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LEARNING EXPECTATION/OBJECTIVES
Students will explore the kingdom Monera with the assistance of ProQuest.
Students will discover the method by which bacteria are transferred with the assistance of ProQuest.
1 or 3 petri dish(es) with Luria broth agar per group, depending on whether the optional activity is
undertaken
1 incubator/ heat lamp
Hand soap
Printer and computer with access to eLibrary, eLibrary Science, SIRS, or Platinum
Background Information
What are we trying to accomplish by washing our hands before eating? Many students will suggest that were
trying to get rid of the germs we pick up during our daily routines. What are those germs and does washing our
hands really remove them?
The introductory experiment is pretty straightforward. Have each group of students label one petri dish with their
group members names and todays date. As well, have students draw a line down the middle of the petri dish,
labeling one side before and one side after. Each student should then press his/her thumbprint onto the side of
the groups petri dish labeled before.
Have students then wash their hands using soap (just as they would before eating). Return and have each
student press his/her thumbprint onto the side labeled after. After 24 hours, results should yield large bacteria
colonies. Roughly 70% of the class will have more bacteria after washing hands than before. Even if before
and after are about the same, this result should still be quite surprising to most students.
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The explanation for this unlikely-seeming result is simple. Using soap breaks down the oil that allows bacteria to
attach to your fingers. As you wash your hands you are breaking down the oil, allowing more bacteria to transfer
easily to and from your hands. While a simple wash may remove noticeable dirt, it does not completely remove all
of the bacteria.
No prior information is required for this lesson plan. Ideally, it should be scheduled for an appropriate time in the
calendar year to discuss the kingdom Monera. However, if the scientific method is the primary goal, this
demonstration can be used at any time.
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OUTLINE OF PROCEDURES-DAY 3
Students should continue their research using ProQuest. Be sure to remind students to focus on the activity sheet
questions.
ASSESSMENT
Students will be evaluated based on the following criteria:
1. Did students use ProQuest to collect information regarding bacteria?
2. Did students successfully complete the activity sheet?
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Did you notice that our hypothesis used the word bacteria instead of germs? As you may know, bacteria are a
kind of germ (along with viruses, fungi and protozoa), but it will make our experiment simpler if we only deal with
bacteria. And we still want to make sure that hand washing kills bacteria germs, so the experiments premise
remains valid and important even with this understanding.
ProQuest LLC 2010 (May be copied for educational use only)
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DATA CHART
Plate
Number Of Colonies
Before
Number Of
Colonies After
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