Mystery of the Microbes

Susan Kohler NASA EPDC NASA Glenn Research Center [email protected]

Skohler 6/9/2016 NASA Centers

Goddard Space Ames Research Flight Center Glenn Research Center Center Headquarters Armstrong Langley Flight Research Research Center Center Jet Propulsion Laboratory Marshall Space Flight Center

Stennis Space Center Kennedy Space Center Johnson Space Center

2 Group Roles

Project Manager • Only team member that is allowed to ask the teacher questions. • Only member of the team that will report out/ answer questions. • In charge of time constraints.

Engineer • Is in charge of the constraints . • Makes the supply list with logistics • Approves the design after construction.

Logistics • The Only member allowed at the supply table • Collects and Returns supplies and equipment. • Makes sure to use only what is needed.

Scientist • Is in charge of repeatability • Records all data and information. • Fills out forms and written reports of any kind for the team. How do you know what you know? What do you see? How did you solve the problem?

What is the driving Question? What is the Preliminary Question?

2/6/2017 4 Scientists generally agree :

 Certain characteristics are common to living things: ◦ The ability to use energy ( metabolism) ◦ The ability to grow and develop over time. ◦ The ability to reproduce like offspring.

 Life as we know it on Earth requires: ◦ Water ◦ A source of energy ◦ A stable environment

 Sometimes we cannot see living things, but we can observe evidence of their presence.

Big Ideas: Defining Life What is Life? What does it look like? NASA  NASA’s Astrobiology Astrobiology Program addresses three fundamental questions: https://astrobiology.nasa.gov/ What kind of Science is it?

 How does life begin and Where does it fit in the evolve? Standards? https://astrobiology.nasa.gov/ classroom-materials  Is there life beyond Earth and, if so, how can we detect it?

 What is the future of life on Earth and in the universe? What kind of  Life Science Science is it? Where does it fit in the ◦ Microbiology standards?

◦ Evolutionary biology Relationships

 Earth and Space : The relevant disciplines are participating in astrobiology ◦ Cosmic Phenomena research and helping to advance the enterprise of ◦ Astronomy space exploration. ◦ Astrophysics ◦ Planetary  Physical Science ◦ Cosmochemistry The Story of our Search for Life in the Universe http://missionscience.nasa.go v/astrobiology_graphic_novel/ Astrobiology-Issue01.pdf http://www.nasa.gov/pdf/637832main_Astrobiology_Math.pdf

What is Life? Astrobiology Math Guide- Grades 6-12

http://www.nasa.gov/pdf/637832main_Astrobiology_Math.pdf

 What is Life? (15 problems)

 What Makes a World Habitable? ( 15 problems)

 The Search for Earth-Like Planets ( 7 problems)

 Exoplanets and Their Properties ( 13 problems)

 Basic Astronomy ( 15 problems)

 The Drake Equation ( 2 problems)

 Searching for Extra Terrestrials( 8 problems) How do we classify living things? What roles do Universal Ancestors play in adaptation?

What is the Preliminary Question? What do you want them to know? Pre-test Objectives: Standards:

Students will:  LS1- Structure and  Demonstrate their ability to make processes (Grades K-2) accurate and detailed observations  LS3-Heridity and Variation  Draw and identify an unknown of Traits Grades (3-12) using a written description about  LS4- Biological Evolution: the unknown traits. Unity and Diversity ( Grades 3-12)  EtS1: Developing Possible Solutions ( Models, sketches and drawings)  Guiding principals

Link to the Standards Use a Venn Diagram to find the common properties of the three hypothetical life forms presented.

Challenge http://www.nasa.gov/pdf/637832main_Astrobiology_Math.pdf Materials: per group Constraints

 Venn Diagram  Use all of the data  Clearly label the evidence.  ‰Data Table  Colored pencils  Highlighters  Poster Paper

Experimental Design Heebie Ogryte Rhymba  Heebie DNA  Ogryte Legs  Rhymba

Data Collection; Preliminary Research Challenge

 Use a Venn Diagram to find the common properties of the three hypothetical life forms presented.

