The immune system is at the heart of human health. The immune system's ability to protect our body from disease and intruders is extraordinary. This unit curriculum is designed to teach students the ways in which the body's immune system fights disease and battles intruders. As a way of teaching these multifaceted concepts, analogies which are familiar to the students will be used to teach the various jobs of the different immune cells. First, students will examine the specific role of each type of cell of the immune system in order to develop an understanding of the interdependence and complexity of these relationships. Through this examination, students will cultivate an understanding for malfunctions that can occur within the immune system and begin to think about ways to solve these malfunctions. Tuning the response and function of the immune cell will be the focus as students explore. Next, students will use the engineering design process to find solutions and solve problems that occur within this system. The engineering design process will offer a framework for students to explore, manipulate, and reorganize the forms and functions of immune cells. Students will work collaboratively in teams in order to analyze the parts of the cells and think about new ways to organize the structures of the cells which would enhance the function of the cells. Furthermore, students will experiment with various materials and technology to improve their designs of newly engineered cells. Finally, students will apply their knowledge and imagination to build a model of a cell, engineering an improved immune cell that would enhance the immune system or to solve a particular problem. Harnessing the power of these mighty defenders, students will create their own super cell.
