Bacteria Really Do Rule! Bacteriology,
Variation and Selection, Evolution of Resistance
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Download Teachable Unit |
| Developer | Laurieann Casey |
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| Primary Learning Goals | Students will have a basic understanding that bacteria are living organisms that play diverse roles in the environment and in human health Students will be able to define antibiotics as substances naturally produced by microorganisms (mold, bacteria) that destroy bacteria Students will know that antibiotic resistance refers to the condition of bacteria whose growth is unaffected by an antibiotic Students will understand that phenotypic variation results from genetic variation Students will understand that antibiotic use and the presence of antibiotic resistant variants allow evolution of a bacterial population by natural selection Students will know that the misuse and/or overuse of antibiotics contributes to the rise of antibiotic-resistant bacteria Students will be able to describe why antibiotic resistance is a public health crisis |
| Secondary Learning Goals | Students will understand that bacteria compete with one another for limited resources Students will understand that for evolution by natural selection to occur: -Genetic variation must exist -The genetic variant must confer a particular characteristic -The characteristic must contribute to a difference in fitness -The characteristic must be inherited Students will use their own observations as evidence to support their ideas Students will collect data and use the data to explain a phenomenon |
| Scientific Teaching Themes | Various |
| Diversity | The assessment and active learning strategies address a diversity of learning styles. The use of visuals and the examination of live bacteria will appeal to visual learners while the M&Ms activity may appeal to kinesthetic learners. Group discussions and small group activities will appeal to social learners. |
| Active Learning | The activities proposed above promote active learning by engaging students in a variety of ways. Students will brainstorm, examine bacteria, perform a simulation, and discuss a relevant scientific issue with their colleagues . The activities incorporate assessment so that both students and teachers can frequently measure whether the learning goals are being met. Several of the activities such as making observations, group discussion of a relevant scientific issue in the news, and using data to explain a phenomenon reflect activities that scientists do on a daily basis. |
| Assessment | The assessments measure learning outcomes aligned with the unit’s learning goals. They are incorporated into learning activities and thus the assessment drives the learning. |