Summer Research Program for Science Teachers
Gila Stein
Ramaz Upper School
2002
A Virtual Visit to the Microbial Zoo
Purpose: This lesson is a valuable tool which can be used to introduce or review the topic of microbes. It includes material on viruses, bacteria, and protists.
[Teaching Standard A]
Materials: Access to the Internet and the worksheet below
You are about to embark on a school trip to the zoo. You will be using the internet as your method of transportation. Log on to http://commtechlab.msu.edu/sites/dlc-me/zoo/
to begin your excursion. You may browse through the different sections in any order that you please. However, to ensure that you have visited the most important places, please answer twelve out of the fifteen questions listed below. The starred questions must be among the chosen twelve. Please write in full sentences – clearly and neatly !!!
[Life Science 9-12 Content Standard C]
*1. What is a microbe?
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*2. What is microbial ecology? Why is it a quickly developing area of study?
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3. Print a picture of a methane-producing bacterium. What is methane? What is unique about this microbe?
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4. Print a picture of a protist which helps cows digest food. What is on the underside of the protist?
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5. How does Lactobacillus Acidophillus help preserve foods? What foods is this bacteria helpful in preserving?
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*6. Why is E. Coli popular for use in research? Is E. Coli helpful or harmful? Explain.
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*7. Print a picture of the bacteria that cause food poisoning. What is its scientific name? Which part of the name is the genus? Which is the species? What are the hairs that project from the bacteria?
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8. What types of microscopes are used to produce the images of these microbes?
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*9. What do we call an organism that doesn’t breathe oxygen? What is one example of such a bacterium?
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10. Visit the House of Horrors. How does the Vampire coccus harm other microbes?
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*11. Visit “Space Adventure” and click on the “Frequent Flyer” section. How does mold get on your bread? What is an example of a spore-producing bacterium? Why does it produce spores? Draw a picture of this bacterium.
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12. In which of the following areas are microbes not found?
Mouth, guts, skin, arms, feet
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13. How do bacteria cause cavities?
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14. Visit “Home Sweet Home” in Dirtland. Is it better to use a wooden cutting board or a plastic one? Why?
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15. Where else in the home do microbes live?
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