The very first unit in my science classroom is all about the microbial world that lives on our skin and in our bodies. The purpose is to familiarize kids with the concept of scale. Microscopic bacteria are invisible to the naked eye, yet impact our health enormously, making it an incredibly difficult--yet important--concept for students to grasp. By having students grow their own bacterial cultures from classroom objects (e.g.: the door knob, the computer keyboards, maybe even their own desks!), students will have a chance to engage in the culture-growing process, while watching these microscopic bacteria grow before their eyes! Likewise, "microscopes" are almost synonymous with the memories of a science classroom for most of us (I still get excited thinking about the special occasions we used them in class!). The excitement and skill of using a microscope is invaluable to these students who have only read about them in books.
The opportunity to grow a bacterial culture or watch a microorganism dance under the microscope would not only be one of the first wet labs that these students will ever partake in, but it will give different learners a more concrete understanding of microbes. The vast majority of these students are English Language Learners, so tactile AND visual learners will benefit enormously from this exercise.
The petri dishes are pre-filled with agar, which saves me heaps of (precious) time. Because agar is very temperature sensitive, the refrigerator serves as a sanitary and safe storage space. The cotton swabs and sterile gloves serve as safety precautions for students. The microscopes are basic lab equipment that will be loved year after year by hundreds of students. By having these materials, students will be invested in their science education from the very first unit of the year!
About my class
The very first unit in my science classroom is all about the microbial world that lives on our skin and in our bodies. The purpose is to familiarize kids with the concept of scale. Microscopic bacteria are invisible to the naked eye, yet impact our health enormously, making it an incredibly difficult--yet important--concept for students to grasp. By having students grow their own bacterial cultures from classroom objects (e.g.: the door knob, the computer keyboards, maybe even their own desks!), students will have a chance to engage in the culture-growing process, while watching these microscopic bacteria grow before their eyes! Likewise, "microscopes" are almost synonymous with the memories of a science classroom for most of us (I still get excited thinking about the special occasions we used them in class!). The excitement and skill of using a microscope is invaluable to these students who have only read about them in books.
The opportunity to grow a bacterial culture or watch a microorganism dance under the microscope would not only be one of the first wet labs that these students will ever partake in, but it will give different learners a more concrete understanding of microbes. The vast majority of these students are English Language Learners, so tactile AND visual learners will benefit enormously from this exercise.
The petri dishes are pre-filled with agar, which saves me heaps of (precious) time. Because agar is very temperature sensitive, the refrigerator serves as a sanitary and safe storage space. The cotton swabs and sterile gloves serve as safety precautions for students. The microscopes are basic lab equipment that will be loved year after year by hundreds of students. By having these materials, students will be invested in their science education from the very first unit of the year!
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