9-12
© 1994-2009 by Access Excellence @ the National Health Museum. Students simulate sexual contact by exchanging fluid from test tubes filled with water and one containing sodium hydroxide (NaOH). The acid-base indicator, phenolphthalein, reveals who has been infected. The students then investigate where the original infection began.
Activity Duration: 30-60 min
Cost: cost of supplies
Standards:
Teacher comments:
High school teacher: I have reviewed several of these types of activities and know that students love things that change color. As a chemistry teacher I am really hesitant to give kids unmarked clear liquids--it is a violation of best practice for me. Although 0.1 M NaOH is not very concentrated, it does have potential risks, particularly for younger, less mature students. Rating: Acceptable
Virologist comments:
A good general exercise about spread of infectious disease. Rating: Acceptable
9-12
© 1994-2009 by Access Excellence @ the National Health Museum. Students use a model to illustrate the spread of HIV, and they act as epidemiologists to explore the dilemmas of HIV infections. Students then produce a play, skit, or some other vehicle to present information about HIV to younger children.
Activity Duration: 30-60 min
Cost: cost of supplies
Standards:
Teacher comments:
High school teacher: This teacher did a great job of emphasizing the ethical points of personal decision-making. I have concerns about handing students unmarked clear substances. Rating: Acceptable
Virologist comments:
Exercise on transmission is effectively combined with ethical and moral discussion. Rating: Highly recommended
11-12
© 2007 University of Rochester. Life Sciences Learning Center. Students learn how the immune system responds to subunits of HIV virus genome and use immunoassays to determine the effectiveness of potential AIDS vaccines.
Activity Duration: 2 hr
Cost: cost of supplies
Standards:
Teacher comments:
High school teacher: The complexity of this activity is way beyond what is expected for a normal microbiology class in high school and is generally greater than what I have seen in an introductory university microbiology course. This would be a great activity for an afterschool higher-level science club. The vocabulary is beyond what a normal microbiology student would be expected to know or use. Rating: Not recommended
Virologist comments:
This is a great series of exercises for high school students. Some challenging aspects of molecular immunology are presented very clearly, and the PowerPoint animations are helpful. Rating: Highly recommended
9-12
© AMREF Canada | African Medical & Research Foundation, African Health Development Organization 2011. The number of child-headed households is growing in Africa and other parts of the world. This activity encourages students to think about children who have no parents or other adults at home and what these children would have to do to take care of themselves.
Activity Duration: < 15 min
Cost: free
Standards:
Teacher comments:
High school teacher: This is a short and really good class activity. In addition to life sciences, it would be an excellent geography activity in the population/economics units. Rating: Recommended
Virologist comments:
Content is accurate. Rating: Recommended
5-12
© 2011 Baylor College of Medicine. This curriculum consists of five activities that explore part of the HIV/AIDS story. Students construct paper models of the HIV virus to understand its structure and how it replicates itself. Students learn how to calculate exponential growth, graph transmission rates, and plot the spread of HIV on a world map. They then focus on the United States when they create presentations about HIV/AIDS in America.
Activity Duration: 7-9 hr
Cost: free
Standards:
Teacher comments:
Elementary school teacher: Of the five lessons, I found the exponential growth and the two mapping activities well suited for 4th and 5th graders and perhaps an appropriate way of introducing this disease. The two particle lessons would be very difficult for most elementary students to grasp, even with the student- made models. Lessons utilize cooperative learning groups with hands-on activities. Rating: Acceptable
Middle school teacher: The Teacher's Guide is very well done, easy to follow, and has great instructions. Extensions for learning are included and there are awesome stats to explore. Visuals are included for each activity. Rating: Highly recommended
High school teacher: Nice site with tons of information that encompasses all types of virus information and most virus objectives found through most curricula. This can be used by a wide range of age groups. The only problem is that the information is contained in PDF files. More flash animations or more interactive info would make it a perfect site. Rating: Recommended
Virologist comments:
This site provides fantastic detail in all aspects of the exercises and is accompanied by an impressive list of support URLs for the teacher. The first two activities help students visualize a virus particle and the important points of virus replication. These exercises will engage students' imaginations and help them understand general concepts applicable to all microbes and infectious disease. The detailed descriptions of cooperative learning methods in the epidemiology module are likely to engage students with different learning styles as they work in teams to model the process of "virus hunting." I believe that the exercise is a good learning tool for grades 5 - 8. Rating: Highly Recommended
6-12
© 2010 Howard Hughes Medical Institute. Students simulate taking HIV antiretroviral drugs by using mints and Kool-Aid. They will experience how easy or difficult it is to fully adhere to a treatment program.
