Teaching Portfolio for Faculty Learning Community #3
Scott Nunez
Table of contents
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Teaching Philosophy
Example syllabus for Microbiology Biol 2421
Critical thinking exercise #1:
Hardware phylogeny exercise
Critical thinking exercise #2:
Build-a-Bacterium
Critical thinking exercise #3:
Microbiology Bingo
Evaluation of Instructor by Supplemental Instructor (Fall 2009)
Teaching Philosophy
The key to effective teaching at the college level lies in creating an environment which
allows an open exchange of knowledge and active participation by students. Because so much
time and effort is put into teaching, instructors develop a sense of ownership about their courses.
This mentality can give the unintended impression that knowledge itself is owned and that
instructors are merely information vendors. To counteract this, my teaching mentors always
stressed that instructors should not promote themselves as infallible, but as mediators of
information, as accessible sources of knowledge and experience. Instructors must encourage
students to move away from rote memorization towards active thought and comprehension.
Developing a relaxed, respectful rapport with students is critical to these goals.
Many undergraduates find it easier to be passive in the classroom. This can be overcome
somewhat by engaging students with questions and drawing out their interests and perspectives.
Because different students learn in different ways, diverse teaching and evaluation methods
should be used to reach the auditory, visual, and kinestetic learners. Powerpoint presentations,
the internet and other technology can create frameworks for classroom discussions. For
example, because there is a wealth of information (including images and video) about diseases
and medical advances, the internet is particularly useful when discussing pathological states.
Students should be encouraged to fill in this framework with pertinent, productive and
informative tangential discussions. Because creativity and humor are powerful ways to spark
such discussions, humorous presentations on subject matter can help to introduce concepts and
terminology most courses.
Active learning exercises, where students have the opportunity to get up and move
around (sometimes moving outside of the classroom) can stimulate thought and discussion.
Laboratory exercises can be particularly useful, as they can help overcome student passivity and
aid in connecting science to everyday life, an important motivation for many students.
In any academic setting, students must be challenged to do more than they think
themselves capable. In offering this challenge, instructors must be willing to go the extra mile to
assist students who accept it. Most importantly, giving students a voice in their education and
the freedom to pursue their individual academic interests eventually leads to students who, like
their instructors, develop an ownership mentality towards their classes that maximizes their
educational experience.
Section I: Example Syllabus
Microbiology
Biology 2421
Class numbers 11219 and 11221
Summer Semester 2009
Class will meet on Tuesdays and Thursdays:
M11:
9:10A to 1:20P
M12:
5:45P to 9:55P
Instructor
Dr. Scott Nunez
Office
SB227 and SB228
Office hours
Tuesdays and Thursdays 2:00-5:00P or by appointment
Phone
832-556-4510
Email
bnunez@lee.edu
Division Chair: Tom O’Kuma (281-425-6522; SB 215)
Division Secretary:
Janice Martin (281-425-6332; SB 219)
Course overview:
Biol 2421 provides a broad overview of the general biology of microorganisms.
While special attention will be paid to medical microbiology, this course is designed to introduce you to
the world of microbiology as a whole, and will therefore also examine ecological and environmental
aspects of microbiology.
Required text: Foundations in Microbiology, Kathleen Park Talaro, 7th Edition, McGraw-Hill
Companies, Inc., 2009
Required lab manual: Microbiology Laboratory: Theory & Application: Brief Edition Michael J.
Leboffe and Burton E. Pierce, Morton Publishing, 2008.
Lab jacket and closed-toed shoes are REQUIRED! No jacket, no shoes, no lab.
Additional References and Resources:
A Photographic Atlas for the Microbiology Laboratory, Michael J. Leboffe and Burton E. Pierce, Morton
Publishers
Microbiology Laboratory Exercises, Short Version, Margaret Barnett, W.C. Brown Publishers
Journal Watch Infectious Diseases, Massachusetts Medical Society.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: www.cdc.gov
World Health Organization: http://www.who.int/en/
Information will be posted on Blackboard, check it early, check it often.
