The students will be able to distinguish between bacteria and viruses. They will gain an understanding of how quickly viruses replicate. The students will dispel some of their misconceptions about bacteria. The students will perform a lab to further their knowledge about pathogen transmission.
Lab: "Who got us all sick?" With Data Tables - To Accompany Bacteria Vs. Virus: What's the Difference? Lesson
Communicable diseases are caused by pathogens and can be transmitted from one person to another. You can become infected by a pathogen in several ways, including by drinking contaminated water, eating contaminated foods, receiving contaminated blood, and inhaling infectious aerosols (which are droplets from coughs or sneezes). In this lab you will simulate the transmission of a communicable disease.