Science lesson plan · 9th grade (Year 10 in England) · 45 minutes
Viruses, bacteria, fungi and protists that cause disease
Human body and health
CCSS NGSS.HS-LS1-2England: GCSE Combined Science: Infection and response
Objective and success criteria
Students will: Viruses, bacteria, fungi and protists that cause disease.
- I can answer questions on today's skill on my own, without help.
- I can explain each step and say why it works.
- I can check my answer and spot a mistake.
Before and after
Needs first: Pathogens, immunity and vaccines
Leads to: Vaccines, antibiotics and painkillers: what each can do
Materials: Stopwatches, Body diagrams, Mini whiteboards, A diagram or short video clip of the idea, Printed student sheet (below).
Warm-up · 5 min
- Quick retrieval from earlier learning (Pathogens, immunity and vaccines). Students answer on mini whiteboards.
- Show answers together and note who needs support in the main task.
- What type of pathogen causes gonorrhoea (gonorrhea)? (virus / bacterium / fungus / protist) → bacteriumPrompt: Colds and flu cannot be treated with antibiotics.
- Why should a doctor not give antibiotics for a cold? (Antibiotics make colds worse. / Colds are caused by viruses, and antibiotics do not kill viruses. / Antibiotics only work on fungi. / Colds are not diseases.) → Colds are caused by viruses, and antibiotics do not kill viruses.Prompt: What kind of pathogen causes a cold?
- Disease: which statement is NOT true? (Some bacteria have become resistant to antibiotics. / Mosquitoes spread malaria. / Skin is a barrier that stops many pathogens entering. / You can catch heart disease from someone else.) → You can catch heart disease from someone else.Prompt: Think about what each treatment really does.
Hook · 5 min
- Ask everyone to find their pulse, then jump for 30 seconds and find it again.
- Share the objective: Viruses, bacteria, fungi and protists that cause disease. Read the success criteria together.
I do: model it · 10 min
- Work through the example out loud, saying why you do each step, not just what you do.
- Example: What type of pathogen causes malaria?
- Step 1: Protists are single-celled eukaryotes, often spread by vectors.
- Step 2: So the answer is: protist
- Answer: protist
- Pause after each step and ask a student to say what comes next.
We do: guided practice · 10 min
- Do these together. Students try each step on whiteboards before you reveal it.
- Use the hints as prompts rather than giving the answer.
- What type of pathogen causes malaria? (virus / bacterium / fungus / protist) → protistPrompt: Antibiotics do not work against viral diseases.
- Under ideal conditions a bacterium divides every 30 minutes. A drop of milk starts with 10 bacteria. How many bacteria will there be after 2 hours? → 160Prompt: How many divisions happen in the time?
You do: independent practice · 10 min
- Students work on the student sheet. Circulate and check the first two answers of every student early.
- Students who finish: write a question of their own for a partner, with the answer.
The 8 questions are on the student sheet below, with answers in the key.
Exit ticket · 5 min
- Two questions on their own. Sort answers into got it / nearly / not yet to plan the next lesson.
- Under ideal conditions a bacterium divides every 20 minutes. A drop of milk starts with 10 bacteria. How many bacteria will there be after 3 hours? → 5120Prompt: How many divisions happen in the time?
- Measles spreads quickly in crowded rooms. How? (through contaminated soil / through plant roots / by mosquito bites / droplets in the air from coughs and sneezes) → droplets in the air from coughs and sneezesPrompt: It is a virus that infects the airways.
Watch out for
- Everyday meanings of words getting in the way of the science meaning: define key words explicitly.
- Remembering facts without the reason: ask "why?" and "what is the evidence?"
Support and stretch
Support
- Review first: Pathogens, immunity and vaccines.
- Use concrete materials: stopwatches.
- Give the first step of each question, or a partly worked example to finish.
- Pair with a confident partner for the guided practice.
Stretch
- Move on to: Vaccines, antibiotics and painkillers: what each can do.
- Explain a common mistake in writing and how to fix it.
- Write a word problem that uses today's skill, then solve a partner's.
Homework and more practice
Free online practice with hints and printable worksheets for this skill: eurekami.com/science/grade-9.
Free lesson plan from eurekami.com/lesson-plan-builder