2. Unit Level Questions: To what extent does the study of microbes affect our individual lives and society.
Unit Level Objectives: Students will be able to thoughtfully search out, describe, and predict natural phenomena using
collected, analyzed, and interpreted data, and share their findings with their peers.
Students will be able to write, read, discuss, and present coherent ideas about microbiology and its
relationship to society.
Students will be able to differentiate between viruses and bacteria, describe how diseases are transmitted, and
explain methods of prevention of the spread of communicable diseases.
Students will be able to explain how bacteria and yeasts are used to produce food for human consumption.
Unit Level Assessment: Students will research a virus found to affect the citizens of Connecticut and produce a grant proposal/synthesis
detailing why the research of this disease must be funded by the Department of Public Health and the Centers for
Disease Control. In addition, students must present their findings to the class as if they were presenting to a scientific
panel.
National or State Standards: 10.2 - Microorganisms have an essential role in life processes and cycles on Earth.
Understanding the growth and spread patterns of viruses and bacteria enables the development of methods to
prevent and treat infectious diseases.
D 31. Describe the similarities and differences between bacteria and viruses.
D 32. Describe how bacterial and viral infectious diseases are transmitted, and explain the roles of
sanitation, vaccination and antibiotic medications in the prevention and treatment of infectious diseases.
D 33. Explain how bacteria and yeasts are used to produce foods for human consumption.
3. Calendar of Lessons
Day 1 Day 2 Day 3 Day 4 Day 5
Introduction to Disease Male Sexuality and Male Sexuality and Affecting Ecology:
Microbiology Ecology: Transmission/Viruses Blood Donation Day 1 Blood Donation Day 2 Bacteria
What systems microbes Activity: 1918 Flu Activity: STS Activity: Water Quality
affect Testing Day 1
Explaining Summative
Day 6 Day 7 Day 8 Day 9 Day 10
Affecting Ecology: Antibiotics: Will they Fungi: Symbiotic Using microbial life for Presenting Scientific
Bacteria work relationships human interest Information
Water Quality Testing Summative Due
Day 2
4. Community Based Activities
STS: Students will research blood donation by homosexual males and the
ethical/social implications
Community Based Summative: Students will research disease affecting Connecticut, write a grant
Activities: proposal, and present their proposal
Water Quality Testing: Students will test water quality in their community and
report their findings back to the community.
5. Lesson 1
Title: Introduction to Microbial Duration (minutes): 60
Ecology
Pedagogical Aesthetic/Ecojustic: Students will be shown a
Approaches: painting/picture depicting nature and human relationship
Lesson Level To what extent do microbes affect Earth’s ecology?
Questions:
Lesson Level Students will be able to give examples of Earth’s
Objectives: systems that are affected by microbes
Lesson Activities: Students will be shown a picture depicting man’s
relationship to nature and asked to describe what they
see. We will then go into lecture about Earth’s systems
affected by microbes (summarized). Students will be
given the summative handout and be given about 10
minutes to discuss the project.
Lesson Level A Think-Pair-Share will be used after the lecture.
Assessments: Students will be asked how the picture in the beginning
relates to Earth’s systems
Connections to This is the set-up for the Summative Assessment
Community:
Relationships/Tensi Students will begin to examine the relationship between
ons: humans and their environment, more specifically, how
humans use elements of their environment.
6. Lesson 2
Title: Disease Duration (minutes): 60
Transmission/viruses
Pedagogical Approaches: Critical-Students will examine the tension between those who need/want to be inoculated and
those who believe that inoculation leads to a compromised immune system.
Lesson Level Questions: To what extent is disease transmission preventable through inoculation?
Lesson Level Objectives: Students will be able to interpret generated data
Students will be able to graph generated data
Students will be able to relate data generated in the classroom to the population as a whole.
Lesson Activities: After a 15 minute direct lesson about viruses, students will do the “1918 Flu” Activity where
they will circulate around the room and “infect” each other and determine the infection rate.
Students will then be “inoculated” and determine the infection rate. A graph will be
constructed to compare the two rates of infection. Students will then generate a report
analyzing the data and what it means for the general population.
Lesson Level Assessments: Students will be asked questions regarding the activity as well as generate a report analyzing
their data and how it relates to the general population
Connections to Community: Disease transmission can be detrimental to a population.
Relationships/Tensions: Inoculation is a practice designed to prevent the spread of disease. However, it may weaken
immune system response. Students must balance the needs of the general population against
the needs of the individual.
7. Lesson 3
Title: Male Sexuality and Blood Duration (minutes): 60
Donation Day 1
Pedagogical Approaches: Queer-Students will examine the relationship between male sexual orientation and equal
rights/privileges. Video: Red Cross
Lesson Level Questions: To what extent should sexual orientation determine eligibility for blood donation? To what
extent do our ethical and social responsibilities in the U.S. affect the rest of the world?
