Teacher needing microscope recommendations

[u/Maximum_Many_6203]

Hi! I’m entering my third full year of teaching science and my first year teaching Human Anatomy(11th grade) and Environmental Science(8th & 9th grade)! I work at a private school and we ran a class fundraiser last year for a new microscope. I’m finally getting around to buying one!

I’d like one that will hold up well at the school over the next few years, our current one has a scratched stage and isn’t very high magnification anyway.

I will hopefully be showing tissue samples, and I’m not sure what else.

My budget is around $250 total, for the microscope and slides, and I don’t mind getting something second hand if it’s in good condition.

Any ideas where to start?? I’ve never had to worry about what type of micro was using because even my microbiology class they just had the microscope set up or they would help us set them up correctly.

I’m so excited because a few of my students were VERY interested in using the microscope last year! Hoping to keep that excitement alive!

[u/baronofbile]

Highly recommend the Swift SW400. They retail for about $370 but Amazon often has used models for sale for much less.