As an undergraduate-level Biological Sciences teacher, you can use this set of computer-based tools to help you in teaching topics such as microbes, microbial growth, the role of microbes in the climate system, and the effects of global climate change on microbial growth and survival.
The lesson plan allows students to learn about the relationship between microbes, the environment, and climate. The activity will explore the specific roles played by various microbes in the climate system.
Thus, the use of this lesson plan allows you to integrate the teaching of a climate science topic with a core topic in the Biological Sciences.
Questions
Use this lesson plan to help your students find answers to:
- What are microbes?
- What are the factors that influence microbial growth?
- What is the relationship between microbes and climate?
- How might climate change affect microbial growth and survival?
This is a Teacher-submitted lesson plan.
Contributed by Dr. Vandana Malhotra and Dr. Meeta Bhardwaj, Department of Biochemistry, Sri Venkateswara College (University of Delhi), India.
Want to know more about how to contribute? Contact us.
About Lesson Plan
Grade Level | High School, Undergraduate |
Discipline | Biological Sciences |
Topic(s) in Discipline | • Microbes • Environment • Bacterial Growth and Adaptation • Gas Cycling • Greenhouse Gases |
Climate Topic | Climate and the Biosphere |
Location | Global |
Languages | English |
Access | Online (some material can be downloaded for offline use) |
Approximate Time Required | 120-150 min |
Contents
Video (~3 min) | A micro-lecture that provides an overview of microbes, their classification, and their importance in the biosphere. |
Animation/Video (~3 min) | An animation/video that describes the environmental factors required for microbial growth and explains the effects of changing environmental conditions on microbial growth by using temperature as an example. |
Reading (~50 min) | A reading that introduces the relationship between microbes and climate change while describing microbial diversity in different environments. |
Classroom activity (~60 min) | A classroom activity to identify the relationship between a specific microbe and climate. |
Here is a step-by-step guide to using this lesson plan in the classroom/laboratory. We have suggested these steps as a possible plan of action. You may customize the lesson plan according to your preferences and requirements.
1.Introduce the topic through videos |
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2. Discuss the topic further through a reading activity |
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3. Conduct a classroom activity |
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- What are microbes?
- What are the factors that influence microbial growth?
- What is the relationship between microbes and climate?
- How might climate change affect microbial growth and survival?
The tools in this lesson plan will enable students to:
- describe the relationship between microbes, the environment, and climate
- describe microbial growth and its phases, and the key factors affecting microbial growth
- discuss the possible impacts of climate change on microbes
Reading | A reading, “Is Climate Change Putting World’s Microbiomes at Risk?” by Jim Robbins on YaleEnvironment360, that briefly describes the impact of climate change on microbial growth. Go to the Reading |
Laboratory Activity | A laboratory activity, “Effect of pH on Growth Rate” from Prof. John Blamire and hosted on the Brooklyn College website, that will help students to analyze the effect of changing pH on microbial growth and survival. Go to the Activity |
Reading | The reading resources, “Carbon cycle” and “Nitrogen cycle” from the Microbiology Society, describe how microbes interact with the environment through the carbon and nitrogen cycle. Carbon cycle Nitrogen cycle |
Reading | A reading, “Climate Change Could Impact Vital Functions of Microbes” from the American Society for Microbiology and available on ScienceDaily, to learn about the impact of climate on microbes. Go to the Reading |
Reading | A reading resource, “Other Environmental Conditions that Affect Growth” from OpenStax on LibreTexts, to learn more about the environmental factors affecting microbial growth (see modules 9.3, 9.4, and 9.5 for relevant material). Go to the Reading |
1. Video/Micro-lecture, “What Are Microbes?” | RMIT University; Dr. Taghrid Istivan |
2. Video (animation), “Food Pathogens and Temperature” | McGraw Hill Education |
3. Reading, “Microbes and Climate Change” | The Microbiology Society |
4. Classroom Activity, “Microbes and Climate” | Joan Matsuzaki, Katie Lodes, Michelle Garcia, Liz Kumabe, Beth Marass, Linda McIntosh; Educational and Research Testing Hypotheses program from Monterey Bay Aquarium and Research Institute |
5. Additional Resources | Jim Robbins on YaleEnvironment360; Prof. John Blamire, hosted on the Brooklyn College website; The Microbiology Society; The American Society for Microbiology, available on ScienceDaily; OpenStax, LibreTexts |
6. Images | Yale News |
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