A note about the Blackboard discussion board:
The discussion board is a great way to have conversations about microbiology, but the anonymity
of the computer may remove many inhibitions and lead to off-topic and/or impolite discussions. The
board will be kept civil by force, I will remove any personal attacks and uncivil posts. Please report abuse
to me; I am the only authority on this board and there should be no other policemen. Individuals may
lose Blackboard privileges if a persistent problem develops.
Course requirements
Attendance
You are to sign into class when you arrive and out when you leave. Attendance is defined as arriving to
class on time (preferably early) and staying the entire class period.
Carrots: Those that choose to arrive on time, take part in class, and leave at the appropriate time:
-will be eligible for extra credit exercises.
-will benefit fully from class discussions and exercises.
- I retain the right to adjust scores upward by as much as three points (no lobbying); somewhat predicated
by your attendance (perfect attendance eligible for 3 pts; one absence 2 pts; two absences 1 pt)
Sticks: Those that choose to arrive late and/or leave early:
-will not receive credit for attendance.
-will not be eligible for extra credit pop quizzes and exercises.
-will not benefit fully from class discussions and exercises; grades will suffer accordingly.
-may be dropped from the class if you miss three or more sessions.
-will not do well if you do not attend class.
Your evaluation
You will be evaluated in both lecture (60%) and laboratory (40%). The exercises used to calculate your
final grade will consist of:
Lecture:
In-class exams: There will be FIVE in-class lecture exams and one final exam. Exams will be
cumulative and will increase in value sequentially for a total of 490 points.
Exam 1 (short)
Exam 2 (short)
Exam 3 (short)
Exam 4 (short)
Exam 5 (long)
Exam 6 (required)
June 16th
June 25th
July 7th
July 16th
July 28th
August 27th
40 points
60 points
80 points
90 points
100 points
120 points
There are no make-up exams, if you miss an exam, the next exam you take will be worth the sum of those
two exams. For example, if you miss exam 1 (worth 40 points) then exam 2 will be worth 90 points. If
you miss more than two exams you will be dropped from the course. You must take the final exam.
Extra work: These exercises will EACH be worth 10 points that can be used toward your
lecture exam total. In addition to unannounced in-class quizzes (be prepared!), you will have the
opportunity to present oral and written summaries of scientific papers (to be approved by your instructor)
for a total of 50 points. Oral presentations will be 10 minutes long at the beginning of class on a topic of
the instructor’s choosing or approval. Your grade will be determined by the class as a whole. Written
summaries of an article of the instructor’s choosing or approval will be a minimum of one page double
spaced clearly stating the objective of the paper, the methods used, the results of the experiments and the
significance of the work. Extra work will not be accepted after August 18th.
Review paper (110 total points): You will prepare a short paper that reviews the biology and
pathology of a disease-causing microorganism. The assignments are:
1st assignment: Outline (10 points); due June 18th.
2nd assignment: Rough draft (40 points); due July 18th.
3rd assignment: Final paper (60 points); due August 6th.
1. Papers must be typed in the following format: 1” margins (top, bottom, and both sides), 12 point font,
and double spaced in any common font.
2. The paper (introduction, body of the paper, and conclusion) must more than 4 pages long, less than 6
pages long, in the above format. This does not include the cover page or the works cited page.
3. At least five reputable sources must be cited in your paper; be cautious of older papers, they may not
contain contemporary information about your subject.
Try these:
http://journals.asm.org/minireviews.shtml {this site is a searchable index of minireviews, great place to
start!}
Microbiology and Molecular Biology Reviews {another site with good review articles}
Applied and Environmental Microbiology
Journal of Microbiology
Journal of Clinical Microbiology
Microbiology
This is just a sample; there are a ton of microbiology journals out there, so no excuses!
YOU CANNOT USE WEB SITES AS SOURCES. Your textbook does not count either.
