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Middle

Lesson 2

Ecology of Disease: Comparing Viruses, Bacteria, and Eukaryotes

Students identify patterns of ecological interactions with a focus on disease as part of the natural ecosystem and the relationship of disease to human activities and well-being. Lesson activities and a reading passage allow students to consider different types of ecological relationships between organisms. As a concluding activity, groups research a mosquito-borne disease to understand its life-cycle, geography, prevalence and control to develop critical thinking about causes and effects of ecological interactions.

Lesson Questions

  • How do scientists characterize interactions between organisms?
  • What are the similarities and differences between diseases caused by viruses, bacteria, and eukaryotic microorganisms? 

Lesson Files