This unit will begin with a brainstorming session where students will write what they know about microorganisms, what questions they have about microorganisms. This KWL chart will be kept in their interactive notebook, as well as displayed in the classroom. As new information is given through hands-on activities, students will continuously add what they know and generate additional questions.
An interactive notebook is a notebook that contains all information that is given in the lesson. Hand outs are glued into the book and pages are based on the Cornell note taking strategy which is a two column page where questions are on the left and notes are on the right. An objective for the day is always at the top. This will always be on the right side of the notebook. Depending on the activity, the teacher will give questions whereby the students will answer those questions on the note side. Or the teacher will give notes and the students will generate questions based on the notes. At the end of the page, students will summarize the notes and questions of that day. All pages are numbered and a Table of Contents will reflect the new page entries daily. Students will be introduced to new vocabulary terms and a foldable activity called a matchbook will be assigned.
A matchbook foldable is a 5×15 centimeter piece of colored construction paper will be given for each new vocabulary term. Students will fold almost half-way down leaving a lip to be folded up resembling a matchbook. On the front, a picture is drawn depicting the vocabulary term. On the inside top half will have the phonetic spelling. The bottom half will have the meaning of the term, in the students own words, and on the flap will appear the term itself. This can be given as a homework assignment. These matchbooks will be glued to the left side of the notebook opposite to the questions and notes of the day.
Since there is an increase in news coverage and scientific developments in the field of nanotechnology, students will be introduced to the nanoscale and realize that objects on this scale are smaller than microorganisms. Nano- is a prefix from the Greek word meaning "dwarf" and means one billionth. Thus, a nanometer is means one billionth of a meter. They will also learn about the prefix micro- which means one millionth of a particular unit. In science the metric units are used because it is the universal measuring unit called the International System of Units. Scientists measure mass in grams, volume/capacity in liters or cubic centimeters, length/ depth/ width in meters, temperature in degrees Celsius, and time in seconds. A new mnemonic will be created to add these two prefixes on. It will be
K
ings
H
ave
D
iamonds
B
ut
D
iamonds
C
ost
M
ore
M
oney
N
ow, symbolizing kilo, hecto, deka, base, deci, centi, milli, micro, nano.
Students will be able to learn to convert metric units down to the nano-unit and develop a scale helping to reinforce the concept of decimals and exponents. A visual scale will be made that they will glue into their interactive notebook that they can refer to on a daily basis since metric conversions will be part of their daily "Do Now's." Currently students are taught the metric prefixes kilo-, hecto-, deka-, base, deci-,centi-, milli-. One learning strategy that is taught in order for students to remember this order is "
K
ings
H
ave
D
iamonds
B
ut Diamonds
C
ost
M
oney." Students will now learn two additional smaller units and that is micro- and nano-.
Students will learn that "nanotechnologist" rely on nature and mimic many things such as the iridescent colors in a cicada's wings and the suction in tree frogs feet. They will then relate these two parts of the curriculum, nanotechnology and microbiomes, and see how scientists are using this new technology to come up with better alternatives to antibiotics, since more bacteria are developing to be resistant to antibiotics.
Nanotechnology is not new to the modern world. People just didn't know that they were using it in earlier times. The people that made stained-glassed windows in churches for centuries, unbeknownst to them, were using nanotechnology.