Activities
Teachers’ notes on activities
Activity 1: Microbes and Health Key Questions
This activity consists of a series of questions that could be used before, during or after the video. Alternatively the question sheet can be used as a stand alone activity to review the topic ‘Microbes and Health’. Some of the questions can be used to stimulate discussion, others are better suited to a written answer, perhaps as homework. Some of the questions can be answered by watching the programme. Others will require reference materials such as books, CD-ROMs or the internet. Check the list of links for useful reference sources.
Activity 2: Sorting Out Diseases
This is a warm-up exercise that allows students to explore the limits of their knowledge whilst clarifying their ideas about the causes of disease. Ideally, it could be the first half of a lesson in which part of the programme is to be used.
Useful reference materials could include a CD-ROM encyclopaedia. A variety of health education leaflets will also be useful.
The questions are designed to introduce the idea that many diseases do not have a single cause, for example, coronary heart disease may be the result of lack of exercise, a diet rich in saturated fat, smoking and inherited factors.
Activity 3: Jabs
Students research information about childhood vaccinations from a range of sources including health education leaflets. The information is compiled as a database, which can then be searched to produce required information, e.g. a chronological list of vaccinations.
Students could use Microsoft Access, Lotus Approach or a similar application.
Activity 4: Following Fleming
Alexander Fleming’s chance discovery of the antibiotic effects of Penicillium notatum led to one of the greatest medical advances. Students can investigate this effect using agar jelly on which a lawn of E. coli bacteria has been grown. Discs of filter paper impregnated with antibiotics are placed on the jelly and the dishes incubated for 48 hours at 25oC. The effect of the antibiotic can be seen as a roughly circular clear area around the disc. Different antibiotics can be compared, as can the effects of domestic disinfectants and antiseptics. Students can develop a reliable method for measuring the antibiotic effect, eg measure two diameters at right angles across the area from which bacteria have been cleared. Take an average of class results – a spreadsheet can be used to do this.
