Evidence based teaching resources
Use e-Bug lesson plans to teach about hygiene, microbes, vaccinations and antimicrobial resistance from ages 3-16. The lesson plans are developed in collaboration with teachers and scientists, and are accredited byThe Association for Science Education.
Using e-Bug teaching resources
Why have e-Bug teaching resources been developed?
The e-Bug teaching resources are designed to promote behaviour change amongst children and young people so that they adopt behaviours that can prevent or reduce the transmission of infections in their schools and communities. These can be used alongside Health Protection in Education and Childcare Settings Guidance to educate children and young people on the role they can play in breaking the chain of infection.
In addition, they encourage children and young people to use antimicrobials appropriately to support efforts to respond to antimicrobial resistance (AMR). AMR occurs when microbes (bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites) change over time and no longer respond to medicines used to kill them. This makes infections harder to treat. AMR is one of the top threats to our health here in the UK and across the world1. If AMR continues to rise, without action to stop it, 10 million people are predicted to die every year from drug resistant infections by 2050.
How do I use the e-Bug teaching resources?
Every lesson is mapped to the National Curriculum and contains a set of learning outcomes. Materials include a main experiment or activity, a selection of extension activities, and an activity to consolidate learning.
Lesson plans for students aged 3-16 are available to download for free. Select your key stage to see the lesson plans on offer. You are able to download the full key stage pack, which will include all the lesson plans, or you can go to each lesson plan page to access the following:
- An accessible, adaptable, printer friendly version of the individual lesson plans. This allows you to make any changes you need to fit the requirements of your class and the time you have available.
- A presentation of the lesson that can be displayed on an Interactive Whiteboard
- Teacher sheets: providing any guidance and answers for your reference
- Student handouts and Student worksheets to support and consolidate learning
What are the benefits of using e-Bug teaching resources?
- e-Bug resources are evidence based and grounded in behaviour change methodology
- The resources follow a learning journey to ensure knowledge is built upon, and that behaviours in children and young people are embedded over time
- The lesson plans are accredited by the Association for Science Education (ASE) and mapped to the National Curriculum
The e-Bug Learning Journey
The e-Bug teaching resources are designed to support the learning journey. This enables student's to build on knowledge over time, and ensure that there are multiple opportunities to learn and embed healthy behaviours over each key stage.
Early Years (3-5 years)
The e-Bug learning journey begins. Students are introduced to positive behaviours on hand washing, respiratory, and oral hygiene. They learn how to practice these, and start to play a role in preventing the spread of infection.
Key Stage 1 (5-7 years)
Students develop their hand, respiratory, and oral hygiene further, learning best practices to ensure their behaviours are effective in preventing the spread of infection. Students are also introduced to the concept of microbes, and learn that there are different types of microbes.
Key Stage 2 (7-11 years)
Students further build on their knowledge on hygiene, learning why hand, respiratory and oral hygiene matter for themselves, their family, and their school. They delve deeper into the world of microbes, and learn that they can be useful and harmful to humans. Students are also introduced to vaccines, antibiotics, and the transmission of microbes from and to food and animals. They learn that they can play a role in preventing infections.
Key Stage 3 (11-14 years)
Students continue to explore the different type of microbes, including building their understanding of the microbes that can cause disease, and applying this to the topic of sexual health, learning how to protect themselves and others from sexually transmitted infections. They learn how their actions, including hygiene practices and vaccination can keep themselves, their households, and their communities healthy, and are introduced to the concept of antimicrobial resistance.
Key Stage 4 (14-16 years)
Students consolidate their learning across all topics including hygiene, microbes, vaccination, and antimicrobial resistance, emphasising the role they can play in infection prevention and control, and in responding to the global health threat of antimicrobial resistance. Students understand how to communicate important scientific messages to their communities, and the actions they can take to keep themselves and others safe.
Topics Include
- Hand Hygiene
- Respiratory Hygiene
- Oral Hygiene
- Introduction to Microbes
- Useful Microbes
- Harmful Microbes
- Food Hygiene
- Animal and Farm Hygiene
- Vaccinations
- Antibiotics and Antimicrobial resistance
- Sexually Transmitted Infections
The e-Bug Learning Journey
The e-Bug teaching resources are designed to support the learning journey. This enables student's to build on knowledge over time, and ensure that there are multiple opportunities to learn and embed healthy behaviours over each key stage.
Early Years (3-5 years)
The e-Bug learning journey begins. Students are introduced to positive behaviours on hand washing, respiratory, and oral hygiene. They learn how to practice these, and start to play a role in preventing the spread of infection.
Key Stage 1 (5-7 years)
Students develop their hand, respiratory, and oral hygiene further, learning best practices to ensure their behaviours are effective in preventing the spread of infection. Students are also introduced to the concept of microbes, and learn that there are different types of microbes.
Key Stage 2 (7-11 years)
Students further build on their knowledge on hygiene, learning why hand, respiratory and oral hygiene matter for themselves, their family, and their school. They delve deeper into the world of microbes, and learn that they can be useful and harmful to humans. Students are also introduced to vaccines, antibiotics, and the transmission of microbes from and to food and animals. They learn that they can play a role in preventing infections.
Key Stage 3 (11-14 years)
Students continue to explore the different type of microbes, including building their understanding of the microbes that can cause disease, and applying this to the topic of sexual health, learning how to protect themselves and others from sexually transmitted infections. They learn how their actions, including hygiene practices and vaccination can keep themselves, their households, and their communities healthy, and are introduced to the concept of antimicrobial resistance.
Key Stage 4 (14-16 years)
Students consolidate their learning across all topics including hygiene, microbes, vaccination, and antimicrobial resistance, emphasising the role they can play in infection prevention and control, and in responding to the global health threat of antimicrobial resistance. Students understand how to communicate important scientific messages to their communities, and the actions they can take to keep themselves and others safe.