THE INVISIBLE WORLD

Session 1
The invisible world begins with a mini lecture entitled “Microorganisms are everywhere” Pupils are then asked if they think that washing their hands will remove all the microorganisms. They will proceed to the thumb prints on agar activity where their thumb prints will be placed onto nutrient agar, before and after washing their hands. The plates will be incubated at the University, photographed and the results returned to the pupils and discussed in session 4.

Session 2
The pupils will then explore the idea that microorganisms are all around them, they will take Petri-dishes of nutrient agar, and expose the plates for different lengths of time in different areas of the school. The plates will be incubated at the University, photographed and the results returned to the pupils on sessions 4 and 5 of the Invisible World. The pupils will count the number of microbial colonies isolated and draw graphs to show the numbers of microbial colonies isolated in the different areas of the school.

Session 3
Pupils will be shown that bacteria can be found in very unusual places. The bacterium Rhizobium leguminosarum is capable of inducing nodule formation on a variety of leguminous plants, inside these nodules the Rhizobium takes atmospheric nitrogen and converts it to ammonia. Clover root nodules will be surface sterilised, crushed and the bacterium R. leguminosarum isolated using the streak plate technique. The isolated plates will be incubated at the University, returned and discussed in session 5. They will examine R.leguminosarum under phase contrast using a compound microscope to observe the bacteria and see them move.

Sessions 4 and 5
Analysis, presentation and discussion of results.

During all of the above sessions there will also be an opportunity for pupils to examine pre-prepared slides using the compound microscopes and also examining a microscopic world produced by baiting microorganisms (fungi, protists and bacteria) using hemp seed in pond water.

DNA A MARVELLOUS MOLECULE

Session 1
The session begins with a mini lecture on DNA, detailing what it is and why it’s important. Pupils will then learn how to break the DNA code and have a go at making a DNA model.

Session 2
In the second session pupils will spool DNA from a solution of herring sperm DNA, sodium acetate and ethanol (Sigma DNA education kit). They will dissolve the spooled DNA in buffer, then load a sample onto mini DNA agarose gel, and separate the DNA by electrophoresis.

Session 3
In the final session, pupils will isolate their own DNA from cheek cells. They can put their DNA into a small vial to take home. They will then stain their DNA agarose gel, pictures will be taken with a digital camera and printed so that the results can be taken home.

CREATE A BUG

The aim of this activity is to invent your own microorganism. The session will begin with a mini lecture on what microorganisms are, the different environments in which they live and how they are named.
Pupils can draw pictures or generate their own 3-D models using clay or papier mache. They will need to think of a name for their microorganism, think about its shape, habitat and how it gets its food. There will be plenty of help sheets and mini posters detailing lots of different weird and wonderful microorganisms. After they have finished we will try and match their invented bug, with one which really does exist!

MICROSCOPE MAGIC

This activity centres on the use of the high power compound microscopes and a range of pre-prepared slides. Pupils can take the time to look at a fantastic range of biological slides. There will also be a timeline, reaching back 450 million years with fossils specimens including micro fossils and insects in amber which can be viewed in beautiful detail under dissecting microscopes. There will be an opportunity for pupils to make collages of what they see with a range of different art materials. They will also be provided with digital microscopes (QX3) attached to computers, so they can take their own pictures and movies of living invertebrates. They will also have the opportunity to make their own slides and view a living microbial community. They will get the opportunity to use a digital camera attached to a high power microscope, to take detailed highly magnified pictures of slides.

MAKING A DNA NECKLACE

Pupils will be able to isolate their own DNA from cheek cells and place it in a vial which can be worn around the neck. This DNA can be kept for years.

BREAKING THE DNA CODE AND MAKING A DNA MODEL

Pupils will learn how to break the DNA code and make a cardboard model of DNA to take home. There will also be an opportunity to learn about the use of computers in helping to untangle the DNA code, this area is called Bioinformatics.