Developed
by: Georgia Medler and John Nishan
© American Association of Immunologists 1994
Focus
Instead
of a unit containing a 2-3 day lesson plan, we have developed a
packet of activities to help supplement your immunology unit. In
these activities you have the opportunity to use lessons that
highlight specific teaching styles, and are directed to the
varying learning styles of your students.
It is possible to use all, some, or only one of these activities to supplement an already existing immunology unit in your curriculum. Or, if you desire, the unit can be built around these activities.
These activities have been designed recognizing that it is important for students to build skills in areas that are outside the immediate focus of the biology unit being studied. Therefore, in addition to the traditional types of activities that focus on vocabulary and definitions, we have included other types of lessons which allow the student to work on his/her writing skills, oral presentation skills, and teamwork. Finally, recognizing that evaluation should not be only the job of the teacher, and that peer feedback is an important part of learning for all of us, we have included a scoring rubric which students can use to help the teacher evaluate the student presentation activities (if the teacher desires to use this activity).
Description
Included
within this unit are the following activities and the major
emphases of each:
| Heartbreak - a letter writing activity focusing on organ rejection; |
| Immunology poster/presentation - group project requiring planning, research and presentation of an immunology concept; |
| Crossword puzzle - vocabulary building or review; |
| Word find - vocabulary building or review; |
| Putting It Together - a group activity for recognition of correct immunology concepts; |
| Find Your Mate - group activity for demonstration of antigen/antibody specificity, to be developed in small or large group discussion; |
| Agglutination - group activity for demonstration of agglutination and phagocytosis, to be developed in small or large group discussion; |
| Antibody/Antigen Reaction Lab - a hands on activity for the demonstration of the formation of a precipitin line between a simulated antibody and antigen. |
Curricular
Context
These
activities may be used in high school biology classes as part of
an immunology unit, the circulatory system, or within the virus
or bacteria (Moneran) unit. The point that we would like to
emphasize is that it is important to include a variety of
activities within any unit to enhance all students' learning.
To receive a copy of this curriculum, please contact: The American Association of Immunologists, telephone: (301) 634-7178, fax: (301) 634-7887, email infoaai@aai.org.