In this lesson, students will begin by hypothesizing how slime molds are able to navigate to find food. They will then use Tetrahymena to determine how substances can act as chemoattractants, chemorepellents, or chemo neutrals and define these categories. The students can then choose their own experimental materials to predict the behavior of the Tetrahymena and connect their learning back to slime molds and how they are able to navigate a maze to find food.
Grade Levels: 5-9
Standard: NGSS: MS-LS1-1 MS-LS1-2 MS- LS1-8
Topics: Microbiology, Cell Biology, Neuroscience, Engineering
Contributors: Anne Deken, John Burroughs School
Acknowledgements: This resource was co-developed as part of an NIH SEPA-funded science education outreach program, led by Principal Investigator Dr. Doug Chalker. However, these contents do not necessarily represent the policies of the National Institue of Health , and you should not assume endorsement by the federal government.