4. Paper structure:
a. Cover page: Includes informative title, your name, date, and the class (Biology 2421
Microbiology). ALSO have an abstract, which is a short summary of the paper. The abstract follows the
outline of the whole paper (beginning to end), but does not go into detail. It should be interesting (“grabs
the reader’s attention”), includes the main topic (the pathogen and disease) and previews the structure of
the paper (what you plan to discuss in the paper). REMEMBER: This does not count in the page total.
b. Paper Body (should be fully cited!)
i. Introductory section- Can include:
 Scientific name (Genus and species) and common name of the pathogen
 Name of the disease or diseases it causes
 Brief history, interesting information about the pathogen or disease
ii. Descriptive sections- describes the disease including:
 Anatomical and physiological description of the pathogen
 Chain of infection (mode of transmission)
 Frequency and distribution of the pathogen/disease in the U.S. and in the world
 Within a population, describe any trends on who gets the disease (by race, age, etc)
 How does the pathogen cause the disease?
 What parts of the body are affected by the disease?
 Symptoms of the disease
 Treatment of the disease and vaccination (if applicable)
 Prevention
iii. Conclusion paragraph- Restates the main topic (pathogen and disease) & summarizes
main points
c. Works cited page- includes all books, magazines, etc that were cited in your paper.
5. You must cite all factual information in your paper. It is better to assume that you must cite something
than to not give credit to the source. Citations are designed to give credit to the author whose information
you are using.
Direct quotes of sentences or paragraphs are NOT allowed in this paper. Reword everything
into your own words. Any exceptions must be approved before you turn in the paper by the
instructor. However, even if you reword the sentence, you still must give credit to the source
using citations.
See www.dianahacker.com/resdoc/p04_c11_s2.html for the format of your works cited page and
examples of each type of citation. Use the “name-year” method. This is a very easy citation
method where you cite information in your paper by giving the authors last name and the date of
publication. Examples:
One out of every five people carry this opportunistic pathogen (Smith, 1999).
OR
Nunez (2003) later recognized that women are much more likely to contract the disease.
If the article does not have an author, use the title of the article, placed in quotes, in its place. For
example:
The pathogen is easily treated using penicillin (“The history of infectious disease”, 2005).
OR
As stated in the article “The history of infectious disease” (2005), penicillin is often used to treat bacterial
infections.
Your outline and draft will be submitted electronically as Microsoft Word documents. Include ALL
sections (cover page, paper body, and citations) in a single file and name that file yourlastnameoutline and
yourlastnamedraft. I will send it back to you if it is not in this format.
Paper evaluation: While content is my main consideration, I will count off for spelling and grammar
(0.25 point for each infraction in outlines and drafts; 1 point for each infraction in final papers), so
proofread your documents. Late documents will be assessed a 10 point deduction for each day late. Your
final paper should be a hard copy, due at the START of class on the due day.
According to the American Heritage Dictionary, plagiarism is defined as “appropriating for use as one’s
own passages or ideas from another”; in other words taking someone’s ideas or words without giving
them credit. Acts of plagiarism will result in reduction in your score. If you wish more information about
plagiarism, please visit: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/research/r_plagiar.html
NO CUTTING AND PASTING!!!
Laboratory Evaluation
Lab exercises: Each laboratory exercise will have both active and written components. The lab
manual is required; your lab manual will outline each exercise, provide questions with which to test
yourself and a list of objectives and questions regarding the laboratory exercise. The majority of the
laboratory part of this course is built around the identification of an unknown microorganism. You must
provide a three-ring binder to put both your lab manual and your lab notebook in. Each week we will be
learning new techniques, many of which you will use repeatedly. You will record IN INK any notes
regarding these techniques and the results of each assay that you perform in this notebook. Your goal is
to gather as much information about your microorganism as you can in pursuit of its identity. YOU
MUST MAINTAIN YOUR LAB BOOK! If you do not write it down, you will forget it!
