Curated OER
What Does My Bacteria Look Like?
Students identify Gram positive and Gram negative bacteria using staining techniques. Students research importance of identification of bacterial types in diagnosing bacterial diseases.
Curated OER
Good Guys - Small Packages
Learners read documentation about microorganisms in agriculture and share what they've read with partners. They taste samples of yogurt and describe the yogurt making process. They experiment with fermenting milk to recreate the yogurt...
Curated OER
Naked to the Eye
Sixth graders conduct a variety of experiments that enable them to investigate bacteria. They use microscopes, prepared slides, video, moldy bread and pond water to observe types of bacteria and how bacteria interacts with the...
Curated OER
Life in a Mini World
Sixth graders observe, describe, and classify microorganisms found in water sources. In small groups, they make their own slide, observe the Protozoa under a microscope, and record and classify the microorganisms.
Curated OER
Helpful Microorganisms
Students study how some microorganisms are helpful and practical in foods. They work with microorganism in a number of food, such as yeast in bread and yogurt.
Curated OER
Microbes 1: What's Bugging You?
Students build on existing knowledge of microbes, focusing on the relationship between microorganisms and foodborne illness, as well as the implications that foodborne illness has on human health.
Curated OER
Biological Succession in a Microecosystem
Students investigate the concept of biological succession by simulating the process in a microenvironment with various microorganisms. By engaging in a lab, students determine the factors causing succession and learn population sampling...
Curated OER
Microorganism Multiplication
Seventh graders complete two experiments to learn about harmful and helpful microorganisms. In this microorganisms lesson, 7th graders read background information about fungi, yeast, and club fungi. Students then complete two experiments...
Curated OER
Spud Smear
Learners study various samples of microorganisms in petri dishes. For this microorganism lesson, students place various samples of items in petri dishes and observe them after several days of incubation.
Curated OER
Going Places
In this going places worksheet, students read the passages provided and answer the given questions. Students answer questions as it relates to the skeletal system, puberty, and microorganisms.
Curated OER
Creatures in Torch Lake
Students investigate pond ecology. They gather water samples from various sources, add grass, and let it sit for a week. Afterward, using microscopes, they identify the microorganisms present in the sample.
Curated OER
Good Guys or Bad Guys
Sixth graders complete a variety of activities to explore both positive and negative effects of microorganisms. They, in groups, engage in a series of experiments which illustrate the effects of certain molds.
Curated OER
Iron Bugs
Students describe how microbial metabolism affect geochemical processes. They define and explain the function of siderophores. They describe two ways bacteria utilize iron and explain why iron availability may limit biological activity.
Curated OER
Microbial Spoilers: The Impact of Microorganisms on the Shelf-life of Milk
Students are inroduced to a commonly used microbial culturing technique. They explore the role of microorganisms in determining the shelf-life of food products.
Curated OER
MAPPING A RESEARCH SITE AND COLLECTING AND PRESENTING POPULATION DATA
Sixth graders are to answer research questions based on data they collect.
Curated OER
Our Food and Microorganisms
Students answer questions about how microorganisms can affect our food supply and how they can be controlled. The first set of inquiry activities are directed by the teacher. Subsequent activities are based on students generating their...
![Nasa: Building a Winogradsky Column [Pdf] Activity](https://d15y2dacu3jp90.cloudfront.net/images/attachment_defaults/resource/large/FPO-knovation.png "Nasa: Building a Winogradsky Column [Pdf] Activity")
NASA
Nasa: Building a Winogradsky Column [Pdf]
NASA teacher's guide to building a Winogradsky Column to study microorganisms. When this guide was first released, students were invited to participate in two webcasts with NASA scientists. The conversations from those webcasts are...
Science Buddies
Science Buddies: Career Profile: Microbiologist
Microbiologists spend their careers peering through microscopes in their study of microorganisms. They have plenty to look at since these are Earth's most common life-forms. Science Buddies outlines the education requirements as well as...
Science Buddies
Science Buddies: Yeasty Beasties
While looking at a package of dry yeast it is hard to believe it is alive. But add the right ingredients and presto, the mixture becomes a bubbly, oozing, mess of life. What are the right ingredients? Do this experiment and figure it out...
Science Buddies
Science Buddies: How Well Do Disinfectants Work?
Germs are everywhere. We try and clean our home with disinfectants, but do we really get rid of all the germs? Find out with this "hands-on" experiment.
Science Buddies
Science Buddies: Effects of Food Preservatives on the Growth of Microorganisms
The problem of protecting food from spoilage has been with us since prehistoric times. The solutions to this problem have changed with advances in technology and knowledge about what causes food to spoil. This project uses liquid...
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College
Serc: Investigating Microbes in a Nature Center
In this Nature Center activity, middle schoolers will identify microbes found in the pond and creek in the Eden Valley-Watkins Nature Center. They will collect samples using a Petri dish.
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College
Serc: Microbes in Action
The Microbes in Action program serves to promote an understanding and appreciation of the importance of microorganisms in our world by providing scientific information, hands-on activities, articles and news, curriculum units, and other...