Lesson Level Objectives: By the end of this lesson, students will be able to take a stand, based on available data as well
as personal viewpoint, on an issue and deliver relevant information to the public about the issue
as well as offer possible solutions.
Lesson Activities: Students will be shown a video depicting a protest stunt. Students will then begin researching
the background of the stunt. By the end of the period, students should be ready to construct a
pamphlet outlining their stance regarding blood donation by male homosexuals.
Lesson Level Assessments: K-W-L: What do you know about HIV transmission; what do you know about blood donation?
What have you learned from other places? What would you like to learn?
Connections to Community: Students will have to prepare pamphlets for distribution to the community detailing the
practices and policies of the American Red Cross regarding blood donation by homosexual
men.
Relationships/Tensions: Students will be examining the tension between homosexuality and being afforded the same
rights as those who are heterosexual.
8. Lesson 4
Title: Male Sexuality and Blood Duration (minutes): 60
Donation Day 2
Pedagogical Approaches: Queer- Students will examine the relationship between male sexual orientation and equal
rights/privileges.
Lesson Level Questions: To what extent should sexual orientation determine eligibility for blood donation? To what extent do
our ethical and social responsibilities in the U.S. affect the rest of the world?
Lesson Level Objectives: By the end of this lesson, students will be able to take a stand, based on available data as well as
personal viewpoint, on an issue and deliver relevant information to the public about the issue as well
as offer possible solutions.
Lesson Activities: Students will present their pamphlets to the rest of the class. As a class, we will decide whose, both
pro and anti, will be published for distribution to the community.
Lesson Level Assessments: Students should have constructed a thoughtful pamphlet. To assess student understanding of the
lesson, I will be collecting their handouts to determine that they are collecting data and answering the
questions to be best of their ability. The final product is an assessment of their ability to make
connections, take a stand, deliver solutions, and use data to inform the public.
Connections to Community: Students will have to prepare pamphlets for distribution to the community detailing the practices and
policies of the American Red Cross regarding blood donation by homosexual men.
Relationships/Tensions: Students will be examining the tension between homosexuality and being afforded the same rights as
those who are heterosexual.
9. Lesson 5
Title: Affecting Ecology: Bacteria Duration (minutes): 120
Day 1
Pedagogical Approaches: Critical-Students will be assessing water quality in their community and hypothesizing what might
affect quality.
Lesson Level Questions: To what extent do human activities affect water quality?
To what extent does water quality affect human activity?
Lesson Level Objectives: Students will be able to collect samples of water from a local source and determine quality through
testing.
Lesson Activities: We will take a field trip to a local water source and collect samples at three different locations
along the source. The samples will be brought back to the lab and tested. Using Google Maps ®
students will form hypotheses as to what might affect water quality.
Lesson Level Assessments: Students will be asked what we are doing and why? They will write their answers on a piece of
paper, which will be turned in so that I can determine understanding.
Connections to Community: Water quality affects people globally. By testing the quality of the water we can determine whether
it is: usable for consumption, fishing, or recreation. In extreme cases, people may need to have
bottled water brought to them
Relationships/Tensions: People use water for many different activities including consumption. Water quality can have an
adverse effect on human health; if quality is poor, it can affect livelihoods and/or health. However,
some people cannot believe the testing nor will they refrain from using a particular water source.
10. Lesson 6
Title: Affecting Ecology: Bacteria Duration (minutes): 60
Day 2
Pedagogical Approaches: Critical-Students will be assessing water quality in their community and hypothesizing what
might affect quality.
Lesson Level Questions: To what extent do human activities affect water quality?
To what extent does water quality affect human activity?
Lesson Level Objectives: Students will be able to analyze the results of their testing and whether their results supported
their hypotheses. Students will be able to report their findings to their community.
Lesson Activities: Students will read the results of their tests (count coliforms grown in a petri dish) and analyze
those results in accordance with DEEP guidance and CT state statute. Based on their results,
students will write a synthesis summarizing their findings and how they will affect the
community.
Lesson Level Assessments: Students will again be asked, “What are we doing and why?” Their answers should differ
from the previous day and should include a fuller understanding of the overall activity.
Connections to Community: The findings of the students will affect whether the community should a) be concerned b) use
the water source and/or c) take any action to decontaminate the source.
Relationships/Tensions: People use water for many different activities including consumption. Water quality can have
an adverse effect on human health; if quality is poor, it can affect livelihoods and/or health.
However, some people cannot believe the testing nor will they refrain from using a particular
water source.
11. Lesson 7
Title: Antibiotics: Will they work Duration (minutes): 60
Pedagogical Approaches: Critical-Antibiotics are a life-saving pharmaceutical. However, students will have to critically
analyze what the adverse effects of using antibiotics are.
Lesson Level Questions: To what extent do antibiotics contribute to the strengthening of bacterial infection (i.e.
