Welcome to the wonderful world of bacteria, viruses and disease.  It is often a difficult concept for children to  grasp, that particles as  minute as bacteria and viruses can cause so many people to feel so bad.  When bacteria and viruses run amuck,  they can really reek havoc on the  world populations.  

Most bacteria are harmless (only five per cent are pathogenic) and without them life on Earth would not exist.  They are the essential components of the global ecosystems acting as decomposers.  Bacteria, like viruses, are parasitic and need living hosts to obtain energy but they can also live independently.  Viruses depend entirely on a host to live and reproduce, and all viruses are pathogenic.  This unit explores the differences and similarities of bacteria and viruses, what happens when viruses and bacteria harm humans, how diseases spread and the role of epidemiology in the treatment and prevention of diseases so that epidemics and pandemics can be prevented.  Students are also introduced to the structures of bacteria and viruses, their classifications and scientific names. 

Feel free to enjoy the following unit on bacteria, viruses and disease.  Click on any of the worksheets, quizzes , presentations and rubrics,  along with the laboratory activity and student certificate that was awarded at the completion of the project. There are also many web sites and resources listed that can be very helpful.