Microbes
Two spherical-shaped MERS-CoV viral particles (green), on the surface of a camel epithelial cell.
Courtesy of NIAID, NIH, and Colorado State University. CC-BY-2.0.
In a set of 12 related lessons, including a pre- and post-assessment, students explore microbes related to health (bacteria, fungi, protists and viruses), learn that microbes play key roles in the lives of humans, and discover that some cause diseases.
-
What Do You Know About Microbes? (pre-assessment)
LessonStudents take a pre-assessment to determine what they already know about microbes. They also estimate the mass of microbes in the human body and begin building group concept maps.
-
Tools of Magnification
LessonStudents explore magnification using water drops and hand lenses and learn about the light microscope.
-
Magnifying and Observing Cells
LessonStudents make slides of cells from an onion skin and an Elodea leaf to observe under a microscope, and learn that all organisms are composed of cells.
-
Observing Different Microbes
LessonStudents use a light microscope to examine three different microbes: bacteria in yogurt, baker's yeast, and paramecia in pond water.
-
The Variety and Roles of Microbes
LessonStudents use sets of cards to categorize microbes’ roles and uses and learn that some microbes can share characteristics with more than one group.
-
Comparing Sizes of Microorganisms
LessonStudents create scale models of microorganisms, compare their relative sizes, and discover that microbes come in many different sizes and shapes.
-
Milestones in Microbiology
LessonStudents read about six milestones in the history of microbiology, create a timeline of events, and learn that many scientific advances become possible only after appropriate tools and techniques are developed.
-
Microbes Are Everywhere
LessonStudents grow, observe and compare bacteria and/or fungi in petri dishes, learning that microbes are everywhere and can grow rapidly on sources of food and water.
-
Defending Against Microbes
LessonStudents investigate the human immune system and solve a crossword puzzle featuring vocabulary related to the immune system and microbes.
-
Infectious Disease Case Study
LessonStudents use evidence to determine whether a patient has a cold, flu or strep infection, and they also learn the differences between bacterial and viral infections.
-
Microbes and Disease
LessonStudents investigate a sample of microbes and the diseases associated with them, learn how diseases are transmitted and impact society, and create art projects representing the diseases they have studied.
-
And Now, What Do You Know About Microbes? (post-assessment)
LessonStudents complete a post-assessment and share what they have learned about microbes by presenting their completed concept maps to the class.