Unit 6A, Cells and Microbes Unit Project: The Great American Microscopic Zoo Construct three-dimensional models of a variety of microbes -- a fungus, a protist, a bacterium, or a virus. Display these models in a "micromenagerie." Visit some exciting Internet sites to find out much more about microbes!   Project Link 1 (Chapter 1, page A11) Brainstorm ideas for constructing three-dimensional models of either a plant cell or an animal cell. Plan the kinds of materials you'll need to make the models. Remember that cells are usually seen in two dimensions when viewed through a microscope. Develop how you will show the scale of your cell models. How many times larger than real life are they? Internet Links Plant and Animal Cells Gallery of Cells http://library.thinkquest.org/3564/gallery.html Project Link 2 (Chapter 2, page A39) Decide upon a fungus or protist to model for the micromenagerie. After constructing the models, choose a way to display them. For example, you could group by kingdom, locomotion, nutrition, or a cellular organization. You could group according to whether the organism is helpful or harmful. You could also group by an organism's habitat or ecological role. Internet Links Fungi Protists Protist Image Data--Picture Gallery http://megasun.bch.umontreal.ca/protists/gallery.html Microbes American Society for Microbiology: Stalking the Mysterious Microbes http://www.microbe.org/index.html Digital Learning Center for Microbial Ecology: Microbe Zoo http://commtechlab.msu.edu/sites/dlc-me/zoo Student Resources Organism Identification Card How to Create a Display Area Bacteria Critter Beauty Contest Project Link 3 (Chapter 3, page A47) Choose a bacterium or a virus to model. Make these models as realistic as you can. Compare your models with commercial models, such as those found in museums. Internet Links Bacteria and Viruses Microbe.org: Lay Your Hands on a Million (Microbes)! http://www.microbe.org/pages/bottom5.htm Cells Alive: The Gallery of Cells http:/www.cellsalive.com/gallery.htm The American Museum of Natural History: Epidemic--The World of Infectious Disease http://www.amnh.org/exhibitions/epidemic/