Lab notebooks grades determined on June 30th (50 points), July 21st (100 points), and August11th (100
points).
Lab practicals: Lab practical exams will be held on July 14th (50 points) and August 11th (100
points) during which your mastery of the information and techniques associated with the laboratory
exercises will be evaluated.
Overall grade scale (there will be no curves):
A:
B:
C:
D:
F:
100-90
89-80
79-70
69-60
<59
A student will be given an incomplete only in extreme situations and only if the student has
completed 67% of the course and is currently passing the course with a “D” or better grade. Students
given an incomplete will have no longer than one month after the final exam to complete missed
assignments. In these situations, the instructor reserves the right to substitute new exercises for old ones
conducted during the regular semester. I will not drop you or give you an “I” due to poor academic
performance. If you decide that it is necessary for you to drop Microbiology, you must go through the
formal drop procedure in order to avoid receiving a grade of “F”.
Special needs: Lee College provides upon request appropriate academic accommodations for qualified
students with disabilities. Students who feel they qualify should meet with the Counselor for Students
with Disabilities (Joann Szabo) in the Counseling Center of Moler Hall to request any assistance or
accommodations. Please call at 281-425-6384 or 800-621-8724 for more information or to schedule an
appointment.
CLASS RULES
Rule 1: You are expected to arrive to class on time and stay the allotted period unless otherwise
indicated by the instructors.
Rule 2: You will be respectful of your fellow classmates:
Questions should be directed towards the class, not your neighbor.
Conversations during the class period will be restricted to the course topic and will include the
entire class.
You will address your instructors and classmates with respectful speech and tone.
Rule 3: The use of electronic devices (computers, cellular phones, video games, etc....) for nonclass
activities during the class period is forbidden. Students with legitimate reasons for using this equipment
can do so only after receiving explicit consent of the instructor. Turn your phones OFF before you enter
class, repeated electronic interruptions will result in deductions from your grade.
Rule 4: NO EATING OR DRINKING IN CLASS. This is for your protection. If you have edible
products, keep them in your book bag, DO NOT get them out.
Rule 5: Discussion of the course material with your classmates outside of class is strongly encouraged.
However, exercises that are not strictly defined as group exercises should result in an original work that is
the sole product of the individual’s effort. Cheating on an exercise will result in no credit for that
exercise. A second cheating infraction will result in expulsion from the class and potentially the college.
Remember, discussion of exams and/or practicals between sections is cheating. More information about
academic honesty and student conduct can be found at:
http://www.lee.edu/pdf/2008-09/08_09%20Catalog%2028_36.pdf
Rule 6: You are responsible for being aware of exam and exercise due dates. Scheduled exams and other
exercises constitute a major part of your grade; it is therefore unfair to the rest of the class to provide
some individuals more time to prepare than others. It is your responsibility to provide documentation to
justify an absence.
Rule 7: Your attention during this class period will be devoted to this class and not elsewhere.
LABORATORY RULES
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You are welcome in this classroom, your non-registered buddies are not.
NO food or drinks in the classroom/laboratory. NO EXCEPTIONS!
A labcoat must be worn in the lab.
No open toed shoes (no sandals or flip-flops), keep your feet covered.
Store your books and other stuff in a safe place.
Long hair must be contained
• Hair is full of cooties
• Hair is flammable
• Long hair can get into places it shouldn’t be
Other stuff is flammable too!
• Fingernail polish
• False fingernails
• Latex gloves
• Paper
First thing you do before entering lab is wash your hands, don’t carry your home bacteria to the
lab
Maintain your space
• Keep it clean
• Disinfect before and after you work at your bench
Treat all microorganisms used in this class as pathogens
Discard used, contaminated articles in the appropriate containers
Store unused uncontaminated articles in proper areas
No laboratory items in the classroom area.
Report all spills and accidents immediately.
Last thing to do before you leave the laboratory is wash your hands well in hot soapy water.
Don’t take lab bacteria home with you.
