Students will have started to learn about different microorganisms that are present in contaminated sources of water during the primer. Students will continue to explore these organisms - their cellular structures, their structure and function, and their organizational relationships. Their focus during this module is also to differentiate how diseases (infections) caused by each organism (bacteria, viruses, protists, fungi (and maybe to some effect plants and animals) can be spread using the chain of infection model and what can be done to stop the spread and growth of microorganisms. This module introduces the “protagonists”.
What is an infectious disease? What causes someone to become sick? How did Addie become so sick? How do you get infected by bacteria? What is the difference between the agents of infectious disease?
PBS Frontline Video describing the case of a healthy girl (Addie) who became sick with a bacterial infection that was resistant to antibiotics. The students observe Addie’s time in the hospital and the bacterial infection progress and fails to respond to antibiotics.
Watch PBS Frontline Video - Section 1 (first 12 minutes): https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/frontline/film/hunting-the-nightmare-bacteria/
Use modeling worksheet to describe what is happening to Addie during the video clip:
Student Sheet: Modeling Worksheet
3. Lesson 1: Teaching Guide - How did Addie Get so sick?
4. Top Five Deadliest Diseases: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gf2bObJGFkg
5. Example of Bacteria and Fungi: Superbugs -
https://www.cdc.gov/drugresistance/biggest_threats.html
6. Infectious Diseases A to Z: https://www.sfcdcp.org/infectious-diseases-a-to-z/
7. Readings and Videos of specific diseases