I. Curricular Framework

Concept:

Wellness

Essential Question:

How can knowledge of the AIDS virus aid in prevention efforts?

Bridge:

Virus vs. Cells

Content:

The AIDS Virus

Outcomes:

II. Standards Aligned

III. Instruction and Assessment

1. Connect: Connecting to the Concept Experientially

Objective: To give the students a reason to want to learn about viruses by prompting them to recall previous, personal experiences of being sick from a viral infection.

Activity: The teacher begins the class by asking students to raise their hands if they have ever been sick with an infection caused by a virus. Inevitably, everyone, at some time, has had a virus. S/he then asks them to remember what it was like. How did they begin to know that they were sick? Did it happen rather suddenly? What were some of the symptoms? What are some examples of different kinds of viral infections? Are there some symptoms which all viral infections share? How long did it last? Students are usually more than anxious to contribute to this initial discussion by retelling their stories of having stomach viruses, chicken pox, cold sores, etc.

Assessment: Quality of class attention and participation.

2. Attend: Attending to the Connection

Objective: To have the students analyze the signs and symptoms which they are generating and possibly recognize some key features of how a virus works.

Activity: The teacher helps the students to "see" the patterns and common characteristics by listing on the board the contributions which the students make. Together, the class analyzes the list for clues and insights into how a virus might attack and cause sickness.

Assessment: Ability of the group to enter into the discussion and contribute educated insights into the workings of a virus.

Assessment, Phase One, Level of Engagement, Fascination:

3. Image: Creating a Mental Picture

Objective: To use selections from purchased video programs to help the students see the connection between their own experiences and the action of a virus on the immune system.

Activity: The teacher shows previewed selections from any one of a number of excellent tapes available on the AIDS virus. It may include interviews with patients who have tested positive for the virus and describe their symptoms and the effect the virus has had on them, particularly in terms of their susceptibility to other illnesses. It should also include a simple, often animated, explanation of how the normal, human immune system works, describing the role of lymphocytes, T cells, B cells, antibodies, etc. As a follow-up to the video, the students can be asked to draw, as a diagram or as a metaphor, a virus attacking a cell.

Assessment:

Assessment, Phase Two, Seeing the Big Picture:

4. Inform: Receiving Facts & Knowledge

Objective: To teach the biology of viruses, using the AIDS virus as an example of a virus and to introduce the workings of the immune system.

Activity: Using overhead, chalkboard and electron micrographs of viruses, the teacher provides factual information on viruses including: the definition of a virus; the parts of a virus; the workings of the lyric cycle using a bacteriophage as an example; the role of interferon; examples of viral infections; what AIDS stands for; how it is contracted; why the AIDS virus is so deadly.

Assessment: Short objective quiz.

Assessment, Phase Three, Success with Acquiring Knowledge:

5. Practice: Developing Skills

Objective: To check the students' understanding of the composition and action of a virus and to apply that information to a specific viral infection.

Activity: The students take a short objective quiz on the terms and concepts presented. Then they work with a partner on completing a worksheet which illustrates the unique features of the immune system and the action of the AIDS virus which gives it the name Auto Immune Deficiency Syndrome. The worksheet follows at the end of the cycle.

Assessment: Students ability to do well on the quiz and to successfully complete the interpretive worksheet.

Assessment, Phase Four, Success with Acquiring Skills:

6. Extend: Extending Learning to the Outside World

Objective: To have the students take what they have learned about viruses and AIDS and use that learning to design a pamphlet to instruct middle school students about these topics.

Activity: Working in small groups, students design a pamphlet on AIDS with facts and simple explanation of how it attacks for distribution to middle school children. The students are encouraged to use their particular skills and talents recognizing that one student may be good at organizing, another at simplifying potentially complex information, another may like to draw and letter.

Assessment: Quality of student pamphlets; their ability to describe the virus and how it works.

7. Refine: Refining the Extension

Objective: To have the students evaluate their pamphlet for accuracy, attractiveness and appropriateness for middle school age children.

Activity: In this short step, the groups take a close look at their completed efforts and meet with the teacher to: check for the inclusion of all the pertinent information; and to make sure that the facts are true and presented in such a way that middle school children will understand them.

Assessment: Quality of student work.

8. Perform: Creative Manifestation of Material Learned

Objective: To provide students with the opportunity to share what they have learned with others.

Activity: The students make arrangements to go to a local middle school and share their pamphlets and new insights with other, younger students.

Assessment: Response of the younger children to the students.

Assessment, Phase Five,Performance, Creative Use of Material Learned: