© 2013 by Baylor College of Medicine All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America TEACHER RESOURCES FROM THE CENTER FOR EDUCATIONAL OUTREACH AT BAYLOR COLLEGE OF MEDICINE The mark “BioEd” is a service mark of Baylor College of Medicine (BCM). The information contained in this publication is for educational purposes only and should in no way be taken to be the provision or practice of medical, nursing or professional healthcare advice or services. The information should not be considered complete and should not be used in place of a visit, call, consultation or advice of a physician or other health care provider. Call or see a physician or other health care provider promptly for any health care-related questions. Development of Think Like a Microbiologist educational materials is supported, in part, by the National Science Foundation, grant number DRL-1028771 (Principal Investigator, Nancy Moreno, Ph.D.), and by the Science Education Partnership Award Program of the Office of the Director, National Institutes of Health (grant number 5R25 RR018605). The activities described in this book are intended for school-age children under direct supervision of adults. The authors, BCM, NSF, and NIH cannot be responsible for any accidents or injuries that may result from conduct of the activities, from not specifically following directions, or from ignoring cautions contained in the text. The opinions, findings and conclusions expressed in this publication are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of BCM, image contributors or the sponsoring agencies. Photographs used throughout this guide, whether copyrighted or in the public domain, require contacting original sources to obtain permission to use images outside of this publication. The authors, contributors, and editorial staff have made every effort to contact copyright holders to obtain permission to reproduce copyrighted images. However, if any permissions have been inadvertently overlooked, the authors will be pleased to make all necessary and reasonable arrangements. Authors: Barbara Tharp, M.S., Gregory L. Vogt, Ed.D., Michael Vu, M.S., Christopher Burnett, B.A., James Denk, M.A., and Nancy Moreno, Ph.D. Unless otherwise noted, illustrations and photographs by G.L. Vogt, M.S. Young, or C. Burnett ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The authors gratefully acknowledge the support and guidance of William A. Thomson, Ph.D., BCM Center for Educational Outreach; and C. Michael Fordis, Jr., M.D., BCM Center for Collaborative and Interactive Technologies. The authors also sincerely thank J. Kyle Roberts, Ph.D., and Alana D. Newell, M.Ed., who guided field test activities and conducted data analyses. We also are grateful to the Houston-area teachers and students who piloted the activities in this guide. No part of this book may be reproduced by any mechanical, photographic or electronic process, or in the form of an audio recording; nor may it be stored in a retrieval system, transmitted, or otherwise copied for public or private use without prior written permission of the publisher. Black-line masters reproduced for classroom use are excepted. Center for Educational Outreach, Baylor College of Medicine One Baylor Plaza, BCM411, Houston, Texas 77030 | 713-798-8200 | 800-798-8244 | [email protected] bioedonline.org | k8science.org Contents Safety Notes / Using Cooperative Groups in the Classroom ii Unit Materials iii ACTIVITIES 1A. Microbes are Invisible to Humans 1 How do we know that germs are there? 1B. Microbe Scavenger Hunt 3 Which surfaces produce the most bacterial or mold growth? 2A. Magnification 8 What causes magnification? 2B. Magnification Tools 12 What are the parts and powers of a microscope? 3A. Exploring with the Microscope 17 Can you identify what is on a “mystery” slide? 3B. Magnifying and Observing Cells 21 What are some characteristics of plant cells? 4A. Observing Different Microbes 25 What might you find in a drop of pond water? 4B. The Size of Microbes 28 Are all microbes the same size and shape? 5A. Bacteria, Fungi, Protists and Viruses 31 What roles do microbes play in life? 6A. The Ghost Map 36 Is it possible to track the source of a disease outbreak? Think Like a Microbiologist was created and evaluated as part of the Middle School Science Readiness Project at Baylor College of Medicine, with funding from the National Science Foundation (award number 102871) and from the Science Education Partnership Award Program of the Office of the Director, National Institutes of Health (grant number 5R25 RR018605). i Think Like a Microbiologist © Baylor College of Medicine. Safety Notes Always follow district and school laboratory safety procedures. It is a good idea for students to wash their hands with soap and water before and after any science activity. Unless noted, each activity in this guide is designed for students working in groups of four (see “Using Cooperative Groups in the Classroom”). Using Cooperative Groups in the Classroom Cooperative learning is a systematic way for students to work together in groups of