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When you pose the question...
When you pose the question...
"Which is dirtier, your cell phone or a toilet seat?" You have to turn your students loose to find an answer. And they come back with some results. Our girls swarmed the school to take samples from objects that are touched on a daily basis.
They collected swabs from door handles, bathroom floors, water fountains, basketballs, gym mats, chromebook keyboards, and other surfaces that students and teachers touch on a daily basis. Samples were transferred to agar trays, taped shut, and placed in an incubator for 48 hours.
The results were not only eye-opening, but also an assult to the nose. The smell of the results drove many students into the hallway.
Students concluded that handwashing, sanitation, and general health practices do a lot to protect us from the pathogens around us.
In the pictures to the right, click through and see students:
Examining results of agar trays from the incubator.
Swabbing a gym mat for a sample.
Swabbing a water fountain for a sample.
Presenting a result from a swab from a gym mat.
These activities gave the girls a feeling for lab work and how meticulous one must be to make sure the results are not compromised by careless mistakes. It also showed them how easily pathogens grow and spread through very common surfaces that we all share.
Samples of pathogens grown in agar trays.
Depositing an antibiotic tab to see if it affected the results.
Recording the type and time antibiotic was deposited.
Try this with your classroom! Lesson plans found below!
Try this with your classroom! Lesson plans found below!
Day 1:
Objective: Introduce students to pathogens and bacteria
Begin the lesson by discussing what pathogens and bacteria are, as well as the different types of pathogens that can cause infections.
Show students examples of common bacteria and discuss their characteristics.
Watch a short video on how bacteria can be harmful to the body.
Students will plan to swab 10-15 items around the school. Suggested items include:
Chromebook
Library book
Gym Equipment
Door handles
Toilet seat/handle
Cell phone
Water fountain
Shoes
Pencils/Pens
Bathroom sink
Day 2:
Objective: Collect bacteria from common objects around the school
Provide students with agar trays and swabs.
Show students how to place bacteria on agar trays properly.
Instruct students to collect samples from various objects around the school, such as door handles, computer keyboards, and water fountains.
Have students label each sample and place it on the agar trays.
Allow the agar trays to incubate for a period of 24-48 hours.
Day 3:
Objective: Treat the collected bacteria with common antibiotics
Review the concept of antibiotics and how they work to kill bacteria.
Instruct students to observe the bacterial growth on their agar trays and identify different types of bacteria.
Provide students with a selection of common antibiotics, such as penicillin and tetracycline.
Have students apply the antibiotics to the bacterial colonies on their agar trays, and observe the effects.
Discuss the results as a class and draw conclusions about the effectiveness of different antibiotics on different types of bacteria.
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