Rise of the Superbugs: Antibiotic Resistance

PictureAntibiotics, The Guardian
The lives of humans were forever changed when in the 1920s Sir Alexander Fleming observed the ability of Penicillin to destroy the bacterium Straphylococcus aureus.  Thereafter, millions of human lives have been saved or improved by the use of antibiotics to stop the spread of disease and infection. However, in the last few decades less and less antibiotics have been effective in treating the thousands of human pathogens and completely ineffective in treating some.  Why is this and what effect could this server problem have on the human race?  In this unit we will examine such questions.  

Unit Question

 Are humans creating superbugs?

Unit Product

Students will create a formal lab report based on observations and data collection to evaluate the rise of antibiotic resistance through the process of natural selection.

Unit Skills

  • Skill 1: Asking questions & defining problems
  • Skill 3: Planning Investigations
  • ​Skill 4: Carrying out investigations
  • Skill 5: Analyzing & interpreting data
  • Skill 6: Constructing Explanations

Unit Content

  • I can use examples to explain where genetic variation comes from and how it is inherited.
  • I can identify four primary factors of natural selection and explain how they lead to the process of biological evolution 
  • I can create an example supported explanation of how natural selection can lead to adaptations in populations.