image: http://bioenergyconnection.org/article/jatropha-and-clostridium-bio-fuel
Concept covered in activity: What are microbes and microbe diversity?
Grade level: 5th
National Standards: http://bioengineeringcompostunit.weebly.com/standards.html
State Standards:
Colorado Science 2.2A Develop and communicate an evidence-based scientific explanation regarding how humans address basic survival needs
NS.5-8.1 Science as Inquiry – students should develop abilities necessary to do scientific inquiry, understandings about scientific inquiry
Learning objectives: Students will be able to…
1. identify that there are many types of microorganisms (microbes) and that some are beneficial and others are detrimental to human life
2. conduct research by asking their own questions and finding answers using resources provided to them.
Materials
Instructional planning
1. Engage
Students create a KWL (Know-Want to know/learn-Learned) table in their science notebooks. They should then fill it out the "K" and "W" columns thinking about microorganisms. They may do this individually or in groups
2. Explore
Students rotate in groups to different stations for different microorganisms and take notes in the "L" section. Discuss as a group about things you didn’t know, things you find interesting, etc.
3. Explain
Students return to the class as a large group and discuss what they learned. Fill in the "L" section on their KWL table as needed.
4. Elaborate
In their science notebooks, students should take notes about new knowledge. Then, the teacher should prompt students to work in small groups (2-3 students) to identify one area of microbiology they would like to study in more depth. Some options include:
5. Evaluate
The teacher will provide students with web resources (see below) and/or print materials found from the school library. Students, in their research groups, will create another KWL table; however, this time it will center on their research questions and focal microbe area.
Either this class period or the following science class period, invite students to share what they have learned. Use a doc camera so students can use their KWL table to guide their presentation.
Resources for teachers (find the appropriate links for your students):
pathogenic bacteria ted talk
discovery education bacteria resources
anglerfish bacteria
e-bug junior
microbiome resources
soil microbes
Assessment
Formative
"What is a microbe KWL" table (informal)
Summative
"Microbe research KWL" table (formal)
Class presentation (informal)
Anticipated misconceptions/alternative conceptions
Expect that many students will think all bacteria are "bad" (i.e., pathogenic). They will not realize that we have bacteria living in our guts, that we need bacteria to produce certain foods, and that bacteria are essential in the decomposition process.
Accommodations/ modifications of activity for any special needs students
Grade level: 5th
National Standards: http://bioengineeringcompostunit.weebly.com/standards.html
State Standards:
Colorado Science 2.2A Develop and communicate an evidence-based scientific explanation regarding how humans address basic survival needs
NS.5-8.1 Science as Inquiry – students should develop abilities necessary to do scientific inquiry, understandings about scientific inquiry
Learning objectives: Students will be able to…
1. identify that there are many types of microorganisms (microbes) and that some are beneficial and others are detrimental to human life
2. conduct research by asking their own questions and finding answers using resources provided to them.
Materials
- print materials related to microbes and bacteria from school library
- online resources (see suggestions below)
- printed off images
Instructional planning
- Remember to print off the images of microbes using a color printer. We recommend putting these print offs in page protectors so they can be reused.
- Remember to find web resources for the Elaborate/Evaluate sections
1. Engage
Students create a KWL (Know-Want to know/learn-Learned) table in their science notebooks. They should then fill it out the "K" and "W" columns thinking about microorganisms. They may do this individually or in groups
2. Explore
Students rotate in groups to different stations for different microorganisms and take notes in the "L" section. Discuss as a group about things you didn’t know, things you find interesting, etc.
3. Explain
Students return to the class as a large group and discuss what they learned. Fill in the "L" section on their KWL table as needed.
4. Elaborate
In their science notebooks, students should take notes about new knowledge. Then, the teacher should prompt students to work in small groups (2-3 students) to identify one area of microbiology they would like to study in more depth. Some options include:
- beneficial food microbes (important for making food)
- detrimental food microbes (unwanted bacteria that grows on food)
- pathogenic microbes (that cause disease)
- symbiotic microbes (e.g, gut microbes in humans, other vertebrates, or invertebrates or bacteria that live in algae)
- decomposing microbes (soil microbes that are important for the decomposition process)
5. Evaluate
The teacher will provide students with web resources (see below) and/or print materials found from the school library. Students, in their research groups, will create another KWL table; however, this time it will center on their research questions and focal microbe area.
Either this class period or the following science class period, invite students to share what they have learned. Use a doc camera so students can use their KWL table to guide their presentation.
Resources for teachers (find the appropriate links for your students):
pathogenic bacteria ted talk
discovery education bacteria resources
anglerfish bacteria
e-bug junior
microbiome resources
soil microbes
Assessment
Formative
"What is a microbe KWL" table (informal)
Summative
"Microbe research KWL" table (formal)
Class presentation (informal)
Anticipated misconceptions/alternative conceptions
Expect that many students will think all bacteria are "bad" (i.e., pathogenic). They will not realize that we have bacteria living in our guts, that we need bacteria to produce certain foods, and that bacteria are essential in the decomposition process.
Accommodations/ modifications of activity for any special needs students
- It is highly recommended that teachers preview any websites that are shared with students to ensure that they are live and are appropriate for students in the class.
- If students struggle with writing, either they can work in groups or type out KWL on a computer
- For advanced students, they can be directed to Rice University's "Med Myst" game.
what_are_microbes_stations-1.pdf | |
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