Unit Overview
How has evolution shaped how humans and bacteria interact? How can we prevent future outbreaks of bacterial infections?
Bacteria are found everywhere: in extreme environments and living in, on, and around us. Some are harmful, some are beneficial, and some barely impact humans at all. Through the forces of natural selection, humans have entered an evolutionary arms race with virulent bacteria that may have lead to a global increase in bacterial infections. At the same time, bacteria have evolved to cooperate both with humans and each other in order to survive and flourish. In this unit, students will consider the factors that impact the rate and scale of evolution and will develop an argument outlining the best strategy to use in preventing a future outbreak. Will human society be able to develop new therapies and technologies in order to fight antibiotic-resistant bacteria and the re-emergence of infectious bacterial diseases?
Performance Expectations:
HS-LS4-2, HS-LS4-3, HS-LS4-4, HS-LS4-5, HS-LS2-8
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Unit Storyline
Unit Opening
The Black Death
Antibiotic Resistance
The Microbiome
Cooperation and Survival
Unit Closing
Why are bacterial diseases increasing globally? How can we prevent new disease outbreaks?
What can we learn about infectious disease transmission from past outbreaks like The Black Death? Why were some people able to survive, when so many people did not?
Why aren’t antibiotics working as well as they used to?
How do humans interact with bacteria? How can we fight bacterial infections using other bacteria?
How do bacteria interact with each other? How can we leverage those interactions to fight infections?
How can we best prevent a future outbreak of cholera?
In addition to the unit Performance Task, this unit includes a mid-unit formative task and an end-of-unit transfer task, both designed to serve as individual assessments that are part of a broader assessment system. Request access to these assessments or learn more about our assessment system using the buttons below.
Essential Documents
A collection of printable materials required for activities, rubrics, and work samples for the unit.