The past week I've taught five little first graders about microbes via Zoom. We talked about what I do at work and how I got here. As a 1st gen college student, demystifying "college knowledge" is so rewarding for me! 
We talked about how Latin is used as a universal language for taxonomy in biology and how we can use root words to figure out what the microbes look like.
I was concerned about teaching first graders the concept of phylogeny but these kids are sharp! We talked about trees of life and how so many living things are too small to see without a microscope.
I had them bring yogurt to our Zoom meeting so we could look at the ingredients list together. They were amazed that they recognized the latin names of microbes in their yogurt!
Now I've assembled a group of microbe hunters-- kids searching for evidence of biofilm and fungus in their homes.
The parents were happy about the kids being motivated to find grime and help clean. 😉😉😉
The parents were happy about the kids being motivated to find grime and help clean. 😉😉😉
Before we got on Zoom, I had them watch some educational Dr. Binocs microbe videos on youtube and do this microbial scavenger hunt. Great resources! amnh.org/explore/ology/…
Next week, I have a full slate of middle school and high schoolers to talk marine microbiology with! The lessons have been about 40min each so far and a great way to spend quarantine work breaks.
