Summer SAVY, Session 6 Day 4, Science Communication and Immunology (7th-8th)
We had an exciting day today learning about historical microbiology research scientists, and then becoming present-day microbiology research scientists!
This morning, we started the day in the computer lab, where student pairs were assigned a historical scientist. They had to read and learn about their scientist’s major discoveries related to microbiology and immunology. We learned about pasteurization, tuberculosis, discovering phagocytes (cells that can engulf bacteria), sterile techniques used in surgery to this day, and much more. Students presented their historical scientists, and we made a timeline of research from past to present.
Then, we transitioned to talk about our lab experiment for this week, based on the question, “What surfaces in our classroom have the most bacteria?” Students came up with a list of many potential surfaces that could be harboring bacteria, and then lab teams picked what they wanted to test. We discussed how to write a testable hypothesis, appropriate techniques for microbe research, and how to make our science protocols (or methods) as precise as possible. In our class, we have a makeshift incubator consisting of heat lamps and Petri dishes housed inside Ziploc bags – this will create the optimal warm, moist environment for bacteria to grow overnight.
Tomorrow, students will see what has grown (or maybe not grown, after cleaning a surface!) on their plates, make a poster with the group of their experiment and results, and then present it to the class. Everyone will get to compare who really swabbed the dirtiest surfaces. Hopefully, it makes us all wash our hands!
We concluded the day by wrapping up our vaccine case studies. We assessed a typical scenario in which a pediatrician and parent are discussing childhood vaccines – the parent has some concerns based on social media and rumors from friends. The pediatrician needs to figure out how to respond and compassionately share information about how vaccines are tested, what we do to ensure people are kept safe, and how to separate fact from fiction in the news. The students used the colored hats technique to examine this issue from multiple perspectives: facts, emotions, creativity, risks, and optimism.
I can’t believe tomorrow is our last day together! I’m super excited to see what grows (literally) overnight.
Some questions or topics for continued discussion:
- What surfaces did you think were the dirtiest in your classroom? Did other students agree with you?
- What are the different colored hats? Did you find it difficult to wear a particular hat in the classroom activity?
- Ask your student about the process of testing a new medication, drug, or vaccine. You can discuss how extensively vaccines (and any new medicines) are tested. You might discuss as a family how willing you’d be to participate in clinical trials – whether that’s for vaccine testing or another medication for a chronic or acquired disease.