Consequences for breaking rules can include:
Those arriving late may not be granted entrance and WILL be made light of.
Excessive tardiness (more than 3) may result in your removal from the class roll.
Tardy individuals are not eligible for quizzes given during that class period.
You may be asked to leave the classroom.
Excessive disruption of class may result in your removal from the class roll.
The Dean of Students will be informed of abusive behavior.
Academic dishonesty will not be tolerated as such behavior harms the individual, all students, and
the integrity of the College. Students who violate College rules on academic dishonesty are
subject to disciplinary penalties, including the possibility of failure of the course and/or dismissal
from the College.
YOU CAN GET SICK!
Student Responsibilities
Budget your time so that you can arrive to class on time and stay the entire period.
Be respectful of your instructor and classmates.
Read and understand the course goals and evaluation processes.
Read and understand the course rules and the consequences of not following them.
Stay current with the readings and other assignments listed in the course outline and be prepared
to discuss such information in class.
Budget time efficiently so that exercises can be successfully completed on time.
Be aware of the class schedule so that you have no conflicts with course lectures and exercises.
If the syllabus allows, contact the instructor and follow their instructions regarding missed
exercises.
DISCUSSION SCHEDULE
Day
TOPIC
6/9/2009 THE BASICS
Welcome to Microbiology!
History of Microbiology
Scientific method
Textbook
CH 1: 1-18
CH 3: 70-83
I am doing this so I …….
can decide if I REALLY want to be in here!
know the tools of microbiology
know who the titans of microbiology are
understand where science comes from
CH 2: 53-54
know the basic characteristics of life
CH 4: 88-90
CH 7: 198-206
know how one species can lead to many others
know how our environment challenges us
CH 1: 19-23
CH 4: 90-102
CH 4: 108-116
understand how scientists classify life
know the basic external characteristics of bacteria
know the difference between bacteria and archea
CH 4: 89-105
know the internal structure of bacteria
understand how bacteria form endospores
CH 4: 105-114
understand how we catagorize bacteria
6/25/2009 A BIT MORE COMPLEX
We have flagella too!
Exam 2
Organelles make a difference
CH 5: 121-132
know the basic external structures of eucaryotes
know how eucaryotes are organized internally
know where biochemical processes occur in eucaryote
6/30/2009 CHEESE!
No fungi, no cheese
CH 5: 132-143
know the basic characteristics of fungi
7/2/2009 AH ISN'T IT CUTE?
Don't drink the water
Tell the algae "thank you".
We don't need no stinkin'
helminths!
CH 5: 143-150
know the basic characteristics of protozoa and algae
understand the importance of single celled eucaryotes
7/7/2009 BUT ITS JUST THE FLU!
What is a virus anyway?
Exam 3
CH6: 157-173
know the basic characteristics of viruses
know why viruses are deadly to humans
know how viruses are classified
CH6: 173-180
know why viruses are deadly to bacteria
know how we examine viruses
ALVIN AND THE
6/11/2009 SANDWICHES
What is life (but a little
chemistry)?
Where is life?
Why so many of us?
WHAT KIND OF LIFE IS OUT
6/16/2009 THERE?
AS SIMPLE AS IT GETS
Exam 1
Bacteria vs. archea
INSIDE THE BACTERIAL
6/18/2009 BEAST
SURVIVOR: BACTERIA
Where do we put all these
6/23/2009 bacteria?
7/9/2009 BACTERIAL COLDS
Bacterial viruses
How do we study something SO
small
know how we know all this about viruses
7/14/2009 SO? IS IT ALIVE?
Are viruses alive?
Scientific
American
article
CH 7: 185-198
CH 3: 57-70
CH 7: 206-212
can show everyone I can use information.
7/21/2009 NO ENZYMES, NO LIFE
Microbial metabolism
It's all about the ATP!
CH 8: 216:238
understand how biological catalysts work
know where the energy required to run a cell comes fro
7/23/2009 LIFE WITHOUT OXYGEN
Microbial metabolism
BEER!
