Can a sponge cure cancer? Life science pupils visit the drugstore under the sea in the fifth lesson of six. Working groups research the topic then get hands-on experience by testing the inhibiting effects of several plant extracts on E. coli live cultures in the lab.

Concepts

making observations, making inferences, drugs, marine life, cancer, cardiovascular disease, ingredients, invertebrates

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Additional Tags

science

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Instructional Ideas

• Create balanced groups for this activity, with a mixture of abilities, of two to four learners
• Extend the lesson by assigning research projects regarding drugs derived from marine invertebrates 

Classroom Considerations

• Lab experiment requires prior knowledge of agar preparation and assembly of Petri dishes with agar for testing purposes; increase the time allotted for this lesson for classes with little to no prior knowledge
• Provide computers with Internet access to groups for research purposes

Pros

• Procedure is detailed, but it provides clear evidence of inhibited bacterial growth via introduction of plant extracts
• Plan includes a wealth of information and all printable materials
• Multiple opportunities for extension from the basics found in the additional resources

Cons

• None