Terry M. Bella
Modeling the Immune Response
It is recommended that this unit begin with readings and lecture on the human immune system. There are some class activities that I use to support the content. One such activity involves students creating antibodies for different antigens, modeling the immune response. Allow students to use playdough and markers to model how the immune system first interacts with a pathogen, processes the pathogen, presents the antigen, creates antibodies, and subsequently interacts with the same antigen during future interactions. Students can draw from the conceptual understanding of enzymes and proteins interacting in a lock and key fashion. The antigen is a “key” and the antibody is the “lock”. Allow students to create unique pathogens with differing antigens and then allow them to create antibodies for those antigens. This all occurs in as a large modeling activity wherein all of the necessary immune system players are involved and justified either in writing or verbally. I find it effect for students to orally present their models to other students. The necessary components of this modeling activity are: pathogen (student created), macrophage, helper T-cell, memory T-cell, plasma cell, B-Cell, cytotoxic T-cell, memory B-cell, antibodies, and platelets.
Vaccination Pamphlets
Students can create pamphlets promoting vaccinations. The pamphlets should include all necessary vaccinations including when and how they are administered. The pamphlet must also include facts about the impact on public health that avoiding vaccination poses. Students should incorporate an explanation of herd immunity. It is important that data on recent outbreaks of contagious diseases that could have been mitigated with more universal use of vaccinations. Lastly, students should address vaccination myths in their pamphlets.
Research Project
A research project and report on either an autoimmune disease or allergy helps students to gain a deeper understanding of the immune system. The report should focus on the actions, albeit inappropriate, of the immune system. This helps with understanding how the immune system works because in the case of autoimmune or allergy the immune system has incorrectly identified something as a threat to the body.