 Describe what properties the Last Universal Ancestor may have had, and which properties are probably adaptations.

 Make a drawing/ sculpture of the organism your team is assigned.

Report Out How do we classify living things? What roles do Universal Ancestors play in adaptation?

Assessment What did they learn? Post-Test • Make a drawing/ sculpture of the organism your team is assigned.

• Compare it to the other organisms in the class.

Extension PROCESS OF SCIENCE 9-Step Model • Are microbes alive? • How do you know they are • alive? • What do microbes eat? • How they move? Methane Ice Worm • How they grow? • Where do they live?

Preliminary Questions Pre-test http://www.tbi.monta na.edu/eye/stromatoli te%20video.mp4

The Unseen World: Video 4 types of Microbes

Viruses: Examples are those that cause the flu, common cold, chickenpox, HIV, measles, mumps, and rabies. Scientists do not agree on whether to consider viruses as living or non-living organisms.

Bacteria: Examples are those that cause strep throat, scarlet fever and, tetanus.(lockjaw),.

Protists: Examples are slime mold, paramecium, volvox, and euglena.

Fungi: Examples are mold, mildew, mushrooms, and yeast. Microbe Environment

Where do we look for Bring It along! microbes in nature? Bring paper and pen/pencil on the walk to record observations and any questions.

What is a Microbe: A Nature Walk Challenge Grow microbes in a lab environment. Photosynthetic microbial mats are complex ecosystems that generally exhibit vertical gradients in light, and chemical compounds. These gradients are established by photosynthesis at the top of the mat and control the functioning of the intact ecosystem.

The BIG IDEA http://oceanexplo rer.noaa.gov/expl orations/12fire/ba ckground/edu/me dia/microbmats_5 6.pdf Web Page Objectives

 http://microbes.arc.n  Students will conduct asa.gov/download/pd their own field f/How%20to%20Mak investigation that will e%20a%20Microbial involve making %20Mat.pdf observations and forming explanations about microbes.

Building a Winogradsky Column PROCESS OF SCIENCE 9-Step Model  As a class, discuss  Scientists must know what skills scientists the topic they are need to write a investigating well hypothesis from a before a hypothesis question. This can be developed. discussion should  Scientists often do include: research on the topic before making a hypothesis.  Scientists make predictions based on the research.

A Hypothesis is not a guess!  2-liter plastic soda  1 sheet of bottle newspaper  5 cups of mud/sand  1 tablespoon from a forest, garden, powdered chalk lake, pond, marsh, or  Hard boiled egg yolk ocean or calcium sulfate  5 cups of water from  1 set measuring each mud/sand location spoons used  plastic wrap and  1 small bucket rubber band  1 measuring cup  1 paint stirrer Gathering the materials Field Trip or Gather mud or sand Home Work from a forest, garden, lake, pond, marsh, or ocean.

 Gather water from each mud or sand location used. Prepare the materials Putting it together

 In a small bucket: add 5 cups of  Carefully cut off the top mud or sand. Remove any sticks, of the 2-liter bottle to leaves, or rocks.  Stirring the mud or sand with a use as a funnel. paint stirrer, slowly add water until  Crush the chalk to the mixture is like thick cream.  Add the newspaper shreddings to powder . the mixture.  Add 1 tablespoon of powdered  Mash the hard-boiled chalk to the mixture. egg yolk.  Add 1 teaspoon of mashed hard- boiled egg yolk or calcium sulfate  Shred a full sheet of to the mixture.  Stir the mixture gently using a newspaper into very paint stirrer. Make sure the small pieces. mixture is fluid so it will flow through the funnel.

