ST. LOUIS AMERICAN • APRIL 23 - 29, 2015 A15

MAP CORNER

DID YOU KNOW?

Did you know that bacteria are all around us? Most people

think of germs and disease when they think of bacteria.

Harmful bacteria are called pathogens. Examples

of pathogens include leprosy, food poisoning,

pneumonia, tetanus, and typhoid fever. Pathogens

cause disease in people, plants, and animals.

Bacteria can also be helpful. Good bacteria live in

our bodies, particularly our stomachs to help aid in

digestion. Some forms of bacteria also help your immune

system to stay strong and fight off disease and infection.

Good bacteria can also be found in your food. Some

examples include yogurt, cheese, pickles, and soy sauce.

Bacteria are found everywhere—in the air and soil, on

our skin and in our bodies. You need a microscope to see

bacteria because they are so small. Bacteria come in

many shapes, including rods, spirals, and spheres. Some

bacteria use a tail called a flagella to swim.

For More Information, Visit: http://www.biology4kids.com/files/micro_bacteria.html.

Learning Standards: I can read a nonfiction article for

main idea and supporting details.

Use the newspaper

to complete

the following

activities.

Activity One — Point of View: Choose

a news story to read. Is

it written in first, second,

or third person point of

view? How do you know?

Rewrite the story in a

different point of view.

Activity Two — Healthy Living: Look

through the newspaper

to find examples of

healthy foods, exercise

options, and medical

treatment or prevention. Healthy living

includes mental health, as well. How many examples of

healthy living can you find in the newspaper?

Learning Standards: I can use the

newspaper to locate

information. I can

identify point of

view. I can identify

examples of healthy

choices.

The St. Louis American’s award winning NIE program provides

newspapers and resources to more than 7,000 teachers and

students each week throughout the school year, at no charge.

AFRICAN AMERICAN BACTERIOLOGIST & EDUCATOR:

Welton Ivan Taylor Welton Ivan Taylor was born

on November 12, 1919, in

Birmingham, Alabama. He

was a descendent of President

Zachary Taylor. When he was

young, Taylor’s family moved

to Chicago, where he attended

DuSable High School. Taylor

was very interested in science

and nature. Louis Pasteur was

his idol. He was also active

in the ROTC while in school.

His academic performance and

strong interest in science inspired local African Americans to

sponsor him and pay for his bachelor’s degree in bacteriology

(the study of bacteria) from the University of Illinois. Next,

Taylor was part of an African American division that fought

in World War II. While serving in the military, Taylor was

promoted to First Lieutenant. His fondest memory of the war

was seeing Charles Lindbergh pilot a P-61. His service in

the war allowed him to earn a GI Bill, which helped pay for

his master’s and doctorate degrees in bacteriology from the

University of Illinois. While earning his degrees, Taylor faced

racism from some of the professors who did not want to see

him earn a degree.

In 1948, Taylor began working at the University of Illinois as

a bacteriology instructor. It was during this assignment that

he learned that antibiotics could be used to treat gangrene

and tetanus to help war victims. In 1954, Taylor was asked to

help solve an outbreak of salmonella poisoning in baby food.

After he was successful, Taylor’s approach was used in labs

worldwide. Taylor helped hospitals, health care organizations,

and government agencies. From 1961 to 1962, he worked

abroad with British and French scientists. After that time,

he developed a method to detect bacteria that the Food

and Drug Administration (FDA) still uses to this day. His

research was also used by the World Health Organization. The

Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta named a bacterium in

his honor. Taylor received numerous grants to help fund his

research. He spent a lot of time lecturing about health issues,

such as STDs and HIV. In 1960, he began the Chicago chapter

of the Episcopal Society for Cultural and Racial Unity.

Discuss: Why is the study of bacteria important?

Learning Standards: I can read a biography about an

individual who has made contributions in the

fields of science, technology, engineering,

and math.

Teachers, if you are using the St. Louis American’s NIE program and would like to nominate your class for a Classroom Spotlight, please email: nie@stlamerican.com.

