara, Mexico. (SPA & ENG)

Explorers of the microcosmos MEXICO

Mosquito larvae at Cinvestav, Mexico

Locations

Statistics

Type of Sample

Foldscope Lens Magnification