Getting Started  Repeat the two previous  Make a label for your bottle with steps of the names of the students in adding a small amount of your group as well as the source mixture and settling the of the mud or sand. mixture until the bottle is about 90 percent full.  Set the funnel into the mouth of the bottle. Secure the funnel  Stir the mixture in the bottle with tape or have a group to remove any air bubbles. member hold the funnel in place.  Let the bottle sit for 30  Pour or scoop a small amount of minutes. The the mixture into the base of the water that settles on top of the bottle. mixture should be about 2 cm deep.  Place your hand over the top of the bottle and tap the bottom of the bottle firmly on the table.  Add/remove the water in your This helps the mixture settle and bottle as needed. removes oxygen that is trapped in the mixture.  Cover the bottle with foil or plastic wrap and a rubber band. Building the column Experimental  Once columns are Design Questions completed, have students re-read their Will temperature or sunlight have an hypotheses and effect on the column? decide if they want to

Will freshwater or make any changes to saltwater allow more it. microbial growth?  Record this modified Will microbes be able hypothesis in the lab to grow better at the journal. surface of the column or at the bottom of the column?  Draw and Label a Observations color picture of your Make several column. predictions.  Write several Observations  What is a microbe?  What conditions are necessary for microbial growth?  Are there microbes in the water sources we observed?  Do humans actions affect the contamination of the water?

Post Test  Microbial mats are entire ecosystems where different organisms perform different roles (producer, consumer, decomposer)in the ecosystem. The position that an organism occupies in a mat is predictive of its role in the ecosystem. Whether it uses or provides oxygen will be a clue to its position and biogeochemical functions. : ◦ Look for the Standard we are covering. ◦ Decide how the PBL activity meets the standard ◦ What changes will you make to the activity so that it meets the standard?

Interactive Biogeochemical Cycle Challenge

. Revisit our Microbial mats. Determine the different bacteria present.

. Draw and label the bacteria and determine the bacteria’s contribution the ecosystem. Materials

 Microbial Mats  Photos of various types of bacteria  Journals http://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=7MmIiCj4oVA .

 Explore the possibility of finding life on other planets. See how NASA's search for water on Mars proved successful with the Phoenix Lander. Find out about extremophiles and what makes a habitable zone for life as we know it

NASA eclips – Life on Other Worlds Tardigrades Water dwelling segmented extremophiles , with eight legs. Tardigrades can withstand:

 Temperatures from just above absolute zero to well above the boiling point of water

 Pressures about six times greater than those found in the deepest ocean trenches

 Ionizing radiation at doses hundreds of times higher than the lethal dose for a human Tardigrade or  The vacuum of outer space  Lack of food or water for “Waterbear” more than 10 years, drying out to the point where they Tardigrades form the phylum Tardigrada, part of the are 3% or less water, only to super phylum Ecdysozoa. Fossils dating from rehydrate, forage, and 530 million years ago, in the Cambrian period have reproduce. been found. Astrobiobound The Search for Life in the Solar System https://marsed.mars.asu.edu/ lesson-plans/astrobiobound WHAT STUDENTS DO: Aligning to the  Conduct an investigation and Standards construct explanations for the viability of extremophiles in Middle School Grade NGSS, specific Planetary environments Common Core, and 21st Century Skills Alignment Document  Summarize environmental information about Earth and other https://marsed.mars.asu.edu/ planets along with types of sites/default/files/stem_resou extremophiles. rces/Astrobiobound%20MS%2  Recognize the difference between 0Alignment%20Document%2 living and non-living things. 02_16.pdf  Infer the potential for life in extreme environments on other planets.  Explain which planets are the most likely candidates to find these extremophiles. Key Concepts  They're known as "extremophiles" -- rugged life forms that thrive under the about most extreme conditions. Extremophiles :Methanopyrus produces  They cling to life at the edge of lava. methane by combining carbon dioxide with hydrogen from rocks in geothermal springs  They thrive under thousand-years-old and other hot spots. An layers of ice. "extremophile," Methanopyrus grows optimally at temperatures near and above  They withstand radiation bombardment the boiling point of water. and still reproduce.

 They bathe in acid and keep on going.

 The can be dried, dehydrated and desiccated, yet still go about their business. (And you thought your days were challenging!) Match extremophiles to their possible environments.

