Germs from Nowhere: Spontaneous Generation

Germs from Nowhere
Spontaneous Generation

This reading chronicles a scientific controversy that led to one of the most fundamental discoveries in the field of biology. The controversy, of course, was the question of whether life could be spontaneously generated from nonliving matter or must life always come from life. The settling of the matter illustrates how science operates, as Louis Pasteur's methodical sterilization of sealed vessels and their lasting sterility demonstrated that spontaneous generation did not occur.
Relevant National Science Education Standards

Unifying Concepts and Processes — The reading deals with the history of competing models used to explain the presence of microorganisms in biosystems such as rotting meat, and the evidence gathering that finally settled the issue.
Science as Inquiry — The reading recounts stories of scientific inquiry as it takes place in the real world.
Life Science — The reading tells the story of how a key question about the fundamental nature of living organisms was answered.
Science and Personal and Social Perpectives — The reading tells about a scientific puzzle whose answer had important ramifications for personal and community health.
History and Nature of Science — The reading gives a historical perspective illustrating the nature of scientific knowledge and science as a human endeavor.

Relevant New Jersey State Science Education Standards

5.1 The reading tells a story of how formulating usable questions and hypotheses, planning experiments, conducting systematic observations, interpreting and analyzing data, drawing conclusions, and communicating results led to the unraveling of a basic scientific puzzle.

5.2 The reading shows the history of a major discovery and how people of various cultures contributed to it.

5.5 The reading tells the story of how a key question about the fundamental nature of living organisms was answered.

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5.1	The reading tells a story of how formulating usable questions and hypotheses, planning experiments, conducting systematic observations, interpreting and analyzing data, drawing conclusions, and communicating results led to the unraveling of a basic scientific puzzle.
5.2	The reading shows the history of a major discovery and how people of various cultures contributed to it.
5.5	The reading tells the story of how a key question about the fundamental nature of living organisms was answered.