MRSA)?
Lesson Level Objectives: Students will be able relate the difference between bacteria and viruses. Students will be able
to determine why antibiotics might not continue to work. Students will be able to apply what
they have learned to new scenarios.
Lesson Activities: Students will be given a handout with different scenarios regarding antibiotics. During the
course of the class, students will learn where antibiotics come from and how they have been
used. The handout will take the students into why antibiotics might not work fully and be
asked to apply what they have learned to a new scenario. From there, students will have to
predict whether antibiotics will continue to work into the future and why.
Lesson Level Assessments: Formative Assessment embedded into handout: KWL and think pair share.
Summative Assessment: Synthesize a prediction about the future of antibiotics.
Connections to Community: Antibiotics are an important, economically, to farmers as well as important in treating illnesses.
The use of antibiotics needs to be revised in order to better serve our population.
Relationships/Tensions: Globally, antibiotics save thousands of lives but tend to be expensive and over-used, which has
led to stronger strains of illnesses and less effective antibiotics. Students must explore the need
for antibiotics and the need to come up with other methods of disease treatment.
12. Lesson 8
Title: Fungi: Symbiotic Duration (minutes): 60
relationships
Pedagogical Approaches: Aesthetic-students will be presented with a piece of
artwork depicting the relationship between fungi, plants,
and man (my interpretation) and be asked to describe
what they see and how they feel about it
Lesson Level Questions: To what extent do fungi affect out ecology? To what
extent do fungi and plants interact? How does the
survival of plants ensure the survival of fungi?
Lesson Level Objectives: Students will be able to examine the relationship
between fungi and plants and infer the effects of the loss
of one or the other.
Lesson Activities: Students will be presented with a piece of artwork and
asked to describe what they see and what they perceive.
We will then discuss the relationship that fungi have
with flora and why that is important to our ecology. To
close, we will discuss why protecting endangered plants
is important for the protection of fungi.
Lesson Level Assessments: Formative-KWL; informal discussion assessment
Summative-Students will write a one-page paper
answering the question: “To what extent does fungal
ecology affect endangered plant species?”
Connections to Endangered species are part of a global epidemic in
Community: which species are disappearing. Once these species are
gone, there beauty can never be experienced again.
Relationships/Tensions: Students must examine the symbiotic relationship
between plants and microbial fungi.
13. Lesson 9
Title: Using Microbial Life for Duration (minutes): 60
Human Interest
Pedagogical Approaches: Ecojustice-students must determine if using microbial life for human uses, specifically GMOs,
fetal research, and other biomedical research.
Lesson Level Questions: To what extent do microbes affect human lives and society? To what extent are ethical
questions considered when using microbes?
Lesson Level Objectives: Students will be able to support an argument for or against the use of microbes to enhance
human life.
Lesson Activities: Prior to this lesson, students will have read four articles regarding the use of microbes in
biotechnology; they would have taken notes on the articles and organized an argument based
on those notes. To begin, the students will have a few minutes to organize themselves. Each
student will then have 2-3 minutes to present his or her argument. Following the argument,
students will have 2-3 minutes to discuss the merits and shortcomings.
Lesson Level Assessments: Students will pass in their notes; I will listen to and engage in the discussion surrounding the
arguments.
Connections to Community: Our society relies heavily on the advances in the biotechnology sector. Engaging discussion
regarding ethical implications of these advances readies students for accepting others’ points of
view and working together for alternative solutions.
Relationships/Tensions: Students must look at the tension between the need for microbial research to further human
interests and how that research affects their ecosystem/environment.
14. Lesson 10
Title: Presenting Scientific Duration (minutes): 60
Information
Pedagogical Approaches: Critical-Students will have had to collect data and analyze what it means for Connecticutq
Lesson Level Questions: To what extent does research and development of antigens need to be funded for the protection
of CT residents?
Lesson Level Objectives: Students will be able to thoughtfully search out, describe, and predict natural phenomena
using collected, analyzed, and interpreted data, and share their findings with their peers.
Students will be able to write, read, discuss, and present coherent ideas about
microbiology and its relationship to society.
Students will be able to differentiate between viruses and bacteria, describe how diseases
are transmitted, and explain methods of prevention of the spread of communicable
diseases.
Lesson Activities: Students will turn in their syntheses and present their reports to the peers for evaluation.
Students will then decide whose research most deserves to be funded.
Lesson Level Assessments: Presentation is no more than 3 minutes in length; provides summarized details of disease; and
students do not read from presentation
Connections to Community: Students will learn part of the process that scientists go through in order to get research funded.
Researching infectious diseases is integral to protecting the integrity of populations as well as
providing critical information to areas/populations that cannot conduct the research themselves.
Relationships/Tensions: Students must look at the relationship between funding and infectious disease research and the
tensions between science and society.
