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5 misconceptions and what teachers can do to address them:
5 misconceptions and what teachers can do to address them:
- In bacteria, prior exposure is required to acquire antibiotic resistance (core concept = evolution)
Fact: Mutations occur randomly before being put under selective pressure. This is a form of natural selection.
Teaching: This misconception is not restricted to antibiotic resistance, as students can be misinformed on the overall concepts regarding how natural selection and evolution occurs. It is important for students to be able to tie antibiotic resistance to natural selection they learn in early highschool.
2. Vaccines must cause disease in order to work (core concepts = cell structure function and metabolism)
2. Vaccines must cause disease in order to work (core concepts = cell structure function and metabolism)
Fact: Vaccines do not make you sick, and often contain dead or incomplete versions of the original virus.
Teaching: Address the different vaccine types with your students by having them categories vaccines based on how they are made, and how they stimulate immune responses.
3. Oxygen is required for bacterial growth and/or speeds up growth (core concept = metabolism)
3. Oxygen is required for bacterial growth and/or speeds up growth (core concept = metabolism)
Fact: There are different kinds of bacteria. Obligate aerobic bacteria is the bacteria type that requires oxygen to grow. Anaerobic bacteria do not require oxygen to grow.
Teaching: Have students discuss the role of different kinds of bacteria in a group discussion. They can examine the reasons they believe these different kinds of bacteria exist, and then go on to conduct their research. Finally, they can reflect upon their original ideas and what they learned through their research.
4. General confusion regarding the role of RNA, RNA polymerase, and RNA primase in DNS replication and transcription (core concept = genetics)
4. General confusion regarding the role of RNA, RNA polymerase, and RNA primase in DNS replication and transcription (core concept = genetics)
Teaching: Ensure you are clear and concise when discussing the differences between RNA and DNA, as well as RNA polymerase and RNA primase. Ensure to repeat these differences multiple times throughout the unit.
Misconceptions as investigated by Briggs et al. (2017)
Misunderstood Microbes
Misunderstood Microbes
Video and article for students discussing how there are microbes everywhere on our body, however most are not harmful and some are even helpful. Ensure to use this activity to dispel myths students may believe with regards to the negative effects of microbes on and in your body.
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