NASA AMES Grow Your Own Microbial Mats

Looking for an activity that demonstrates the sulfur cycle and introduces your students to diverse types of prokaryotes? This kit allows students to observe layers of microbes by growing their own microbial mat. They learn about the biogeochemical sulfur cycle and draw connections ...Looking for an activity that demonstrates the sulfur cycle and introduces your students to diverse types of prokaryotes? This kit allows students to observe layers of microbes by growing their own microbial mat. They learn about the biogeochemical sulfur cycle and draw connections between the sulfur cycle and microbial activity in the microbial mats.

Students share their individual observations and discoveries with classmates, and gain experience in slide making and microscopy. For a classroom of 30 students working in groups of 3; conducted weekly for 4 weeks.