two to four. It provides organized group interaction and enables students to share ideas and to learn from one another. Students in such an environment are more likely to take responsibility for their own learning. Cooperative groups enable the teacher to conduct hands-on investigations with fewer materials. Organization is essential for cooperative learning to occur in a hands-on science classroom. Materials must be managed, investigations conducted, results recorded, and clean-up directed and carried out. Each student must have a specific role, or chaos may result. The Teaming Up! model* provides an efficient system for cooperative learning. Four “jobs” entail specific duties. Students wear job badges that describe their duties. Tasks are rotated within each group for different activities, so that each student has a chance to experience all roles. For groups with fewer than four students, job assignments can be combined. Once a cooperative model for learning is established in the classroom, students are able to conduct science activities in an organized and effective manner. The job titles and responsibilities are as follow. Principal Investigator • Reads the directions • Asks questions of the instructor/teacher • Checks the work Maintenance Director • Ensures that safety rules are followed • Directs the cleanup • Asks others to help Reporter • Records observations and results • Shares results with group or class • Tells the teacher when the investigation is complete Materials Manager • Picks up the materials • Directs use of equipment • Returns the materials * Jones, R.M. 1990. Teaming Up! LaPorte, Texas: ITGROUP. ii Think Like a Microbiologist © Baylor College of Medicine. Unit Materials for 24 students, working in groups of 4 Activity 1A 4 plastic cover slips Per Class: • 4 plastic or glass microscope slides • 1 small container Glo Germ powder • 4 rulers (measurements in cm) • 1 Large black light • Microscope (any kind) • Bar Soap • Other objects to observe, such as a leaf, coin, • Liquid Soap dollar bill, etc. • Pre-moistened towels • Set of colored pencils or markers • Antibacterial cleaner • Sheet of wax paper (6 cm in length) • 1 Roll Paper towels • Small container of tap water • Transparent tape Activity 1B Per Student: Per Class: • Copies of Magnification Observations and The • Nutrient Agar (see set-up) Compound Microscope student sheets Per Student: • Petri Dish (see set-up) Activity 3A • Potato slice (Idaho bakers) Per Class: • 3 Cotton-tipped applicators (like Q-tips) • Note cards • Plastic sandwich bag • Scissors Per Student Pair: • Tape • Small Cup • Selected materials • Distilled/Filtered water • Microscopes • Permanent marker pen • Copies of Mystery Slide Investigations sheet • 2 Hand Lenses • Clear tape Activity 3B For Disposal: Per Class: • Bleach OR Small plastic trash bag • Sharp knife • 1 white onion Activity 2A • Several stalks of Elodea plant Per Student Pair: • Computer with internet access • 2 Clear plastic 7-8 oz cups • Projector • Set of materials in plastic bag including loose Per Group: and tightly woven fabric, feather, penny, • Microscope pencil, piece of dollar bill, newsprint, … • 4 pairs of safety goggles • Clear flat-sided takeout salad box • 4 microscope slides • Cooking oil • 2 pairs of forceps • Paper towel • 1/6 of an onion, vertical slice • Eye dropper • Small stalk of Elodea leaves • 2 Hand Lenses • Iodine solution in small portion cup • Water in small portion cup Activity 2B • 2 pipettes (droppers) Per Group : • Science notebooks or drawing paper • 4 hand lenses or magnifiers • 4 copies Preparing and Viewing student sheet • 4 index cards (or similarly sized sections of cardstock) • 4 pairs of scissors • 4 pieces of newsprint, about 2 cm x 10 cm each. Select pieces that have newsprint on one side only so that print will not show through under the microscope. • 4 pipettes or droppers iii Think Like a Microbiologist © Baylor College of Medicine. Activity 4A Activity 5 Per Group: Per Class: • 4 magnifiers • 12 sheets of cardstock (to prepare cards) • Microscope • 6 resealable plastic bags • 4 sets of gloves Per Group: • 4 goggles • Set of 4 Microbe Groups cards and 20 • 4 pipettes or droppers Microbe Examples cards • 4 microscope slides • 50 ml of pond water in clear plastic cup Activity 6 • 4 index cards • colored pencils Part 1 • Small portion cup with glycerin Per Group: • 4 sheets of blank paper for graphic organizer • Four-part London Soho district map copies • 4 scissors • Victim list copies • Overhead projector transparency sheets Activity 4B for printers Per Class: • Clear tape • Large paper square 2.5 m x 2.5 m (Butcher • Scissors paper) Part 2 Per Group: Per Student: • Set of 4 prepared text strips • 4 hand lenses • Information on Dr. Snow copies • 4 metric rulers marked in millimeters • 4 Scissors • Assorted markers or colored pencils • Meter stick • Paper or science notebook • Several sheets of colored or plain paper, or roll of chart or craft paper • Tape or glue • Copy of the Microbe Scaling Chart student sheet iv Think Like a Microbiologist © Baylor College of Medicine.