Activity Duration: 10 days x 15 min
Cost: cost of supplies
Standards:
Teacher comments:
Middle school teacher: Neat idea for an activity. Students will obviously love the simulated "medicine." Students are responsible for journaling/charting their activity over a 10-day period. Rating: Recommended
High school teacher: This is a creative activity that applies to many endemic diseases (TB, for example). The activity is clear, the materials are inexpensive, and the practice of taking/interpreting data is excellent. Rating: Highly recommended
Virologist comments:
Students definitely gain understanding from this activity, if it is executed correctly. Rating: Highly recommended
9-12
© 2011 National Academy of Sciences. Marian Koshland Science Museum of the National Academy of Sciences. Students examine source data from the World Health Organization (WHO) and analyze the state of the HIV pandemic in several hard-hit countries. They develop an understanding of how infectious diseases can be controlled in different regions of the world given certain socio-political and economic realities.
Activity Duration: 1-2 hr
Cost: free
Standards:
Teacher comments:
High school teacher: This is exceptionally well organized. It incorporates multiple skills of data analysis and graphing. The video is excellent and a good length (~8 min) for class viewing. Rating: Highly recommended
Virologist comments:
This is an excellent activity. It covers many topics: antiretrovirals, social factors, geography, structure and genetic diversity of viruses, vaccine potential, and more. It is a well-constructed and valuable exercise. The videos are excellent, and I would be happy to use them in a college class. A few key links are not available, such as the World Bank links and http://www.who.int/hiv/countries/en/index.html, which appear to be important for data collection. Rating: Highly recommended
9-12
SAFER·HEALTHIER·PEOPLE™, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Department of Health and Human Services. Excellence in Curriculum Innovation through Teaching Epidemiology and the Science of Public Health (EXCITE). Working in teams, students search identified Web sites for basic information on HIV, the history of the virus, and misconceptions surrounding the virus. Students work together to answer questions on a review sheet that is passed from student to student. After discussing the answers, students check the back of their sheets for an X that was pre-marked on one of the sheets. This person is the carrier of a virus. Those students who wrote answers on that paper are also infected. Students draw conclusions about the spread of HIV through this simulation.
Activity Duration: 2 hr
Cost: free
Standards:
Teacher comments:
High school teacher: Overall, the activity is well thought out. Designing a poster to make people aware of the truths and falsehoods regarding the HIV virus is a great activity. This activity may be more appropriate for an afterschool science club because, although it deals with the spread and prevention of viruses, it is very specific to one virus. Standards do not generally allow for such specificity over a 2-day period. Rating: Acceptable
Virologist comments:
This is an excellent activity to introduce viruses, disease, and disease transmission to this age group. The lesson is well planned throughout and allows for interactions. The activity has good assessment of the success of the lesson. The CDC Web site for ages 9-13 and the BAM.gov sites should be fun for this age group. The Web references are all very appropriate. Rating: Highly recommended
6-8
SAFER·HEALTHIER·PEOPLE™, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Department of Health and Human Services. Excellence in Curriculum Innovation through Teaching Epidemiology and the Science of Public Health (EXCITE). Using identified Web resources, students investigate several viruses, gaining an understanding of the distinction between a virus and a disease. Then, using paper and envelopes, they simulate the spread of viruses. A discussion helps to correct misinformation about HIV/AIDS.
Activity Duration: 2 hr 35 min
Cost: free
Standards:
Teacher comments:
Middle school teacher: Great worksheets for students to complete the lesson. Students will love the clipboard sheets. Several hours will be necessary to prep for this activity. I would not put student names on the board for the activity; I suggest assigning numbers or fake names to the participants. Rating: Highly recommended
Virologist comments:
This is an excellent activity for introducing viruses, diseases, and disease transmission to this age group. The interactive lesson is well planned. There is a good assessment of the success of the lesson, and good discussion guidelines for the teacher. The activity and the assignment for a group to create a product to educate peers is very well thought out. The Web references are all very appropriate. Rating: Highly recommended
9-12
© 2011 National Academy of Sciences. Marian Koshland Science Museum of the National Academy of Sciences. Students study the HIV viral infection pathway in a human cell and try to determine different points where the pathway could be inhibited to prevent the spread of the infection.