CH 8: 238-246
know how oxygen governs life
CH 9: 252-261
know how information is stored and transferred
CH 9: 261276
know how genomes are organized
CH 9: 276285
know how biological information can change
CH 10: 289311
know how humans can purposely alter genomes
7/16/2009 WHAT'S FOR SUPPER?
Microbial nutrition
Exam 4
Microbial growth
Growth in the laboratory
know what microbes need to live
know how micobes grow
know how microbiologists grow microbes in the lab
7/28/2009 Exam 5 (long)
7/30/2009 ITS ALL IN THE GENES
Life is NOT fair
Efficiency Vs. Flexibility
Genome organization
8/4/2009 WE ARE ALL MUTANTS
X-Bacteria
8/6/2009 Genetic Engineering
WEAPONS AGAINST
8/11/2009 MICROBES
Guns aren't that efficient
Chemical and physical agents
[lab practical first]
CH 11: 316342
know the general ways humans control microbes
know how we can kill lots of bacteria efficiently
know how we can kill a few bacteria selectively
8/13/2009 FINAL
LABORATORY SCHEDULE
Day
TOPIC
6/9/2009 Introduction to microscopy
Scientific Method
Experimental design
Sample collection
Hand out plates!
Labbook
Introduction
Exercise 1-3
Exercise 1-5
Exercise 3-1
I am doing this so I …….
am not a danger to myself or others
can use a microscope
can recognize the basic shapes of bacteria
know how to collect samples
can successfully conduct an experiment
can keep a lab book
6/11/2009 Growth in broth
Streak plate method
Exercise 1-3
Exercise 1-4
can describe the growth patterns in liquid media
can use streak method to inoculate agar plates
Bring back plates!
Exercise 2-4
can subculture
6/16/2009 Growth on agar plates
Ubiquity
Exercise 1-3
Exercise 2-1
Exercise 2-2
know how to collect and manipulate data
can determine abundance and diversity
can describe different colony morphologies
can transfer microbes from broth to agar slant
6/18/2009 Growth on slants
Simple stains
Exercise 1-3
Exercise 2-3
Exercise 3-4
can describe growth on slants
can transfer bacteria from slant to broth
can determine the shape of microorganisms
6/23/2009 Negative stains
Capsule stain
Exercise 3-5
Exercise 3-8
can determine the shape and size of microorganisms
can determine if a bacteria has a capsule
6/25/2009 Gram stain
Selective media
Exercise 3-6
can determine if a bacteria is gram positive or negative
Can use selective media to supplement Gram stain data
6/30/2009 Analyze selective media
Lab
Anaerobic metabolism 1
books
Exercise 4-2
can determine the effect of oxygen on bacteria
7/2/2009 Anaerobic metabolism 2
Shakes/stabs
Exercise 5-4
Exercise 5-5
can determine how bacteria deal with oxygen
7/7/2009 Carbohydrate metabolism 1
Wine making
Exercise 5-1
Exercise 5-2
can set up assays to determine if bacteria utilize specif
know some of the ways microbes are used by humans
7/9/2009 Carbohydrate metabolism 2
Wet mount
Hanging drop
Exercise 5-1
Exercise 5-2
Exercise 3-10
can correctly analyze the results of carbohydrate assay
know how to observe living mircoorganims
7/16/2009 Nutrient sources 1
Exercise 5-11
Exercise 5-13
Exercise 5-14
Exercise 5-16
can set up assays to study the use of different nutrients
7/21/2009 Nutrient sources 2
Lab books
Exercise 5-11
Exercise 5-13
Exercise 5-14
Exercise 5-16
can analyze and interpret the results of nutrient based a
Exercise 4-4
Exercise 1-4
Exercise 2-6
Exercise 2-7
Candle jar
7/14/2009 1st lab practical
7/23/2009 SIMViC 1
Exercise 5-17
Exercise 5-3
Exercise 5-7
can set up assays that allow me to identify coliform ba
7/28/2009 SIMViC 2
Selective media 1
Mannitol salt agar
MacConkeys agar
Same as 3/31
Exercise 4-1
Exercise 4-6
can interpret the results of SIMViC tests
can set up assays that select for enteric bacteria and Sta
7/30/2009 Selective media 2
Steam sterilization
Freeze treatment
Exercise 8-3
Exercise 2-13
Exercise 2-8
can intrepret the results of mannitol salt and MacConk
know how to kill lots of bacteria quickly
8/4/2009 Steam sterilization 2
Antibiotic resistance
8/6/2009 Analysis of antibiotic test
Practical review
know how well each temperature technique works
can test bacteria for suceptibility to antibiotics
Exercise 7-2
Exercise 7-2
can determine how well antibiotics work against bacte
can do well on the second practical
8/11/2009 Practical
Lab books
8/13/2009 Final exam
NAME: _____________________________________SECTION:__________MICROSCOPE: ________
Major:
Number of college science courses I have taken: 0
1
2
3
4
>4
What do you want out of this class?
