In this lesson, students learn about microbes and the diseases associated with them, learn how diseases are transmitted and impact society, and create art projects representing the diseases they have studied. They also learn that many diseases caused by microbes have resulted in serious debilitation and/or loss of human life.

In this lesson, students collect, grow, observe and compare bacteria and/or fungi in petri dishes, learning that microbes are everywhere and can grow rapidly on sources of food and water.

With this resource, students will discover information about the microorganisms that cause different diseases.

In this lesson, students read about six milestones in the history of microbiology, create a timeline of events, and learn that many scientific advances become possible only after appropriate tools and techniques have been developed.

In this lesson, students read an essay, "Portrait of a Killer," about the emergence of HIV/AIDS, and learn about the basic structure of the virus by making three-dimensional paper models of an HIV particle.

The goal of this chapter is to help students understand the science concepts involved in immune response and in new technologies for manufacturing vaccines, as well as the exciting career opportunities available in this field. This chapter also is intended to provide a snapshot of some of the leading vaccine research and manufacturing efforts in North Carolina.

In this case study, students will analyze data and information about the outbreak as if it were happening in real time. They will use this information to make decisions about how to effectively monitor and respond to an enterovirus D-69 (EV-D68) outbreak. Students will classify increases in numbers of persons with EV-D68 as a cluster, outbreak, epidemic, or pandemic to help justify planning decisions for conducting a field investigation. Students will apply a case definition to collect data needed to characterize an outbreak by using correct graphs and tables. Oral and written communication skills will be used to communicate findings to the public.

In this lesson, students use a light microscope to examine three different microbes: bacteria in yogurt, Baker's yeast, and paramecia in pond water.

In this lesson, students explore the health benefits and risks involved in pet ownership and interaction. Zoonoses will be introduced, and students will examine the safety of their interactions with household pets.

Students will try their best to pick the strains of the influenza virus that will be the most common or severe in 9 months.

In this podcast, Trevor Mundel, president of global health at the Gates Foundation, talks to Scientific American editor-in-chief Mariette DiChristina about the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) and the efforts to create vaccine platforms for rapid responses to epidemics.

In this role-playing activity, students experience how the human immune system protects the body against infection.

In this activity, students will explore the effects of fungi on some bacteria. While researching the work of Alexander Fleming (1928), students will discuss the role of creativity and insight in scientific discovery. This can be compared with their own experience of experiments that give unexpected results.

This course was created by the Rethink Education Content Development Team. This course is aligned to the NC Standards for 8th Grade Science. 

This course was created by the Rethink Education Content Development Team. This course is aligned to the NC Standards for 8th Grade Science. 

This course was created by the Rethink Education Content Development Team. This course is aligned to the NC Standards for 8th Grade Science.

In this problem-based learning module, students focus on issues related to understanding the nature and transmission of the Rift Valley fever virus, a virus that causes the death of large numbers of livestock in Kenya and in much of sub-Saharan Africa, and can also infect humans. This module is part of Exploring the Environment.

In this lesson, students will research one aspect of either hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS) or lymphocytic choriomeningitis (LCMV). Students will use what they learn during their research to produce a public service announcement in the form of a brochure, poster, radio announcement or television commercial. This lesson is for use after students have covered the basics of viruses, viral infection, and immunology. Students should know what a virus is, the basic methods of transmission, and how the human immune system reacts to infection by a virus.

In this activity, students will conduct research on microbes that cause infectious diseases, create a poster that lists the agent, host, and environment for a disease. Then they will present their findings to the class.

In this activity, students model the transmission of infectious disease caused by microorganisms to learn more about the mechanisms through which disease can spread.