Visualizing the invisible: class excursions to ignite children’s enthusiasm for microbes
Terry J Mcgenity
(1)
,
Amare Gessesse
(2)
,
John E Hallsworth
(3)
,
Esther Garcia Cela
(4)
,
Carol Verheecke‐vaessen
(5)
,
Fengping Wang
(6)
,
Max Chavarría
(7, 8)
,
Max M Haggblom
(9)
,
Søren Molin
(10)
,
Antoine Danchin
(11)
,
Eddy J Smid
(12)
,
Cédric Lood
(13)
,
Charles Cockell
(14)
,
Corinne Whitby
(1)
,
Shuang‐jiang Liu
(15)
,
Nancy P Keller
(16)
,
Lisa y Stein
(17)
,
Seth R Bordenstein
(18)
,
Rup Lal
(19)
,
Olga C Nunes
(20)
,
Lone Gram
(10)
,
Brajesh K. Singh
(21)
,
Nicole S Webster
(22, 23)
,
Cindy E. Morris
(24)
,
Sharon Sivinski
,
Saskia Bindschedler
(25)
,
Pilar Junier
(25)
,
André Antunes
(26)
,
Bonnie K Baxter
(27)
,
Paola Scavone
(28)
,
Kenneth Timmis
(29)
1
University of Essex
2 BIUST - Botswana International University of Science and Technology
3 QUB - Queen's University [Belfast]
4 UH - University of Hertfordshire [Hatfield]
5 Cranfield University
6 Shanghai Jiao Tong University [Shanghai]
7 UCR - Universidad de Costa Rica
8 Cenibiot - Centro Nacional de Innovaciones Biotecnologicas
9 Rutgers University [Newark]
10 DTU - Danmarks Tekniske Universitet = Technical University of Denmark
11 IC UM3 (UMR 8104 / U1016) - Institut Cochin
12 WUR - Wageningen University and Research [Wageningen]
13 KU Leuven - Catholic University of Leuven = Katholieke Universiteit Leuven
14 SUPA School of Physics and Astronomy [Edinburgh]
15 CAS - Chinese Academy of Sciences [Beijing]
16 University of Wisconsin-Madison
17 University of Alberta
18 Vanderbilt University [Nashville]
19 TERI - The Energy and Resources Institute
20 Universidade do Porto = University of Porto
21 Western Sydney University
22 AIMS - Australian Institute of Marine Science
23 UQ [All campuses : Brisbane, Dutton Park Gatton, Herston, St Lucia and other locations] - The University of Queensland
24 PV - Unité de Pathologie Végétale
25 Institute of Biology of the University of Neuchâtel
26 MUST - Macau University of Science and Technology
27 Westminster College
28 IIBCE - Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas Clemente Estable [Montevideo]
29 Technische Universität Braunschweig = Technical University of Braunschweig [Braunschweig]
2 BIUST - Botswana International University of Science and Technology
3 QUB - Queen's University [Belfast]
4 UH - University of Hertfordshire [Hatfield]
5 Cranfield University
6 Shanghai Jiao Tong University [Shanghai]
7 UCR - Universidad de Costa Rica
8 Cenibiot - Centro Nacional de Innovaciones Biotecnologicas
9 Rutgers University [Newark]
10 DTU - Danmarks Tekniske Universitet = Technical University of Denmark
11 IC UM3 (UMR 8104 / U1016) - Institut Cochin
12 WUR - Wageningen University and Research [Wageningen]
13 KU Leuven - Catholic University of Leuven = Katholieke Universiteit Leuven
14 SUPA School of Physics and Astronomy [Edinburgh]
15 CAS - Chinese Academy of Sciences [Beijing]
16 University of Wisconsin-Madison
17 University of Alberta
18 Vanderbilt University [Nashville]
19 TERI - The Energy and Resources Institute
20 Universidade do Porto = University of Porto
21 Western Sydney University
22 AIMS - Australian Institute of Marine Science
23 UQ [All campuses : Brisbane, Dutton Park Gatton, Herston, St Lucia and other locations] - The University of Queensland
24 PV - Unité de Pathologie Végétale
25 Institute of Biology of the University of Neuchâtel
26 MUST - Macau University of Science and Technology
27 Westminster College
28 IIBCE - Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas Clemente Estable [Montevideo]
29 Technische Universität Braunschweig = Technical University of Braunschweig [Braunschweig]
Antoine Danchin
- Fonction : Auteur
- PersonId : 21434
- IdHAL : adanchin
- ORCID : 0000-0002-6350-5001
- IdRef : 026810441
Cédric Lood
- Fonction : Auteur
- PersonId : 798402
- ORCID : 0000-0001-7826-3378
Nicole S Webster
- Fonction : Auteur
- PersonId : 798948
- ORCID : 0000-0002-4753-5278
Cindy E. Morris
- Fonction : Auteur
- PersonId : 735447
- IdHAL : cindy-e-morris
- ORCID : 0000-0002-9135-1812
- IdRef : 174820585
Sharon Sivinski
- Fonction : Auteur
Résumé
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.
