How do small things make a

big difference? Microbes, ecology, and the tree of life

Teacher Workshop

July 28-30

Project NEURON and Project MICROBE

University of Illinois

Workshop Goals

• Experience Project NEURON/Project MICROBE Curriculum Materials as a learner and teacher

• Interact with University of Illinois Scientists and Science Educators

• Develop a community of teachers

• Integrate Curriculum Materials with your local curriculum

Day 2: July 29

Time Session

9:00 am Lesson 3: What are microbes?

10:00 am Lessons 3 reflections

11:00 am Lesson 4: What do microbial communities look like?

12:00 pm Lunch

12:30 pm Lesson 4: What do microbial communities look like? (Contd.)

1:30 pm Lesson 4 reflections

2:00 pm Break

2:15 pm Lesson 5: How do microbes interact with humans?

3:30 pm Lesson 5 reflections

The Curriculum Unit

How do small things make a big difference?

Microbes, ecology, and the tree of life

• Lesson 1: How did the tree of life change through history?

• Lesson 2: What is the current tree of life model?

• Lesson 3: What are microbes?

• Lesson 4: What does a microbial community look like?

• Lesson 5: How do microbes interact with humans?

• Lesson 6: What can happen when my microbiome is

disturbed?

Lesson 3: What are microbes?

Learning Objectives

• Students recognize the diversity of microbes.

• Students construct and use their own conversion tables to calculate measurements in different units.

• Students use the concept of scale to calculate the new size of their microbes and to construct their microbes to scale.

Lesson 3: Activities

Activity 1: Microbes video

Activity 2: Putting microbial scale in context

Activity 3: Microbe mural

What are Microbes?

In this lesson we will be focusing on microbes.

Activity 2: Microbial scale in context

(Scale, proportion, and quantity)

Activity 3: Microbe Mural

• Activity 3:

1. Magnify your microbe by 5,000 times.

2. Construct your magnified microbe using the rulers and materials provided.

3. Place your microbe on top of the magnified period.

4. 10 minutes

Activity 3: Microbe Mural

• Discussion

1. Group microbes based on domain

2. Group microbes based on what they live.

3. Group microbes based on what they eat/produce.

What patterns do you notice?

Lesson 3: Reflection

• What went well?

• What didn’t go well?

• What modifications would you make for your classroom?

The Curriculum Unit

How do small things make a big difference?

Microbes, ecology, and the tree of life

• Lesson 1: How did the tree of life change through history?

• Lesson 2: What is the current tree of life model?

• Lesson 3: What are microbes?

• Lesson 4: What does a microbial community look like?

• Lesson 5: How do microbes interact with humans?

• Lesson 6: What can happen when my microbiome is

disturbed?

What is modeling? (Connections to NGSS)

• Modeling… – takes many forms

– is a way to represent a complex system

– is used to describe, explain, and/or make predictions

– is a way to make student thinking visible

– a process (model-ING)

– opens opportunities for questioning, reasoning, advancing understanding

Diagram/Drawing Conceptual Mathematical

http://www.riverblindness.eu/zooprophylaxis/ www.propertyweek.com http://gulfsci.usgs.gov/tampabay/model/

Lesson 4: What do microbial communities

look like?

Learning Objectives

• Define and use the terms organism, population, community, and ecosystem

• Describe the metabolic diversity of microbes

• Develop and explain a model of nutrient cycling among microbes in the Winogradsky column

• Explain the stratification of microbes in the Winogradsky column based on the availability of resources.

Activity 1: Winogradsky columns

• What is an ecosystem?

• Building Winogradsky columns

– Resource: Winogradsky column protocol

• Observing Winogradsky columns

– Student sheet: Inside a microbial ecosystem

– Microbial field guide

Lunch

Time Session

9:00 am Lesson 3: What are microbes?

10:00 am Lessons 3 reflections

11:00 am Lesson 4: What do microbial communities look like?

12:00 pm Lunch

12:30 pm Lesson 4: What do microbial communities look like? (Contd.)

1:30 pm Lesson 4 reflections

2:00 pm Break

2:15 pm Lesson 5: How do microbes interact with humans?

3:30 pm Lesson 5 reflections

Activity 2:

Modeling microbial nutrient cycling

• Work in groups of 3-4

• Task:

– Develop a model of nutrient cycling between microbes in the Winogradsky column

– Use your model to answer questions in the student sheet

• Time: 30 minutes

Reflection (Lesson 4)

• What went well?

• What did not go well?

• How would you use this or modify it for your classroom?

Break: 15 minutes

Analyzing & Interpreting Data (Connections to NGSS)

• Data from published science papers

• Experience with primary literature

• Analyzing and interpreting data – an authentic experience

Kong, H.H. (2011). Skin microbiome: Genomics-based insights into the diversity and role of skin microbes. Trends in Molecular Medicine. 17(6): 320-328.

Lesson 5: How do microbes interact with

humans?

Objectives:

• Explain why the diversity of microbes in/on the human body is important.

• Describe how microbes can protect humans.

• Discuss the mutualistic relationships between microbes and humans.

• Analyze and interpret data from recent scientific research.

• Construct a model of the human microbiome.

Jigsaw Activity: In the classroom

Step 3: a)Report & discuss findings b)Develop revised model

based on new information

Step 1: Develop initial model

Lesson 5: How do microbes interact with humans?

JIGSAW ACTIVITY

Home/ Jigsaw Group

Expert Group

Step 2: Become “experts” by reading and analyzing data

Jigsaw Activity: Today

• Become an expert! Each person pick a different reading. (10 minutes)

– Microbes that affect our body weight

– Our skin microbiome

– Microbes educate immune cells

– Intestinal microbiota development in infants

– Microbes and the blood-brain barrier

– Using microbes as treatment of bacterial infection

• As you read think about…

What roles do microbes play in/on our bodies?

Lesson 5: Putting the pieces together

What roles do microbes play in/on our bodies?

• Report and discuss your articles’ findings.

• Using this new information, how would you revise your model of the human microbiome?

More microbe articles!

• Microbes and acne

• Bacteriophage therapy

• Forensic microbiology

• Antibiotic resistance

Homework:

Find one example of microbes in the news