Table 1 A Sample of Question Themes and Questions from High School Classrooms

A. How do bacteria grow and become resistant?

• How do bacteria grow so fast?

• How do bacteria become resistant?

• How does different types of staph form?

• Does being around antibiotics make it easier to form?

• How long does it take for bacteria to become resistant to antibiotics?

B. Where do we find bacteria?

• How long does MRSA live outside in a public community area without people?

• Can animals get MRSA? Can they give it to people?

• Is MRSA more common in third world countries?

C. How does bacteria get inside us from outside?

• How do bacteria spread?

• How does it enter the body to cause an infection? If it’s already on your skin where does it get in?

• Do you have to have a cut or scab to get MRSA? If not how does it get inside someone’s body?

• Why is it easy to get MRSA from hospitals?

D. How do antibiotics work?

• How do antibiotics kill bacteria?

• What happens when anti

E How do I make sure I don’t pick up MRSA?

• Does everything you handle have MRSA?

• What keeps us from getting MRSA and getting very sick if you can get it so easily?

F. Why isn’t MRSA way more common?

• Why doesn’t everyone with a scratch get MRSA?

• What keeps some people from getting MRSA?

• Where did MRSA come from?

G. How do we fight off MRSA?

• Why are some people more sensitive than others?

• Do the things we use to clean wounds like alcohol/peroxide kill MRSA?

• Are our bodies stronger than the bacteria that is trying to spread?