Last book for fun:
Favorite disease:
I, the undersigned, do hereby witness and testify that I have read and understand the rules of this class and
understand the consequences of breaking them. Furthermore, I understand my responsibilities and the
expectations my instructors have of me.
printed name
signature
date
Critical thinking exercise #1: Taxonomy
Many students have difficulties with the concept of taxonomy and phylogeny, and how
biologists organize the millions of different species that make up the living world. As a prelude
to this exercise we talk about evolution and how it occurs. Basically, over time different
populations of the same species accumulate characteristics that are different from other
populations of the same species, and ultimately accumulate so many different traits that they
become different species. But because these new species share similar ancestors, they still share
many of the same characteristics (i.e. they may look very much alike). So the challenge for the
taxonomist is to find characteristics that allow them to differentiate between species. In order to
simulate this task, I break up the class into 4-5 teams and give each team an identical bag of
hardware:
Their first task is to look at the hardware and come up with a list of characteristics (traits)
for each individual piece. Students usually start this list with shape, size, and color. Others also
list the presence of threads, the presence of a slot, and maybe the presence of a “barrel” or
“head”. Given these traits, they then need to figure out what is more closely related to what. At
this point, students usually want to “marry” one piece of hardware to another, and have other
pieces give birth to other species. While crossing (hybridization) can in fact occur, these
interactions usually produce infertile offspring. Therefore one of the rules of this exercise is
there is no “marrying”; one species gives rise to one or more new species. When doing this I tell
them they have to be prepared to justify how they create their hardware family tree, there has to
be some rational reason to group species and lineages. Students come up with a range of results,
some more justifiable than others, they can look like this:
But they don’t have to, and after all teams have reached a conclusion about how the
hardware should be grouped, we reconvene and talk about each solution and then come up with a
class solution. Students who think about this are quick to ask how we ever have a stable
phylogenetic tree (i.e. how we are ever sure of evolutionary relationships). Which is a great
segue to a discussion about the difficulties and complexities of taxonomy, and how these trees
become more accurate with the more traits we observe. The critical thinking applications are
numerous. Hopefully, students understand their purpose is to determine the relatedness of each
individual piece. To do so, they must gather information, in this case a list of traits of each piece
of hardware. The point of view of the scientist is very important in determining these traits, and
they must interpret the importance and chronology of these traits. Individuals make different
assumptions as to how these traits came about and how they are related. In the end they must
have justification to back up their own solution to the problem. The essential concept that I hope
to drive home is that of the evolutionary link each individual species has to another.
