Creating mental associations between microbes and their actions and impact is challenging because they are practically invisible. Therefore, visualizing these microscopic characters is essential to better understand them.
Likewise, by giving microorganisms personality, children can recognize them more easily and dynamically. This could even lead to them becoming role models.
In order to portray them and showcase their personalities, Microstar Portrait Galleries have been created. These are based on brief descriptions of the most interesting characteristics of microbes that are considered stars in the scientific world. Each one has been generously illustrated to represent them in a less abstract way.
Suggestions for use of the Gallery Portraits
Reading
In class or at home
Homework
Writing
Summarizing, comparing, assessing
Class competitions-debates
Between student/group competitions in class.
TV/Social media: spot news items where you think a MicroStar was involved but did not necessarily get a mention (e.g. oil spill, food-poisoning outbreak).
Home, family and friends
Out and about: select one or more MicroStars that you know are doing things in your neighbourhood (lichens/microalgae/fungi on various surfaces; nodule-forming nitrogen fixer on plant roots; etc.), take your family/friends on a walk to show them, and tell them the story.
Create a size chart from the smallest to the largest cells of the MicroStars, illustrating with the most beautiful or dramatic Stars, show to family and friends and explain why the Stars are famous
Discussion/presentation
Class discussions (e.g. Of the SDGs impacted by our MicroStar, which one(s) is(are) the most important and why?)
Student presentations in class
Researching-projects
Individual and class research projects: knowledge deepening-expansion through webbased research.
Create a MicroStars montage – keeping it ecologically accurate.
Is/was there a local culturally or economically important activity in your region in which microbes play/ed a role? Create a Portrait of the main organism linking it to the local activity.
Class presentations of findings as individuals and groups
Creative arts
Which MicroStars are for you the most fascinating? The most happy? The most sad? The most clever? The most hard working? The most lazy? The most selfish? Try different means of enhancing their ‘personalities’.
Imagine and draw a situation involving your MicroStar.
Develop a short story about your MicroStar.
Make a short video about your MicroStar. Decide at the outset what the key message of the video will be and make sure it is delivered.
Create a short comic about your MicroStar.
Create a short scene of a play about your MicroStar, combine with scenes created by others.
Write a song about your MicroStar.
Create a dance based on your MicroStar.
Design a game (top trumps or board game)
NB:
Some of the suggestions provided above are obviously age-dependent
Some of the suggestions may be also adopted as activities/preparatory activities by the teacher.
Although there is a clear organizational change in the transition from secondary to tertiary education, in reality the abilities and interests evolve seamlessly between the two groups, so some of the materials-exercises developed for pre-university students will be useful for undergraduates.
