UNDERSTANDING VACCINES AND EDUCATING THE PUBLIC ON VACCINATIONS: A HIGH SCHOOL UNIT

Vaccination is one of the most valuable scientific innovations that has increased lifespans and decreased infant mortality rates. A vocal group of individuals is waging a war on vaccination and a large portion of youth is being exposed to these negative ideas. In these lessons, students will begin to understand how vaccinations work through activities such as jigsaws and inquiry into immune function, and be taxed with creating an ad campaign to educate the public on the safety, relevance and importance of vaccinations. Students will gain a better understanding of both the innate and adaptive immune systems and how immune cells function. Students will also gain a better understanding of herd immunity and learn about how vaccines are designed and developed by playing a game where they simulate multiple populations, some that are highly vaccinated and some without proper vaccinations. At the end of the unit, students will work together in designing an ad campaign and apply their knowledge of the immune system, herd immunity and vaccine development to educate the public on vaccinations and why they are important for young children, and are also valuable to maintain later in life. Through this Project Based Learning activity, students, many of whom are future health care workers, will gain the knowledge of the value of vaccinations.