Key Stage 4 Resources
- Aseptic technique
- Cell cycle and mitosis
- Types of miscroscopy
- Microscopy required practical activity
Other teaching resources may be found on the Fungi4Schools webpages (note that these webpages are not longer updated).
The Microbiology in Schools Advisory Committee (MiSAC) promotes the teaching of microbiology in schools and colleges by developing and publishing new ideas for the educational use of microorganisms, answering queries, giving talks, contributing to training courses, interacting with examination boards, science suppliers, publishers and industry.
Each year, MiSAC hold a competition for students in Key Stages 3 and 4 (or equivalent). The topic chosen for the competition in the UK is linked to the National Curriculum and competition sponsorship provides monetary prizes totalling £1,240 for students and their schools.
MiSAC Competition 2024
The MiSAC 2024 competition theme is Neglected Tropical Diseases and Climate Change. NTDs have not been widely studied, though they affect over 1.7 billion people on our planet. Twenty conditions have been designated NTDs, and most are caused by a parasitic, bacterial, viral or fungal pathogen.
Object of the competition: design an illustrated, web-page report for teenagers to raise their awareness of NTDs. Closing date: 1st April 2024
Fungi in the School Curriculum
Teachers of Science - and particularly Biology - will be aware that there are very few direct references to fungi in Curriculum Specifications in England. We are working hard to change this; however, in the meantime it is important to note that fungi can be used to illustrate life processes, ecology, classification, biology & disease etc. and can be used to assist the development of practical skills.
In an article for the OCR newsletter (December 2021), Dr Linda Davies, then Chair of the BMS Fungal Education & Outreach Committee, explained why its crucial fungi must be included in OCR's proposed GCSE in Natural History.