The Curriculum of the Steiner School - Class 7

Notes and Lesson Plans

Microbiology
updated April 8, 2023


Recorded here is my own personal collection of articles, resources, favorite links, teaching ideas, and lesson plans. It encompasses many years, from the very beginning of my experience studying and learning about Waldorf to the present time. People from all around the world visit my site and recommend it to others. Welcome!

This site records my journey. I hope my honesty is encouraging and helps break down some barriers that may prevent people from trying Waldorf methods. Because this is an ongoing site documenting my curriculum planning and ideas, some materials are more Waldorf-y than others. Please feel free to take what you like and leave the rest.

This page has helpful links and LOADS of free resources to help you plan your seventh grade year. Enjoy!



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Microbiology
for Class 7



Rationale

I'm starting to feel compelled to create an optional Microbiology block, and I feel 7th grade is a good place to put this since Microbes and the origins of life is ALL Chemistry, and Microbes are essential to understanding the Human Body as well. You could put Microbes in this year and move all of Human Anatomy & Physiology in grade 8, or you could include Microbiology with Chemistry.

In Montessori, this is a combination of the First Great Lesson and the very first part of the Second Great Lesson: The Coming of Life. In order to understand what we know, or suspect, about how life began, you have to know about the beginnings of the Universe.

Note: If we go with the theory that there are Five Kingdoms of Life, and we do the Microbes in grade 7, the Plants in grade 5/6, and the Animals in grade 4, Fungus never gets any time. I think that's why most people lump it in with plants. Fungus is NOT a plant, and I think that our lumping it as such just makes things confusing. When you look at the Tree of Life, there's some confusion about Fungus... did it branch off of plants early or did it branch off of animals early. A Fungus on a cellular level has things in common with both. So, I think it makes the most sense to put it in the Microbes study, since it goes with the questions of Origins of Life and it requires some more sophisticated understandings.



At this point, this block is still in the planning stages and I'm looking for a place to put all of my ideas.


Sample Lessons and Free Curriculum


Other Helpful Links


    How Coronavirus Mutates and Spreads
    The New York Times
    interesting illustration of genome mutations and how they are used for tracking the virus's path as it spreads
    Apr 30, 2020

non-COVID stuff

Meet the scientist who defeated 'the world's worst bacteria' to save her husband's life
BBC Science Focus Magazine
bacteriophages

SIU researchers win $125K XPRIZE award
The Southern Illinoisan
microbes for carbon sequestration
Nov 10, 2021



Fever 1793

by Laurie Halse Anderson


Books!


    The Deep-Sea Floor

    by Sneed B. Collard III
    chemosynthesis / origins of life


    by Jess Keating
    Hummingbird Bobtail Squid - symbiotic relationship with bioluminescent bacteria



My blog posts from teaching this topic in 2019-2020:



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