Activity Duration: 1-2 hr
Cost: free
Standards:
Teacher comments:
High school teacher: Very good activities with links to PBS that are excellent. Easy-to-follow plans for student work and task changing. Rating: Highly recommended
Virologist comments:
I highly recommend this site. These videos are excellent. "How Do Antiretroviral Drugs Work?" has good animation and is very clear. The others are also presented very well. I would be happy to use any of these in my college classes to initiate discussions. They might serve as a review of viral strategies or as a starting point for discussion of antivirals, variation within a viral strain, or other important topics. The teacher and student information is well presented. I was not able, using the link, to access the entire PBS presentation on plague. I did find clips by going directly to www.pbs.org. Rating: Highly recommended
7-12
© 2008-2012 The Regents of the University of California. All Rights Reserved. Science & Health Education Partnership. Using a potassium hydroxide solution (KOH) in one vial and water in the others, students simulate the exchange of body fluids to discover how infectious diseases spread. Using the acid-base indicator, phenolphthalein, students discover who has been infected and try to predict the number of infections that would occur after more interactions. Students identify behaviors that increase or decrease the risk of infection.
Activity Duration: 1 hr
Cost: ~ $25 for chemicals or ~ $40 for a kit from science education vendors
Standards:
Teacher comments:
Middle school teacher: The activity requires prep time plus the purchase of the HIV Simulation Kit K105 from SEP. Good intro activity on how disease is transmitted. Worksheets are attached to trace the origin of the disease. Extension activity involves sexual activity that may be sensitive for some middle school students, so vocabulary should be reviewed. Rating: Recommended
High school teacher: Decent activity for microbiology; deals with sexual activity so it may not be appropriate for 7th grade students. It definitely meets microbiology standards for how disease spreads, and, like most Internet virus activities, it gives much advice on how not to get infected. A fairly limited activity, though, in terms of microbiology curriculum, so may not be worth spending a full class period on it. Rating: Acceptable
Virologist comments:
This is an excellent exercise. The discussion can be tailored to many age groups. I would like to see a brief explanation about germs being microbes of various kinds, and that only a small percentage of microbes are pathogens. Also, it might be nice to include a few words for the older students concerning the reason that an antibiotic regimen should always be completed. Rating: Highly recommended
11-12
© 2002 Trustees of Boston University. Regional Biotech, The University of Texas-Pan American. Using a simulated viral extract, students perform an Enzyme-Linked-Immunosorbent-Assay (ELISA) to screen a hypothetical patient for HIV.
Activity Duration: 5 hr
Cost: cost of supplies
Standards:
Teacher comments:
High school teacher: The lesson is too complicated and not direct enough for curriculum use for five class periods. Rating: Not recommended.
Virologist comments:
This series of activities provides exceptional detail in the teacher's guide. The laboratory exercise would be appropriate for high school students with a good background in cell biology. It could be used with middle school students as well. One of the strongest aspects of this module is the inclusion of pre- and post- tests for assessment of student learning. Rating: Highly recommended
7-12
© 2007 Northwest Association for Biomedical Research. This unit explores the scientific and ethical issues involved in clinical HIV vaccine trials using human research participants. Students explore the life cycle, structure, and transmission of HIV. They become familiar with different types of vaccines and the challenges related to developing an HIV vaccine. Finally, students create their own hypothetical clinical trial for an HIV vaccine.
Activity Duration: 10-12 hr
Cost: cost of supplies
Standards:
Teacher comments:
Middle school teacher: This activity requires several hours of prep, but is a good activity that includes five lessons, assessment options, and rubrics for evaluation. Activities include many methods for presenting the material-- discussion, questioning, lecture/notes, case studies, Internet research, research and group work for presentations. This activity would work better in a health class than a science class. Rating: Acceptable
High school teacher: This site contains a unit that addresses ethics in research and revolves around different situations where only one virus was studied. Each case study is small and does not educate the reader about the specific viruses, so it would probably have to come at the end of a microbiology course, if it is used at all. I think the topic is valid, but it's not feasible to devote 10 school days in a condensed high school curriculum to talk about such issues. This Web site has limited use, although it is well done. Rating: Not recommended
Virologist comments:
This is a most excellent curriculum on HIV, vaccines, and bioethics. The material can be adapted for various age groups. I would recommend an update of the "Understanding Vaccines" pamphlet. The material on the NIH Web site is much more current. There are also a few links I could not access. This in no way detracts from the high quality of this curriculum. Rating: Highly recommended
5-10
©2006 by the National Science Teachers Association. University of Nebraska State Museum. After being introduced to viruses, students do three activities to gain a better understanding of HIV: 1) meet HIV and make a flip book to watch the action of a virus attack; 2) investigate how HIV from a mother can evolve into new strains when it is passed on to her baby; 3) after reading HIV fact cards, create an educational poster about the virus. Used with permission: NSTA Press.
