Introduction to Microbes of the Great Salt Lake

Small but mighty! Learners explore the role of microbes in a healthy ecosystem. An engaging lesson asks pupils to design an aquaponics system that demonstrates that healthy microbes are necessary to maintain the ecosystem.

Have you ever wanted to know the true structure of E.coli? Does the thought of peering into its "small world" sound exciting? Here is a lesson that allows pupils the ability to do just that. Blossoming microbiologists use microscopes to...

What a web we weave. Pupils use yarn as the primary resource to create a web depicting the intricacies of a salt marsh ecosystem. They participate in a question and answer session, which leads to an in-depth facilitated discussion about...

Using microbiology techniques, students will explore the effect of iron on the fluorescence of several species of bacteria. Studying bacteria in an iron scarce environment allows students to see the fluorescence released. Lesson plan...

Your advanced class will paint a picture of a particular weather condition. In this painting lesson students describe elements of art in pieces of artwork. They analyze the weather and seasons in the artwork. The students use paper,...

This video segment adapted from NOVA raises the provocative idea that if life can exist in the most extreme environments on Earth, such as in dark, toxic caves, then perhaps living things can also survive in harsh environments on other...

Coloring pages showcase microbes—bacteria, viruses, and protists. Scholars have the option to download a coloring book and scavenger hunt or color the page directly on the computer. Three paragraphs describe each microbe. 

Fixin' to add a great resource to your plans? Scholars perform an experiment to investigate nitrogen-fixing bacteria from plant roots. Along the way, they learn about the concepts of symbiosis and mutualism.

Here is comprehensive information about microbes living in extreme conditions. Explore the definition of extremophile, what makes an extreme environment, and types of extreme environments. Site includes pictures, information and other...

Sugar isn't good for you, but it's great for microbes. A simple experiment has pupils investigate the digestion of starch by microbes to produce sugars. They apply two bacterial cultures, an amylase solution, and distilled water on a...