Zombie Parasites Activity - For Teachers

Zombies are a staple of fun stories and scary movies. With a state of existence that so captivates audiences, it seems like a great entry point into learning about some of the weirdest parasites around. Parasitism is also a great connector to other basic ecological relationships. 

Tips for Classroom Implementation

Teaching Tips 

This activity is designed according to a 5E model. It is recommended for middle school students and high school students, in grades 7 or above.

Make sure to review the presentation and familiarize yourself with the five main species interactions and the examples given. You may also want to review the “zombie” examples given before leading your class through the lesson.

Time Required 

The entire lesson, including activities, should take around four hours. It is best to do the lecture and worksheet on the same day (about two hours). The presentations, Elaborate section and post assessment quiz can be done the following day for the remaining two hours.

Classroom set-up 

For the explore section of this lecture, students will need to work in groups of three. Students will need color pencils, markers or crayons for this portion as well. Make sure all the worksheet and post assessment quiz are printed for each student.

Objectives 

After the lesson, students should be able to:

• Describe the five main species interactions
• Differentiate between each species' interactions
• Provide examples for each type of species interactions
• Describe a parasite and different types of parasites
• Identify various parasitic interactions