SCIENCE CORNER

CLASSROOM SPOTLIGHT SCIENCE STARS

Cont

ent—

Jenn

ifer

Wirt

hwei

n •

Desi

gn—

Beth

Sha

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SCIENCE EXPERIMENT

MATH CONNECTION

This special Newspaper In Education initiative is made possible, and delivered to classrooms, through The St. Louis American Foundation and its NIE Corporate Partners:

Lee-Hamilton Elementary 6th grade teacher, Kimaada Ellison, helps students Dakoda Higgins,

Jack Conaway, Jordyne Hale-

Hunter, and Jailyn Thomas-Felix

use the scientific method to

determine the amount of grease

in their favorite potato chips.

Lee-Hamilton Elementary is in

the Ferguson-Florissant School

District. Photo by Wiley Price/

St. Louis American.

Do Hand Soaps and Hand Sanitizer Prevent the Growth of Mold?!

What Are Bacteria?

All of the bacteria in your body

collectively weighs about 4 pounds.

Computer keyboards can carry more than 200

times as many bacteria as a toilet seat.

Sweat itself is odorless. It’s the bacteria on the

skin that joins with it and produces body odor.

Mobile phones have 18 times more

bacteria than toilet handles.

Sharpen Your Math Skills With This Fun Equation Search: http://www.learn-with-math-games.com/

elementary-math-activities.html.

Learning Standards: I can add,

subtract, multiply, and divide to solve a

problem.

It’s All in the Equation!

A dollar bill has 3,000

types of bacteria.

Now that you’ve been

practicing your math facts,

you are ready to solve

equations. An equation will

display a math fact with a

missing number. You will use

your knowledge of math facts,

and your critical thinking

skills, to solve the problems.

Background Information: In this experiment you will evaluate the

effectiveness of hand soaps and sanitizers.

Materials Needed: • 8 Slices of Fresh Bread With No

Preservatives • 16 Sealing Plastic

Sandwich Bags • Latex Gloves

• Sticky Labels or Masking Tape

• Pen • Toaster • Knife • Spray Bottle

• Baking Sheet • Camera • Sanitizer

• Measuring Teaspoon • Liquid Soap

Process:

q Put on the gloves and toast 4 slices of

bread.

w Cut all 8 pieces of bread in half. You will have 8 pieces

of toasted bread,

and 8 pieces of untoasted bread.

e For each of the 4 sets, you will place one piece of

toasted bread, and one piece of untoasted bread in

separate bags, one to be sealed, the other unsealed,

for a total of 4 bags per set (16 bags total). Label each

bag appropriately—”untoasted, sealed,” “untoasted,

unsealed,” “toasted, sealed,” and “toasted, unsealed.”

Be sure to label each set of bags with the additives you

sprayed on the bread.

SET 1 – NO ADDITIVES

The first set has no additives.

SET 2 – WATER ADDED

Fill the spray bottle with water. Spray each piece in the

second set lightly with water. Follow the directions in 3.

SET 3 – SOAPY WATER ADDED Add 1 teaspoon of soap to the water

in the spray bottle. Mix well. Spray

each piece in the third set lightly

with soapy water. Follow the

directions in 3.

SET 4 – HAND SANITIZER-WATER

ADDED Dump out the soapy water in the

spray bottle and wash the bottle

well. Fill it again with water and add

1 teaspoon of hand sanitizer. Mix

well. Spray each piece in the fourth

set lightly with sanitizerandwater. Followthedirections in 3.

r Lay out all of the bags on the baking sheet spray-side

up. Be sure the labels are visible. Place the tray in a

warm, dark place.

t After 1 week, seal all of the open bags. Be sure not to

open any of the bags again once mold starts to grow.

Which bread do you think will grow the most mold?

Which bread do you think will grow the least? Why? Use

this as an opportunity to formulate your hypothesis.

y Take notes and pictures over the next 21 days. When

does mold start growing? Which grows the fastest? After

you’ve completed your experiment, dispose of the bread,

keeping the bags sealed, and evaluate your hypothesis.

Learning Standards: I can follow sequential directions

to complete a procedure. I can form and test a hypothesis.

z _____ x 13 = 39

x 120 ÷ _____ = 20

c _____ - 20 = 34

v 36 X 2 - _____ = 12

b 37 - 5 + _____ = 40

n 14 X _____ = 182

m 9 x _____ = 153

, -6 x _____ = -72

. 78 ÷ _____ = 13

Equations To Solve!