title: How Do Small Things Make a Big Difference? Activities to Teach about Human-Microbe Interactions.
abstract: Recent scientific studies are providing increasing evidence for how microbes living in and on us are essential to our good health. However, many students still think of microbes only as germs that harm us. The classroom activities presented here are designed to shift student thinking on this topic. In these guided inquiry activities, students investigate human-microbe interactions as they work together to interpret and analyze authentic data from published articles and develop scientific models. Through the activities, students learn and apply ecological concepts as they come to see the human body as a fascinatingly complex ecosystem.
authors.affiliation: Department of Curriculum and Instruction, College of Education, University of Illinois, MC 708, 1310 S. Sixth St., Champaign, IL 61820. ( cjasti@illinois.edu ).
authors.forename: Chandana
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Jasti
authors.affiliation: Department of Curriculum and Instruction, College of Education, University of Illinois, MC 708, 1310 S. Sixth St., Champaign, IL 61820. ( bhug@illinois.edu ).
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Hug
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Cornell University, 467 Biotech Bldg., Ithaca, NY 14853. ( jw967@cornell.edu ).
authors.forename: Jillian L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Waters
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, University of Illinois, 601 S. Goodwin Ave., Urbana, IL 61801. ( rwhitaker@life.illinois.edu ).
authors.forename: Rachel J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Whitaker
keywords: Inquiry instruction; NGSS; curriculum development; data analysis; high school biology; human health; microbiology; models