Challenge Match the organism to the environment. Materials: per group Constraints

 1 set of cards Can Living Things Live  You may any Here?(environment cards) resources available  1 set of cards Extreme Life! online. (life form cards)  You must reach  Internet access to the web consensus as a sites group.  1 large sheet of paper labeled “Where Does Life Live?”   Pens, crayons, markers

Experimental Design Collecting the data Brainstorming Ideas

  How do you know what Tables you know?  Charts  Make your arguments substantial and viable.  Include scientific data and terminology (Why?)  Include evidence based on other scientists findings. (Why?)

Design the Experiment  What matches did the Report Out group make?  How do you know what Show the you know? class the  Make your arguments chart you substantial and viable. made.  Include scientific data and terminology (Why?)  Include evidence based on other scientists findings. (Why?) Hot springs in Yellowstone. Water Some bacteria, like these found underground can be heated to in Yellowstone National Park, can boiling by nearby magma (the live in boiling water (100°C, word for lava that’s underground 212°F).

Can Life Live Here?  Lemonade Spring in  McMurdo Dry Valleys in Yellowstone park has acidic Antarctica have average (acid-like) water that can temperatures of -20°C (-4°) and burn your skin. get less than 10 cm(4 inches) of rain each year

Salt domes in Iran. These domes Under water of salt are usually found over volcanoes underground stores of oil and gas. known as black smokers add extremely hot water (as high as 400°C, 725°F) to the ocean environment. This microscopic life form, These microscopic creatures, known as Artemiamonica, can be found in euglenia mutablis, were found in the the “hypersalinic” (high salt to acid-like Rio Tinto in Spain. water ratio) waters of Mono Lake

Tube worms like these grow near Algae can be found under the ice in lakes hydrothermal vents in the ocean in the Arctic and Antarctica. • Are microbes alive? • How do you know they are • alive? • What do microbes eat? • How they move? Methane Ice Worm • How they grow? • Where do they live?

Assessment Post-Test- What Did you learn? What makes a world habitable? http://nasawavelength.org/resource/nw-000-000-001-456 A Needle in Countless Haystacks: Finding Habitable Worlds

TED Ed https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qY1R0UBBZk0 • What makes a planet or moon a good home for living things? • How do we know if a planet or moon is habitable? • What kind of things might limit life?

Preliminary Questions Pre-test Objectives: Standards:

Students will:  LS1- Structure and  Investigate the possibility of life in Processes (Grades K-12) our solar system and beyond.  LS3-Heridity and Variation  Use a card game to assess the of Traits Grades (3-12) conditions and select the top three  LS4- Biological Evolution: candidates for life. Unity and Diversity (Grades 3-12)  EtS1: Developing Possible Solutions ( Models, sketches and drawings)  Guiding principals

Link to the Standards Use scientific evidence to substantiate an argument for life on another planet.

Challenge Materials: per group Constraints

 1 set of cards  You may any describing resources available characteristics of on line. different planets.  You must reach  1 large sheet of consensus as a paper labeled group. Habitable Zones  Pens, crayons, markers Experimental Design http://nai.nasa.gov/media/medialibrary/2013/10/Astrobiology-Educator-Guide- 2007.pdf#page=23 Planet Quest http://planetquest.jpl.nasa.go v/interactives

Alien Safari Listening for Life http://www.alienearths.org/o nline/searchforlife/listeningforl ife.php Collecting the data Brainstorming Ideas

 Tables  How do you know what  Charts you know?  Make your arguments substantial and viable.  Include scientific data and terminology (Why?)  Include evidence based on other scientists findings. (Why?)

Design the Experiment  What decisions did the Report Out group make? Show the  How do you know what you know? class the  Make your arguments chart you substantial and viable. made.  Include scientific data and terminology (Why?)  Include evidence based on other scientists findings. (Why?) • What makes a planet or moon a good home for living things? • How do we know if a planet or moon is habitable? • What kind of things might limit life?

Assessment Post -test Simulation Game Extension http://astroventure.a rc.nasa.gov/