THE BASICS OF IMMUNOLOGY: AN INTRODUCTORY UNIT FOR HIGH SCHOOL JUNIOR AND SENIOR STUDENTS

Technology and increased travel ability have resulted in the increased mobility of diseases that would normally be isolated in one area. Understanding how different diseases affect humans is therefore something that can prove beneficial to students, even at the high school level. My summer laboratory research experience through The American Association of Immunologists High School Teachers Summer Research Program in Immunology provided me with an increased understanding of how specific immune cells function. The research focused on the metabolic responses of certain cells when exposed to different types of viruses, and inspired me to create a curriculum for high school students, which would introduce them to parts of the immune system and how they will react and interact as a result of exposure to disease. Students will perform WebQuest assignments, answer case study questions, and complete paper-based labs in order to familiarize themselves with the various parts of the immune response. They will then complete an activity which requires them to act out an immune response to a specific pathogen, expanding on different aspects of the immune response learned in class. These in-depth responses will be presented to the class in groups. Finally, students will learn about screening for specific diseases using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) simulation. The goal of the unit is to not only provide students with basic knowledge of the functioning of the immune system, but to also introduce them to specific immune responses for different types of stimulation of immune response as well as how diseases are detected in the medical setting.