Visualizing the invisible: class excursions to ignite children’s enthusiasm for microbes

Autor: Esther Garcia Cela, Seth R. Bordenstein, Sharon Sivinski, Max M. Häggblom, Saskia Bindschedler, Pilar Junier, Fengping Wang, Rup Lal, Bonnie K. Baxter, Charles S. Cockell, Brajesh K. Singh, John E. Hallsworth, Nicole S. Webster, Terry J. McGenity, Carol Verheecke-Vaessen, Olga C. Nunes, Nancy P. Keller, Eddy J. Smid, Lisa Y. Stein, Paola Scavone, Corinne Whitby, Lone Gram, Amare Gessesse, Cindy Morris, Max Chavarría, Søren Molin, Cédric Lood, Kenneth N. Timmis, Antoine Danchin, André Antunes, Shuang Jiang Liu
Přispěvatelé: University of Essex, Botswana International University of Science & Technology (BIUST), Queen's University [Belfast] (QUB), University of Hertfordshire [Hatfield] (UH), Cranfield University, Shanghai Jiao Tong University [Shanghai], Universidad de Costa Rica (UCR), Centro Nacional de Innovaciones Biotecnologicas (Cenibiot), National Center of High Technology (CeNAT-CONARE), Rutgers University [Newark], Rutgers University System (Rutgers), Technical University of Denmark [Lyngby] (DTU), Institut Cochin (IC UM3 (UMR 8104 / U1016)), Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Université de Paris (UP), Wageningen University and Research [Wageningen] (WUR), Catholic University of Leuven - Katholieke Universiteit Leuven (KU Leuven), SUPA School of Physics and Astronomy [Edinburgh], University of Edinburgh, Chinese Academy of Sciences [Beijing] (CAS), University of Wisconsin-Madison, University of Alberta, Vanderbilt University [Nashville], The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI), Universidade do Porto, Western Sydney University, Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS), University of Queensland [Brisbane], Unité de Pathologie Végétale (PV), Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement (INRAE), Institute of Biology of the University of Neuchâtel, Université de Neuchâtel (UNINE), Macau University of Science and Technology (MUST), Westminster College, Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas Clemente Estable [Montevideo] (IIBCE), Technische Universität Braunschweig = Technical University of Braunschweig [Braunschweig], Science and Technology Facilities Council. Grant Number: ST/S001425/1, Natural Environment Research Council. Grant Number: NE/S005560/1, Danmarks Tekniske Universitet = Technical University of Denmark (DTU), Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Université Paris Cité (UPCité), Universidade do Porto = University of Porto, DECOGNET, VERONIQUE
Jazyk: angličtina
Rok vydání: 2020
Předmět:
Adult
Value (ethics)
media_common.quotation_subject
[SHS.EDU]Humanities and Social Sciences/Education
[SHS.EDU] Humanities and Social Sciences/Education
education
Bioengineering
Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology
Biochemistry
Levensmiddelenmicrobiologie
Literacy
03 medical and health sciences
SDG 3 - Good Health and Well-being
Humans
Prealbumin
Life Science
Sociology
microbiologie
Child
[SDV.MP] Life Sciences [q-bio]/Microbiology and Parasitology
Children
Curriculum
VLAG
030304 developmental biology
media_common
sensibilisation
Benzoxazoles
0303 health sciences
Enthusiasm
Class excursions
030306 microbiology
business.industry
Flexibility (personality)
Amyloidosis
Public relations
Outreach
Microbes
[SDV.MP]Life Sciences [q-bio]/Microbiology and Parasitology
Action (philosophy)
Preparedness
Food Microbiology
business
TP248.13-248.65
Biotechnology
Zdroj: Microbial Biotechnology
Microbial Biotechnology, Wiley, 2020, 13, pp.844-887. ⟨10.1111/1751-7915.13576⟩
Microbial Biotechnology (2020)
McGenity, T J, Gessesse, A, Hallsworth, J E, Garcia Cela, E, Verheecke-Vaessen, C, Wang, F, Chavarría, M, Haggblom, M M, Molin, S, Danchin, A, Smid, E J, Lood, C, Cockell, C S, Whitby, C, Liu, S-J, Keller, N P, Stein, L Y, Bordenstein, S R, Lal, R, Nunes, O C, Gram, L, Singh, B K, Webster, N S, Morris, C, Sivinski, S, Bindschedler, S, Junier, P, Antunes, A, Baxter, B K, Scavone, P & Timmis, K 2020, ' Visualizing the invisible: class excursions to ignite children's enthusiasm for microbes ', Microbial Biotechnology, vol. 13, no. 4, pp. 844-887 . https://doi.org/10.1111/1751-7915.13576
Microbial Biotechnology, Vol 13, Iss 4, Pp 844-887 (2020)
Microbial Biotechnology, vol.13(4), pp. 844-887
Kérwá
Universidad de Costa Rica
instacron:UCR
Microbial Biotechnology, 2020, 13, pp.844-887. ⟨10.1111/1751-7915.13576⟩
ISSN: 1751-7915
1751-7907
DOI: 10.1111/1751-7915.13576
