Infectious Disease: Evolving Challenges to Human Health
Influenza Virus A Tiny Moving Target
 Overview of Activity
This is an in class activity where students simulate the spread a disease and the results of what happens when a virus begins to mutate. It looks specifically at the influenza virus and how it infects different types of cells. They will also have the opportunity to build their own virus from common household materials.
Activity Type: Online Video Game
URLs: http://www.nescent.org/eog/influenzapageone.php and http://www.nescent.org/eog/influenzapagetwo.php#lesson
Grade Level: 9-12
Level of Difficulty: Advanced
Amount of Time Required for Activity: Three 40-minute Class Periods
Recommended Uses:
Prior to attending exhibit, students may complete the day one portion as a prompting activity to engage them in discussion of disease transmission.
After visiting the exhibit, students may then do the day two and three portions to build on their understanding of disease transmission, properties of viruses, and disease prevention.
Description
This in class activity is geared towards introducing students to the concepts of viral structure, disease transmission, prevention, and microbial evolution. Over the course of three days, a series of hands-on activities are undergone to discuss each of the aforementioned.
Day 1 – Students participate in a game called "Gotcha!" where they will take on the "persona" of different cell types or viruses. The viruses will then circulate along with the cells and infect cells based on certain passwords students choose ahead of time. If the passwords match up for the cell and the virus, the cell is infected and eventually dies (after being infected twice). The game is followed by an in class discussion and evaluation of which cells were infected the most and least and the reasons behind this.
Day 2 – Students build their own viruses based on their understanding of the passwords from the previous day representing the viral and cellular matrix protein structure. The virus they are building is the avian influenza, H5N1, virus.
Day 3 – Students research the avian influenza virus and design presentations about ways to protect themselves from contracting the disease based on their understanding of microbial structure and evolution. They are also given the option of designing a public awareness campaign to accompany their conclusions.
This activity is designed by the National Evolutionary Synthesis Center (NESCent).
Relation to the Science Standards
High School
Content Standard A - Abilities Necessary to Do Scientific Inquiry
Content Standard C - The Cell
Content Standard C - Molecular Basis of Heredity
Content Standard C - Biological Evolution
Content Standard C - Interdependence of Organisms
Content Standard F - Personal and Community Health
Content Standard G - Science as a Human Endeavor
Related Part of the Exhibit
Microbial Evolution
Vaccines and Human Immunity
Global Distribution of Disease
Additional Related Links
Bird Flu - In Depth Report - NewsHour
http://nescent.org/eog/influenza_life_cycle.swf
http://www.nescent.org/eog/influenzapagetwo.php#handouts
http://www.cdc.gov/flu/avian/gen-info/transmission.htm
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