Format du dépôt | Fichier |
---|---|
Type de dépôt | Article dans une revue (article de synthèse) |
Résumé |
en
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.
|
Titre |
en
Visualizing the invisible: class excursions to ignite children’s enthusiasm for microbes
|
Auteur(s) |
Terry J Mcgenity
1
, Amare Gessesse
2
, John E Hallsworth
3
, Esther Garcia Cela
4
, Carol Verheecke‐vaessen
5
, Fengping Wang
6
, Max Chavarría
7, 8
, Max M Haggblom
9
, Søren Molin
10
, Antoine Danchin
11
, Eddy J Smid
12
, Cédric Lood
13
, Charles Cockell
14
, Corinne Whitby
1
, Shuang‐jiang Liu
15
, Nancy P Keller
16
, Lisa y Stein
17
, Seth R Bordenstein
18
, Rup Lal
19
, Olga C Nunes
20
, Lone Gram
10
, Brajesh K. Singh
21
, Nicole S Webster
22, 23
, Cindy E. Morris
24
, Sharon Sivinski
, Saskia Bindschedler
25
, Pilar Junier
25
, André Antunes
26
, Bonnie K Baxter
27
, Paola Scavone
28
, Kenneth Timmis
29
1
University of Essex
( 17641 )
- Wivenhoe Park Colchester CO4 3SQ
- Royaume-Uni
2
BIUST -
Botswana International University of Science and Technology
( 474915 )
- Université internationale des sciences et technologies du Botswana
Palapye
- Botswana
3
QUB -
Queen's University [Belfast]
( 232128 )
- University Road, Belfast, BT7 1NN, Northern Ireland, UK
- Irlande
4
UH -
University of Hertfordshire [Hatfield]
( 467185 )
- De Havilland Campus, Mosquito Way, Hatfield AL10 9EU, UK
- Royaume-Uni
5
Cranfield University
( 301006 )
- College Road, Cranfield MK43 0AL
- Royaume-Uni
6
Shanghai Jiao Tong University [Shanghai]
( 233961 )
- 800 Dongchuan Road, Shanghai, 200240
- Chine
7
UCR -
Universidad de Costa Rica
( 508386 )
- Ciudad universitaria Rodrigo Facio Brenes, San José, San Pedro,
- Costa Rica
8
Cenibiot -
Centro Nacional de Innovaciones Biotecnologicas
( 1040140 )
- Costa Rica
9
Rutgers University [Newark]
( 475319 )
- 195 University Ave, Newark, NJ 07102, États-Unis
- États-Unis
10
DTU -
Danmarks Tekniske Universitet = Technical University of Denmark
( 302599 )
- Anker Engelunds Vej 1 , Bygning 101A , 2800 Kgs. Lyngby
- Danemark
11
IC UM3 (UMR 8104 / U1016) -
Institut Cochin
( 1004701 )
- 22 rue Méchain, 75014 Paris
- France
12
WUR -
Wageningen University and Research [Wageningen]
( 356395 )
- Droevendaalsesteeg 4, 6708 PB Wageningen
- Pays-Bas
13
KU Leuven -
Catholic University of Leuven = Katholieke Universiteit Leuven
( 300656 )
- Oude Markt 13 - bus 5005, 3000 Leuven
- Belgique
14
SUPA School of Physics and Astronomy [Edinburgh]
( 128930 )
- James Clerk Maxwell Building, Peter Guthrie Tait Road, Edinburgh EH9 3FD
- Royaume-Uni
15
CAS -
Chinese Academy of Sciences [Beijing]
( 303369 )
- 52 Sanlihe Rd., Beijing, 100864
- Chine
16
University of Wisconsin-Madison
( 44110 )
- Madison, WI 53706
- États-Unis
17
University of Alberta
( 98298 )
- 116 St & 85 Ave, Edmonton, AB T6G 2R3
- Canada
18
Vanderbilt University [Nashville]
( 168363 )
- Nashville, Tennessee, TN 37240
- États-Unis
19
TERI -
The Energy and Resources Institute
( 1040137 )
- Lodhi Road, New Delhi
- Inde
20
Universidade do Porto = University of Porto
( 19144 )
- Praça de Gomes Teixeira, 4099-002 Porto
- Portugal
21
Western Sydney University
( 209088 )
- Australie
22
AIMS -
Australian Institute of Marine Science
( 301815 )
- Australie
23
UQ [All campuses : Brisbane, Dutton Park Gatton, Herston, St Lucia and other locations] -
The University of Queensland
( 250752 )
- Brisbane, St Lucia, QLD 4072
- Australie
24
PV -
Unité de Pathologie Végétale
( 1002066 )
- Domaine Saint Maurice Unité de Recherche de Pathologie Végétale 67, allée des chênes CS 60094 F84143 Montfavet Cedex
- France
25
Institute of Biology of the University of Neuchâtel
( 491717 )
- Rue Emile-Argand 11, CH-2000 Neuchâtel, Switzerland
- Suisse
26
MUST -
Macau University of Science and Technology
( 452678 )
- Avenida Wai Long, Taipa, Macau
- Chine
27
Westminster College
( 1040167 )
- Salt Lake City, Utah, USA.
- États-Unis
28
IIBCE -
Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas Clemente Estable [Montevideo]
( 519224 )
- Av Italia 3318, 11600 Montevideo, Uruguay
- Uruguay
29
Technische Universität Braunschweig = Technical University of Braunschweig [Braunschweig]
( 71839 )
- 38092 Braunschweig
- Allemagne
|
Public visé |
Scientifique
|
Sous-type de document pour les Articles |
Review article
|
Vulgarisation |
Non
|
Langue du document |
Anglais
|
Page/Identifiant |
844-887
|
Comité de lecture |
Oui
|
Audience |
Internationale
|
Date de publication |
2020
|
Volume |
13
|
Nom de la revue |
|
Financement |
|
Domaine(s) |
|
Mots-clés |
fr
microbiologie, sensibilisation
|
DOI | 10.1111/1751-7915.13576 |
UT key WOS | 000532540000001 |
Origine :
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