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Episode Two: Keepers of the Biosphere
Activity 1: Who are the Masters of Life on Earth?
Grades 6-12
Objectives:
- Students will describe the role of microbes in the world.
- Students will compare the characteristics of specific habitats and
the organisms that live there.
- Students will understand the environmental impacts of microbial activity.
Ties to Broadcast and Web Sites:
- Intimate Strangers: Unseen Life on Earth
- Biosphere II
Biosphere II Web site, with virtual tours of each of the biomes.
Procedure for Classroom Activity:
- Begin this activity by asking students, "Who are the true "Masters
of Life on Earth?" Encourage all responses and list these on the board.
Then ask them to think about and write down their thoughts about the
following statement:
| "If all humans disappeared from the Earth,
life would go on. But if all microbes disappeared from Earth,
all life would end." |
- In order to explore who is the master of life on earth, and the environmental
impacts of microbial activity, divide the students into three groups
focusing on Biosphere II, the Rainforest, and the Sargasso Sea. View
Intimate Strangers: Unseen Life on Earth.
The students in each group will be responsible for researching information
about the role of microbes in each of the three environments and finding
evidence to support or disprove the statement that microbes are the
masters of life.
- Ask each group to prepare visuals and graphs to explain and demonstrate
to the whole class about the roles of microbes in their environment.
- The Rainforest and Sargasso Sea groups could also develop a model
of a self-contained environment, like a terrarium or sealed aquatic
environment, to further demonstrate the role of microbes as decomposers.
The Biosphere II group could do further research on this environment
and prepare visuals and a report on the effect of microbes in each of
the 7 biomes within Biosphere II.
- In conclusion, again ask students to discuss the question, "Who are
the masters of life on Earth?" and the statement in the film that "we
are not the true masters of life on earth-microbes are." What evidence
do they have to prove or disprove this statement?
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