Tag: viruses

Classroom Ideas, Main, News from Nat Geo

Talking Evolution – The Challenge of Influenza – Part 2

In my previous post, I detailed the nature of the influenza virus and its impact on personal health. In this post, we’ll look at how and why this virus is such a challenge for humanity. Despite prodigious advancements in medical care as well as vaccine technology, we still face yearly health hazards from seasonal influenza, as well as the generational threat from occasional influenza pandemics. … Continue reading Talking Evolution – The Challenge of Influenza – Part 2

John S. Mead2 Comments
Main, News from Nat Geo

Talking Evolution: The Challenge of Influenza – Part 1

It’s that time of year again. It’s “Flu Season”—and those words mean different things to different people. For some of us, “flu season” is synonymous with the idea that we might come down with a “cold” and feel crummy for a few days. For a smaller group, it means that we are at risk of a life-threatening illness. As a teacher of middle school students, … Continue reading Talking Evolution: The Challenge of Influenza – Part 1

John S. Mead7 Comments
Classroom Ideas, Current Event Connection, Main

Crystal Caves Hold Long-Dormant Life

SCIENCE Scientists have extracted long-dormant microbes from inside the famous giant crystals of the Naica mountain caves in Mexico—and revived them. (BBC) Where else have ancient microbes been found? Teachers, scroll down for a quick list of key resources in our Teachers Toolkit, including a link to today’s simple MapMaker Interactive map. Discussion Ideas Scientists are excited about the extremophile microbes just discovered at the … Continue reading Crystal Caves Hold Long-Dormant Life

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Current Event Connection

The A to Z of Zika

HEALTH The U.S. Centers for Disease Control has issued multiple travel alerts about traveling to countries that may have outbreaks of the mosquito-borne Zika virus. Why? (New York Times) Use our resources to better understand the most effective prevention for Zika and other mosquito-borne diseases. Teachers, scroll down for a quick list of key resources in our Teachers’ Toolkit. Discussion Ideas What is Zika? Zika … Continue reading The A to Z of Zika

carylsue3 Comments
Classroom Ideas, Current Event Connection, Exploring Our World, This Week in Geographic History

The Tiny Truth About Germs

The cover photo for this post is a microscopic image of fungi, courtesy Fernando Santos and FEI. With stories about Ebola consuming our newsfeeds these days, it’s probably been hard to avoid discussing the outbreak with your students. But as new cases are discovered and treated, is there anything else to talk about? What questions are emerging from your classroom? One way to continue the … Continue reading The Tiny Truth About Germs

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