Do zombies really exist?

You come home from a long day at school, and someone is there to greet you at the door. They are so excited, they may even try to jump up at you. Oh my goodness they want to kiss you! This is an interaction that many humans have... with their dogs. Dogs give humans so much affection and protection, and sometimes they even help us with tasks. Humans provide dogs with food, shelter, and love in return. But not all interactions with other living things are as nice as the ones we have with pets. Some interactions can be harmful or annoying.

It's a nice summer night and you are sitting outside. Suddenly you hear a buzzing sound around your ear and you wave it away. A few moments later you feel a small sting close to your ankle. Darn it, you’ve just been bitten by a mosquito. This is a very common interaction that humans have with mosquitoes. The mosquitoes use our blood to help them produce eggs, but all humans get in return is a very itchy bite, or worse. Sometimes these bites can even make us sick.

All living things interact with other living things on a daily basis. Some of these interactions are good but others can be harmful. But those aren't the only options. In biology, scientists have found five main ways that different species interact with each other:

• Predator/prey
• Competition
• Mutualism
• Commensalism
• Parasitism

Hold on… isn't this supposed to be about zombies? Well, it is! Not all species interactions are friendly and some can be pretty harmful. In fact, some organisms are so sneaky, they can actually take over the bodies of other animals. These infected animals can lose control over what they do and how they act. So now you might be wondering…could one of these species interactions actually create a zombie? Wait... zombies aren’t real... right?

What you need

• Power point presentation
• Post-lesson quiz
• In class-worksheet
• Pen or pencil
• Marker, crayons, or colored pencils

Procedure

ENGAGE: Do zombies exist?

1. Make sure you have the worksheet from your teacher.

2. Watch and listen closely to the videos and the presentation shown by your teacher. Follow along with the presentation and think about the species interactions that you see.

3. After listening to the teacher's presentation, pick one of the following questions and write the question and your answer on the worksheet. This is individual work, do not work in groups. 

• Do you think any of the examples given are real zombies? How are they similar to the zombies you see in movies or shows? How are they different?
• Two of the example parasites can infect humans and change our behavior, which ones were they? If they exist, why aren’t we all turning into zombies?

4. In groups of three discuss your answers and explore why each video was an example of parasitism or predator/prey interaction.

EXPLORE: Zombie activity

5. With your group, complete the rest of the worksheet.

6. Follow the instructions on the worksheet to create your own zombie parasite.

7. When you draw your zombie pathogen and its life cycle (how it infects its host and reproduces), use colors and get creative.

EXPLAIN: Present your zombie parasite

8. As a group, present your zombie parasite to the class.

9. Be prepared to discuss your parasite’s life cycle and how it controls its host.

ELABORATE: Species interactions

10. As a class, discuss two new examples for each species interaction (so not the ones already discussed in class).

• Predator/prey
• Competition
• Mutualism
• Commensalism
• Parasitism

11. Can you think of examples for each of these species interactions that involve humans? For example, dogs and human interactions are mutualistic.

EVALUATE

12. Complete the post-lesson quiz.