On this page: Microbes | COVID-19 | Infectious Diseases | Vaccines | Experiments

microbes

▶️ Journey to the Microcosmos. “Take a dive into the tiny, unseen world that surrounds us!” This excellent series of short videos gives a close-up look at a range of microorganisms, from euglenoids to tardigrades. Older students will learn a lot from narrator Hank Green, while even the youngest children will enjoy the peaceful music and stunning videography. Click the three horizontal arrows in the top right corner below to browse the playlist. – All

▶️ The beneficial bacteria that make delicious food from TED-Ed. "Erez Garty shows how your kitchen functions as a sort of biotechnology lab, manned by microorganisms that culture your cuisine." – All

▶️ How bacteria rule over your body – the microbiome from Kurzgesagt. “Microbes are all over our body, and many of them help us. But what happens when microbes start to talk to your brain? Or when they choose what we crave?” – Middle • High

▶️ You are your microbes from TED-Ed. “From the microbes in our stomachs to the ones on our teeth, we are homes to millions of unique and diverse communities which help our bodies function. Jessica Green and Karen Guillemin emphasize the importance of understanding the many organisms that make up each and every organism.” – All

covid-19

▶️ The coronavirus explained and what you should do from Kurzgesagt. What actually happens when the coronavirus infects a human and what should we all do? This informative Kurzgesagt video was released on March 19, 2020, and is reflective of the scientific understanding and state of the pandemic as of that time. – All

▶️ What is a coronavirus? from TED-Ed. Dig into the science of coronaviruses and find out how they cause diseases such as SARS, MERS, and COVID-19. – All

▶️ When is a pandemic over? from TED-Ed. “Consider the following scenario: a highly infectious, sometimes deadly respiratory virus infects humans for the first time. It spreads rapidly worldwide, and the WHO declares a pandemic. The death toll starts to rise and everyone is asking the same question: when will the pandemic end? Alex Rosenthal details the three main strategies governments can use to contain and end a pandemic.” – All

▶️ How do you know if you have a virus? from TED-Ed. “A new virus emerges and spreads like wildfire. In order to contain it, researchers must first collect data about who’s been infected. Two main viral testing techniques are critical: one tells you if you have the virus and the other shows if you’ve already had it. So, how exactly do these tests work?” – Middle • High

▶️ How fast can a vaccine be made? from TED-Ed. “When a new pathogen emerges, our bodies and healthcare systems are left vulnerable. And when this pathogen causes the outbreak of a pandemic, there’s an urgent need for a vaccine to create widespread immunity with minimal loss of life. So how quickly can we develop vaccines when we need them most? Dan Kwartler describes the three phases of vaccine development.” – Middle • High

infectious diseases

▶️ How do germs spread and why do they make us sick? from TED-Ed. “Germs are found on almost every surface we come in contact with, which makes it incredibly common for our bodies to be exposed to them. But why are some of these germs relatively harmless, while others can be fatal? Yannay Khaikan and Nicole Mideo explore this question by examining germs’ varying modes of transmission.” – All

▶️ How a few scientists transformed the way we think about disease from TED-Ed.
Learn about the origins of germ theory. – All

▶️ What makes TB the world’s most infectious killer? from TED-Ed. “In 2008, two 9,000-year old skeletons were found with their bones infected by an all too familiar bacterium. The ancient Greeks knew its effects as phthisis; the Incans called it chaky oncay; and today we call it tuberculosis, or TB. TB is still one of the world’s most infectious killers, causing more deaths than malaria or even HIV. How has it persisted for so long?” – All

▶️ The most gruesome parasites – neglected tropical diseases from Kurzgesagt. “There are a group of parasites extremely disgusting and mean. Humanity has declared war on them- so how are we fighting them?” – All

▶️ The Ebola virus explained – how your body fights for survival from Kurzgesagt. “What does the Ebola virus actually do in your body? Why is it so dangerous and why does it kill so many people? We take a look at the apocalyptic war that rages in the body after an infection by the Ebola virus and the soldiers fighting.” – All

▶️ How do viruses jump from animals to humans? from TED-Ed. “At a Maryland country fair in 2017, farmers reported feverish hogs with inflamed eyes and running snouts. While farmers worried about the pigs, the department of health was concerned about a group of sick fairgoers. Soon, 40 of these attendees would be diagnosed with swine flu. How can pathogens from one species infect another, and what makes this jump so dangerous?” - All

▶️ The deadliest being on planet Earth – the bacteriophage from Kurzgesagt. “A war has been raging for billions of years, killing trillions every single day, while we don’t even notice. This war involves the single deadliest being on our planet: The Bacteriophage.” – Middle • High

vaccines

▶️ How do vaccines work? from TED-Ed. "The first vaccine was created when Edward Jenner successfully injected small amounts of a cowpox virus into a young boy to protect him from the related (and deadly) smallpox virus." – All

▶️ How we conquered the deadly smallpox virus from TED-Ed. "Simona Zompi commends the brave souls – a Buddhist nun, a boy, a cow, a dairymaid and physician Edward Jenner – who first stopped the spread of this disastrous disease, to make us smallpox-free today." – All

experiments