A challenge in teaching microbiology to children is the fact that microbes are invisible, and hence abstract, which complicates the need to create mental associations of microbial activities under discussion with the relevant microbes. The teaching resources of the International Microbiology Literacy Initiative are therefore rich in pictorial depictions of microbes and their activities images, proposals for hands-on activities, and exhortations to go out and experience microbiology in the flesh.
Moreover, because microbes are invisible, they also have no personalities. But children love personalities, to the extent that some may become role models.
To rectify this serious deficit – to create microbe “personalities” – we provide here the MicroStars Portrait Galleries, concise descriptions of the most interesting features of microbes with star standing in the field, generously illustrated to provide full frontal visuals of some of our most fascinating bugs.
The main criterion for inclusion in the Galleries is the strength of the claim to fame – the fascination of the story that can be weaved – which will create the drama and whet the appetite for discovery that will excite children.Other MicroGalleries of portraits of issues central to our understanding of relevant microbes and their activities have also been created.
The Portraits, mostly about one page of text plus images, are short exposés of famous bugs that allow children to get up close to and learn important details about the actors carrying out the activities described in the Topic Frameworks. As such, they are ideally suited for