Critical thinking exercise #2: “Build-a-Bacterium” scavenger hunt
Microbiology students must know how to put together a cell; they must be familiar with
the morphology and inner workings of different types of cells. While all cells share some
characteristics, some cells have special traits, such as motility, slimy capsules, and/or the ability
to transfer small bits of genetic material. Instead of having students simply list these types of
structures, I hope to engage their thinking by having them do a “Build-a-Bacterium” scavenger
hunt. As teams of 4-5 students, each will try to decipher a riddle which will reveal what kinds of
structures for which they should be looking. Once the riddle is solved, I will give each team a
set of cards; each card will represent a single bacterial trait, some of which may or may not be
needed to build their bacteria. They can seek and trade for missing parts with other teams. Some
parts (e.g cell membrane, genome, ribosomes) will be required for all bacteria, while some parts
are required for only specific riddles. Not all cards have to be used, but students do have to meet
all the requirements of each riddle. Once the riddle is solved, and the cell has been made, each
group will write a one minute paper about how they came to solve the riddle and the significance
of each individual part they used to make their bacterium. For example, a team may receive a
riddle that says:
“I am a tough little bugger that can survive nearly any thing you throw at me. Normally
I don’t like you guys and would rather be out playing in the mud, but get me in the wrong place
(like a poorly ventilated wound) and I will eat you up.”
This riddle should lead the students to a bacterium that has an extensive cell wall (tough)
and can produce endospores (which are usually only killed by really stringent conditions like
autoclaving). This bacterium is normally found in soils (playing in the mud), but can cause
problems if they get into humans where there is little oxygen (like in a poorly ventilated wound).
Once they have built their bacterium, I will let them use their computers or the lab computer to
come up with a specific type of bacteria. This particular bacteria is of the genus Clostridium.
The purpose of this exercise is to better familiarize ourselves with bacterial morphology
and structure. Students must be familiar with the pertinent information and must interpret this
information in order to solve the riddle. Their point of view is important to this process as well
as using the information in order to build their bacterium. The essential concept that this exercise
should drive home is that the different characteristics of different bacteria determine how
individual bacteria interact with the environment (including the human environment).
Critical thinking exercise #3: Microbiology Bingo
I thought it might be instructive to include a critical thinking exercise that I tried without
thinking critically about the exercise. There are several discussions which are heavily laden with
terminology, and students normally just sit and take down the definitions without thinking about
them, or more often, simply glaze over and think about something completely unrelated to
microbiology. I thought that to keep their attention on microbiology I would give them bingo
cards (see attached) with microbiology terminology at the start of class and told the students that
if they connected terms linearly all the way across the card the would get five bonus points.
They could mark off the terms on the sheet only if I said the term. Clever students could ask
questions to get me to say certain terms, most just sat and waited for me to say the term. The
purpose of this exercise was to use active learning to familiarize students with microbiological
nomenclature. After that, the exercise fails nearly all of the critical thinking elements. While
most students did indeed pay attention to what I was saying, they were only doing so to hear the
term, not to better understand it. I think most actually got less out of this exercise than they
would have normally, because instead of listening to what we were discussing, they were merely
hearing the terms. I will therefore NOT be conducting this exercise again.
Evaluation by Supplemental Instructor
Dr. Nunez has a way of making a subject as dull as microbiology an interesting class. He
relates the things you read in the book to things in the outside such as in discussing various
“diseases of the day” which many of the students (who are mostly going into the health care
field) can find applicable and relatable. He also brings a sense of humor into the classroom,
which is something many teachers fail to do. This gets the students not only to laugh but to feel
more comfortable participating in the discussions. Nunez also goes out of his way to be
approachable to his students. Both of these qualities are indispensible in the learning
environment because if students aren’t able to approach their teacher and don’t feel comfortable
asking questions then their learning processes can be hindered. Nunez gives his students all the
information they need to succeed and even points them in the correct direction to be successful in
microbiology by giving them the basics and trying to get them to put it all together and draw
conclusions, which is what science is supposed to be all about. He appeals to several types of
learners by presenting his lectures on slides (which are usually pretty visually stimulating) as
well as adding to the material auditorily; he pulls in the hands on learners both in lab and when
he breaks up the class into groups to do various things such as teaming up to debate the
characteristics of life in viruses.