Students participated in an adapted activity found at:
http://www.newtonsapple.tv/TeacherGuide.php?id=1279
then did the following assignment:
If a bacterium can divide and produce 2 bacteria every 20 minutes, how soon will the two initially surviving resistant germs reach a total of one million organisms? 10 million? 100 million? One billion bacteria? Populations of this size, if pathogenic, are more than adequate to cause great harm.
Students then completed a note-taking study guide that is a companion to the following website: http://www.microbeworld.org/what-is-a-microbe
and other websites listed on the study guide.
Delaware woman treated for rare antibiotic-resistant infection
http://www.delawareonline.com/article/20100415/HEALTH/4150342/1113/Delaware-woman-treated-for-rare-antibiotic-resistant-infection
Students watched Debi's Story about antibiotic resistant tuberculosis, as part of a lesson about why understanding evolution is important now. They also watched a video about diseases.
http://science.education.nih.gov/supplements/nih1/diseases/activities/activity3_debi-story.htm
http://science.education.nih.gov/supplements/nih1/diseases/activities/activity1.htm
Students watched a video titled: Why Is Evolution Important Now? This video is available to watch online at: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/evolution/educators/teachstuds/svideos.html
Information and visual diagrams that explain how antibiotic resistance develops:
http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/observations/2013/09/16/drug-resistant-superbugs-kill/
Knowledge of evolution assists in choosing the appropriate drugs for treating bacterial infections:
http://news.sciencemag.org/biology/2013/09/if-chosen-wisely-existing-drugs-fight-resistant-bugs
New York Times 2013 - What is we can't control infections?:
http://www.nytimes.com/roomfordebate/2013/12/29/avoiding-a-time-when-bacteria-can-no-longer-be-stopped
Exposure to antibiotics can not only cause resistance to the antibiotics, it can also cause the mutant bacteria to reproduce faster!
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/01/170130110927.htm
For more reasons to understand evolution, the following posts also address the question: Why is Evolution Important Now?
Why Is Evolution Important Now? Understanding Extinction and Our Environment
http://cavalierscience.blogspot.com/2009/03/why-is-evolution-important-now.html
Why Is Evolution Important Now? Disease Prevention
http://cavalierscience.blogspot.com/2009/02/why-is-evolution-important-now-disease.html
Why Is Evolution Important Now? Understanding Diseases and Food Production
http://cavalierscience.blogspot.com/2009/02/why-is-evolution-important-now.html
Why Is Evolution Important Now? Understanding Predation
http://cavalierscience.blogspot.com/2010/07/why-is-evolution-important-now.html
Why Is Evolution Important Now? Battling the Bedbug Epidemic and Cockroach avoidance of bait - Pesticide Resistance
http://cavalierscience.blogspot.com/2011/03/why-is-evolution-important-now-battling.html
http://www.newtonsapple.tv/TeacherGuide.php?id=1279
then did the following assignment:
If a bacterium can divide and produce 2 bacteria every 20 minutes, how soon will the two initially surviving resistant germs reach a total of one million organisms? 10 million? 100 million? One billion bacteria? Populations of this size, if pathogenic, are more than adequate to cause great harm.
Students then completed a note-taking study guide that is a companion to the following website: http://www.microbeworld.org/what-is-a-microbe
and other websites listed on the study guide.
Delaware woman treated for rare antibiotic-resistant infection
http://www.delawareonline.com/article/20100415/HEALTH/4150342/1113/Delaware-woman-treated-for-rare-antibiotic-resistant-infection
Students watched Debi's Story about antibiotic resistant tuberculosis, as part of a lesson about why understanding evolution is important now. They also watched a video about diseases.
http://science.education.nih.gov/supplements/nih1/diseases/activities/activity3_debi-story.htm
http://science.education.nih.gov/supplements/nih1/diseases/activities/activity1.htm
Students watched a video titled: Why Is Evolution Important Now? This video is available to watch online at: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/evolution/educators/teachstuds/svideos.html
Information and visual diagrams that explain how antibiotic resistance develops:
http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/observations/2013/09/16/drug-resistant-superbugs-kill/
Knowledge of evolution assists in choosing the appropriate drugs for treating bacterial infections:
http://news.sciencemag.org/biology/2013/09/if-chosen-wisely-existing-drugs-fight-resistant-bugs
New York Times 2013 - What is we can't control infections?:
http://www.nytimes.com/roomfordebate/2013/12/29/avoiding-a-time-when-bacteria-can-no-longer-be-stopped
Exposure to antibiotics can not only cause resistance to the antibiotics, it can also cause the mutant bacteria to reproduce faster!
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/01/170130110927.htm
For more reasons to understand evolution, the following posts also address the question: Why is Evolution Important Now?
Why Is Evolution Important Now? Understanding Extinction and Our Environment
http://cavalierscience.blogspot.com/2009/03/why-is-evolution-important-now.html
Why Is Evolution Important Now? Disease Prevention
http://cavalierscience.blogspot.com/2009/02/why-is-evolution-important-now-disease.html
Why Is Evolution Important Now? Understanding Diseases and Food Production
http://cavalierscience.blogspot.com/2009/02/why-is-evolution-important-now.html
Why Is Evolution Important Now? Understanding Predation
http://cavalierscience.blogspot.com/2010/07/why-is-evolution-important-now.html
Why Is Evolution Important Now? Battling the Bedbug Epidemic and Cockroach avoidance of bait - Pesticide Resistance
http://cavalierscience.blogspot.com/2011/03/why-is-evolution-important-now-battling.html
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