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| Grade level: 6-8 |
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Subject: Human
Body |
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Duration: Two
class periods |
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Students will do the following:
| 1. |
Understand how
vaccines work |
| 2. |
Create class
posters describing different types of
vaccines |
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The class will need the following:
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Internet access |
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Poster board (five
pieces, one for each group), markers,
colored pencils |
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| 1. |
Ask students what
they know about vaccines. What is a vaccine?
What are some common vaccines you know of or
have received? Why are vaccines important?
Write their answers on the board. |
| 2. |
Review the basics
of vaccines and how they work with the
class:
- Explain that the immune system is
the body’s method of protecting itself
from foreign substances that invade
the body. Vaccines work with our
immune system to protect against
measles, mumps, polio, and other
diseases. A vaccine helps your body
create antibodies, or cells that fight
off antigens, and foreign substances
like bacteria or viruses. Sometimes
your body creates antibodies by
itself, but not enough to fight a
serious disease like polio.
- A vaccine is made from the
antigen—either a bacteria or a
virus—that causes the disease. Some
vaccines use live but weakened
versions of the antigen. Some are made
from “killed” antigens, and others are
made from parts of the antigen or one
that closely resembles the targeted
bacteria or virus. In any form, a
vaccine does not contain enough of
antigens to cause the disease. It has
just enough to trigger the body’s
immune system to produce antibodies
against that disease. In most cases,
these antibodies remain active and
protective against the disease for a
person’s lifetime. This protection is
called immunity. In some cases, a
vaccine requires booster shots, doses
given at regular intervals.
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| 3. |
Explain that
usually, children receive several
vaccinations during the first 10 years of
their lives, most of them before the age of
one. Write the following vaccines on the
board:
- Polio
- MMR (measles, mumps, rubella)
- DTP (diphtheria, tetanus,
pertussis)
- Hepatitis B
- Varicella (chicken pox)
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| 4. |
Divide the class
into five groups and assign each group one
of the vaccinations above. Tell students
that each group will create a poster to
educate the public about a vaccine. Their
poster should answer as many of the
following questions as possible:
- What disease is this vaccine meant
to prevent?
- Describe the disease this vaccine
prevents: What are the symptoms? Who
is most susceptible? Is the disease
caused by a virus or bacteria?
- Who should be vaccinated? Who
should not be vaccinated?
- How does the vaccine work? How
often should a person be vaccinated?
- What are some possible side
effects of the vaccine?
- What are some other interesting
facts about this vaccine?
Provide the following Web sites to help
students research different vaccines:
All About Vaccines
Guide to Childhood Immunization
Vaccines: What You Need to Know
Vaccines
Disease Chart
Vaccines Chart |
| 5. |
Ask students to
consider the audience of their poster (for
example, parents, pregnant women,
teenagers). Once they decide whom they are
addressing, encourage them to use
appropriate language and images. In
addition, ask students to think about the
most effective locations for their posters,
such as a pediatrician’s office or a bus
stop. |
| 6. |
Have each group
present its poster, while giving a brief
explanation of the vaccination studied. Then
ask students to hang posters around the
room. As a class, discuss the importance of
vaccinations. |
| 7. |
If your class is
interested in the potential risks of
vaccinations, encourage them to do further
research on this topic. What are some
problems associated with vaccines? What are
the recommendations for countering these
risks? Hold a class debate about whether
certain vaccinations should be mandatory.
The following Web sites should be helpful:
Vaccine Safety
CDC: Overview of Vaccine Safety |
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Back to Top
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| 1. |
Why is it important
to vaccinate against rare diseases? |
| 2. |
Considering what
you learned about vaccinations, why do you
think most are given during the first year
of life? |
| 3. |
Do you think there
will be new vaccinations required during
your lifetime? Explain your answer. |
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Use the following three-point
rubric to evaluate how well students conducted their
research, created their posters, presented their
displays, and participated in class discussions.
- Three points: strong research skills;
developed creative and innovative ways to present
information; gave a detailed, interesting report
to the class; and participated actively in class
discussions.
- Two points: on-grade-level research
skills; developed competent ways to present
information; gave a satisfactory report to the
class; and was somewhat engaged in class
discussions.
- One point: weak research skills; did
not complete the display; gave a brief report with
some errors to the class; and was not engaged in
class discussions.
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Back to Top
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Allergies
Alvin Silverstein, Virginia Silverstein, and Laura
Silverstein Nunn. Franklin Watts (A Division of Grolier
Publishing), 1999.
Do you sneeze around cats? Get a rash from eating
strawberries? You may have an allergy. Learn all about
allergies in this lively book: what causes them, what
goes on in your body when you have an allergic reaction,
and how allergies can be treated. Lots of photographs,
cartoon drawings, and highlighted words and text help
make this a fine introduction to the subject.
Your Body’s Heroes and Villains: Microexplorers
Norbert Landa and Patrick Baeuerle. Barron’s, 1997.
Imagine being small enough to travel through your body
and watch how it handles the germs and viruses that make
you sick! Lots of pictures show what happens when tiny
germs called microbes invade your cells and how your
cells fight them. A short quiz at the end of the book
reviews the points covered—and there is a short
glossary.
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antibody
Definition: A substance that fights a disease by
protecting the body from a virus or bacteria.
Context: Vaccines cause the body to develop
antibodies to fight a disease.
antigen
Definition: A substance such as bacteria or a
virus that invades the body and stimulates the
production of an antibody.
Context: Recognized as a threat by the immune
system, an antigen, such as the streptococcus
bacteria, triggers the production of an antibody.
bacteria
Definition: Simple one-celled organisms
classified as prokaryotes.
Context: Although many bacteria live in
the human body without causing harm, some cause
tuberculosis, typhoid fever, whooping cough, and other
diseases.
immunization
Definition: The process of protecting the body
against disease using vaccines or serums.
Context: Most children complete their
immunization schedule before they begin school.
vaccine
Definition: A substance that protects a body
against a disease by causing the body’s immune system to
produce antibodies.
Context: Some vaccines provide lifelong
protection against infection, while others require
several doses given at regular intervals.
virus
Definition: A microscopic organism that lives in
a cell of another living thing.
Context: Viruses are a major cause of disease and
can infect human beings with measles, influenza, and the
common cold.
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This lesson adheres to the National
Science Education Standards for students in grades 5-8:
- Life Science
- Science in Personal and Social Perspectives
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Joy Brewster, writer and editor of
educational materials for K-12 teachers and students. |
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DISCLAIMER:
All information, data, and material contained, presented, or provided here
is for general information purposes only and is not to be construed as
reflecting the knowledge or opinions of the publisher, and is not to be
construed or intended as providing medical or legal advice. The decision
whether or not to vaccinate is an important and complex issue and should
be made by you, and you alone, in consultation with your health care
provider.
