Thursday, January 7, 2016

Microbiology in KDH

Did the KDH attend IJP this week or was it university? Who was that up front teaching the class? It wasn't Morah Ruth or Morah Sara. Why, it was Maira Goytia, PhD, microbiologist, scientist, researcher, college professor and Ilan's mom.

Maira came in to give a lesson on germs. Lewis pointed out that we all knew about germs from his book, Germs, Germs, Germs that he brought in for us to read before winter break. Still, there was plenty more to learn.
Beginning with discussing what a scientist does, Maira broke apart the word microbiologist. The children learned the meaning, as well as how words are constructed. A microbiologist studies very small living things.  A few children remarked that microscope has the same part of a word it in. Micah told us that micromachines are also very small. 
Maira and Ilan had taped pictures on our tables of different incidences of bacteria being present. We talked about good bacteria , e.g in cheese and yogurt and bad bacteria, on raw meat or chicken, or when we are sick. The children taped the pictures under either the smiley face or the nasty looking face.

Next, Maira read two stories. In the first, the protagonist washed his hands after coming in from the playground and the other did not wash his hands. Who got sick??
Maira showed us a petri dish where she had had put cheese and other bacteria in a growing medium. They had started to grow.

 Everyone got a q-tip and petri dish with and collected bacteria, from around the room or from our bodies. The petri dishes were put in a warm place for the bacteria to grow. 


Today, Maira brought back the petri dishes. We got to see how much the bacteria had grown. Maira also had put antibiotic drops in one dish and that had killed the bacteria in that spot. 



We talked about how doctors do this when they culture our throats and prescribe medicine for us. 

So, where were your children? IJP or University?
I submit that they were in IJP. A place where parents, whatever their careers and talents are, come in and enrich our children's lives.  
Thanks!!!

Morah Ruth

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