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.
The tools in this lesson plan will enable students to:
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.
| Grade Level | High School, Undergraduate |
| Discipline | Biological Sciences |
| Topic(s) in Discipline | Microbiology, Adaptation, Microbes, Environment, Bacterial Growth and Adaptation |
| Climate Topic | Climate and the Biosphere |
| Location | Global |
| Language(s) | English |
| Access | Online (some material can be downloaded for use in offline mode) |
| Approximate Time Required | 120 – 150 min |
| Share | |
| Resource Download |
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.
Video (~3 min)
When teaching the topic of microbes, discuss the relationship between microbial life and climate. As
climate change alters the environment, microorganisms respond, adapt, and evolve in their surroundings.
Microorganisms have generation times that may be as short as a few hours; therefore, they respond to
environmental and climate-related changes at a faster rate than most other organisms. Thus, microbes are
ideal systems for understanding the effects of climate change on biological systems.
Note: This tool requires a Flash player, and therefore, may not play in some browsers. Please
enable the Flash player or use a browser (such as Firefox) that supports the playback of Flash
content.
Animation/Video (~3 min)
Now, use the handout in the reading “Microbes and Climate Change” to explain the crucial role of
microbes in the environment. Discuss the role of microbes in gas cycling, the consumption and production
of greenhouse gases by microbes, and the resulting effects on climate.
Note: : More information on the relationship between microbes and climate/climate change can be found in the Additional Resources section.
Classroom activity (~60
min)
Next, help students explore this topic further in an engaging manner through a classroom activity
“Microbes and Climate”. In this activity, students can use online resources to identify the relationship
between a specific marine microbe and the climate system. They will then present their findings.
The classroom activity “Microbes and Climate”, created through the Educational and Research Testing Hypotheses program from Monterey Bay Aquarium and Research Institute, is available at
Suggested
questions/assignments
for learning evaluation
Use the tools and the concepts learned so far to discuss and determine answers to the following questions:
Use this lesson plan to help your students find answers to:
| 1 | 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.
This can be accessed here. |
| 2 | 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.
This can be accessed here |
| 3 | 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.
This can be accessed here. This can be accessed here. |
| 4 | 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.
This can be accessed here. |
| 5 | 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).
This can be accessed here. |
| 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 |
| Grade Level | High school, Undergraduate |
| Discipline | Biological Sciences |
| Topic(s) in Discipline | Microbes, Gas Cycling, Environment, Bacterial Growth and Adaptation, Greenhouse Gases |
| Climate Topic | Climate and the Biosphere |
| Location | Global |
| Language(s) | English |
| Access | Online (some material can be downloaded for use in offline mode) |
| Approximate Time Required | 120 – 150 min |
| Share | |
| Resource Download |
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.
Video (~3 min)
When teaching the topic of microbes, discuss the relationship between microbial life and climate. As climate change alters the environment, microorganisms respond, adapt, and evolve in their surroundings. Microorganisms have generation times that may be as short as a few hours; therefore, they respond to environmental and climate-related changes at a faster rate than most other organisms. Thus, microbes are ideal systems for understanding the effects of climate change on biological systems.
Note: This tool requires a Flash player, and therefore, may not play in some browsers. Please enable the Flash player or use a browser (such as Firefox) that supports the playback of Flash content.
Animation/Video (~3 min)
Now, use the handout in the reading “Microbes and Climate Change” to explain the crucial role of microbes in the environment. Discuss the role of microbes in gas cycling, the consumption and production of greenhouse gases by microbes, and the resulting effects on climate.
Note: : More information on the relationship between microbes and climate/climate change can be found in the Additional Resources section.
Classroom activity (~60 min)
Next, help students explore this topic further in an engaging manner through a classroom activity “Microbes and Climate”. In this activity, students can use online resources to identify the relationship between a specific marine microbe and the climate system. They will then present their findings.
The classroom activity “Microbes and Climate”, created through the Educational and Research Testing Hypotheses program from Monterey Bay Aquarium and Research Institute, is available at
Suggested questions/assignments for learning evaluation
Use the tools and the concepts learned so far to discuss and determine answers to the following questions:
Use this lesson plan to help your students find answers to:
| 1 | 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.
This can be accessed here. |
| 2 | 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.
This can be accessed here |
| 3 | 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.
This can be accessed here. This can be accessed here. |
| 4 | 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.
This can be accessed here. |
| 5 | 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).
This can be accessed here. |
| 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 |
