At Orange Center Elementary, the Exploring Microscopic Life project introduced students to the exploration of plant and animal cell characteristics, including those in water and the surrounding environment, through the use of a microscope. Students were able to analyze and identify the various structures of the various cells including unicellular and multicellular organisms. By understanding the composition of cells, students gained a better understanding of how they function in plants and animals and in the environment, which in turn impacts human life both directly and indirectly. This unit also laid the foundation for ongoing and expanding units in science. Student activities included dissecting a plant and looking at its structures, dissecting insects, analyzing and identifying cells in water, and observing cell cycles.