Popis: We have recently argued that, because microbes have pervasive – often vital – influences on our lives, and that therefore their roles must be taken into account in many of the decisions we face, society must become microbiology‐literate, through the introduction of relevant microbiology topics in school curricula (Timmis et al. 2019. Environ Microbiol 21: 1513‐1528). The current coronavirus pandemic is a stark example of why microbiology literacy is such a crucial enabler of informed policy decisions, particularly those involving preparedness of public‐health systems for disease outbreaks and pandemics. However, a significant barrier to attaining widespread appreciation of microbial contributions to our well‐being and that of the planet is the fact that microbes are seldom visible: most people are only peripherally aware of them, except when they fall ill with an infection. And it is disease, rather than all of the positive activities mediated by microbes, that colours public perception of ‘germs’ and endows them with their poor image. It is imperative to render microbes visible, to give them life and form for children (and adults), and to counter prevalent misconceptions, through exposure to imagination‐capturing images of microbes and examples of their beneficial outputs, accompanied by a balanced narrative. This will engender automatic mental associations between everyday information inputs, as well as visual, olfactory and tactile experiences, on the one hand, and the responsible microbes/microbial communities, on the other hand. Such associations, in turn, will promote awareness of microbes and of the many positive and vital consequences of their actions, and facilitate and encourage incorporation of such consequences into relevant decision‐making processes. While teaching microbiology topics in primary and secondary school is key to this objective, a strategic programme to expose children directly and personally to natural and managed microbial processes, and the results of their actions, through carefully planned class excursions to local venues, can be instrumental in bringing microbes to life for children and, collaterally, their families. In order to encourage the embedding of microbiology‐centric class excursions in current curricula, we suggest and illustrate here some possibilities relating to the topics of food (a favourite pre‐occupation of most children), agriculture (together with horticulture and aquaculture), health and medicine, the environment and biotechnology. And, although not all of the microbially relevant infrastructure will be within reach of schools, there is usually access to a market, local food store, wastewater treatment plant, farm, surface water body, etc., all of which can provide opportunities to explore microbiology in action. If children sometimes consider the present to be mundane, even boring, they are usually excited with both the past and the future so, where possible, visits to local museums (the past) and research institutions advancing knowledge frontiers (the future) are strongly recommended, as is a tapping into the natural enthusiasm of local researchers to leverage the educational value of excursions and virtual excursions. Children are also fascinated by the unknown, so, paradoxically, the invisibility of microbes makes them especially fascinating objects for visualization and exploration. In outlining some of the options for microbiology excursions, providing suggestions for discussion topics and considering their educational value, we strive to extend the vistas of current class excursions and to: (i) inspire teachers and school managers to incorporate more microbiology excursions into curricula; (ii) encourage microbiologists to support school excursions and generally get involved in bringing microbes to life for children; (iii) urge leaders of organizations (biopharma, food industries, universities, etc.) to give school outreach activities a more prominent place in their mission portfolios, and (iv) convey to policymakers the benefits of providing schools with funds, materials and flexibility for educational endeavours beyond the classroom UK Research and Innovation/[ST/S001425/1]/UKRI/Reino Unido Functionality of Urban Soils/[NE/S005560/1]/FUSED/Reino Unido UCR::Vicerrectoría de Investigación::Unidades de Investigación::Ciencias Básicas::Centro de Investigaciones en Productos Naturales (CIPRONA)
Databáze: OpenAIRE
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