Activity Duration: 1-2 hr
Cost: free
Standards:
Teacher comments:
Middle school teacher: The three activities are different and can be used in different curricula. The flip-book movie is something fun that students can take with them. The activities on mutations are a little deeper. Not sure how many middle-level classrooms cover the A, G, C, U aspect of biology. But it could be modified. Part three (HIV) is probably better suited for a health classroom. Rating: Recommended
High school teacher: The writing is very accessible for students and the concept levels are appropriate. Clear descriptions and activities for virus structure, virus infection, mutation. Activities easy to duplicate and inexpensive. Rating: Highly recommended
Virologist comments:
Great exercises demonstrating HIV evolution. I think the vaccine design exercises are especially clever. These exercises involve abstract thinking. I expect that the flip book and general information will be useful for students in grades 5-8. Rating: Highly recommended
6-12
© 2007-2010 Tim Peters and Company, Inc. BRISTOL-MYERS SQUIBB. A young woman learns more about HIV after she discovers that her sister is dying of the disease.
Activity Duration: < 15 min
Cost: free
Standards:
Teacher comments:
Middle school teacher: Powerful messages that students/families can relate to. This particular comic targets life with HIV and not so much the prevention. This comic is not humorous; it's more to the point and informative. Rating: Recommended
High school teacher: This is a subject-intense (HIV) comic that is well presented and explains HIV infection and testing/treatment well. It would be ideal for a health class. Rating: Highly recommended
Virologist comments:
This comic is more drama and less fun. It targets the awareness and learning about drugs used to treat HIV disease--AIDS. However, this may have both educational and marketing purposes since it is sponsored by Bristol-Myers Squibb. Rating: Acceptable
7-12
© 2006 MSC-UPR. Biomedical Research Education Program at University of Puerto Rico. The Biomed team must try to stop the spread of the enlarged HIV that got loose from the research lab. An explanation of how HIV enters cells is incorporated into the story. Available in Spanish.
Activity Duration: 30-60 min
Cost: free
Standards:
Teacher comments:
Middle school teacher: If HIV is part of your science curriculum, this is a great activity. Because it is in a PDF file, it can be viewed though a projector. The vocabulary is perfect for a middle-level student. There is some humor mixed in with the science. This will also fit in a health curriculum. Reading the comics and doing the activities will take more than 15-30 minutes, in my opinion. Rating: Recommended
High school teacher: This comic is entertaining, but has a number of embedded advanced concepts that require prior knowledge by the student, including: difference between DNA and RNA, CD4 lymphocytes, connection between blood and HIV, and virus structure. Also contains a number of misspellings and word misuse (e.g., your for you're). Rating: Questionable
Virologist comments:
This comic is of high quality. It is an excellent tool for children to learn about HIV. It is fun and informative. This comic also includes useful definitions and other fun activities to promote learning. Rating: Highly recommended
6-12
© 1998 WGBH. A SCIENCE ODYSSEY. ON THE EDGE. Doctor Ho explains how HIV operates inside the body and how the cocktail of drugs works to slow down the disease.
Activity Duration: < 15 min
Cost: free
Standards:
Teacher comments:
Middle school teacher: Students will find the conversations between the characters funny and interesting. The "rapper" style interview with a research scientist is sure to catch the students' attention. Quick and to the point. A good activity if your curriculum is covering new HIV treatments. Rating: Recommended
High school teacher: Generally clear graphics and language deliver a valid explanation of how HIV works inside the human body. Also a good explanation of combination drug therapy is presented. May cause reading/deciphering problems for younger or less-skilled readers. Rating: Recommended
Virologist comments:
This comic refers to Dr. David Ho, a famous AIDS researcher. It uses "hip hop" to reach children at this level, which is a good strategy. The graphic quality is average. It is a fun learning tool about HIV and AIDS. Rating: Acceptable
9-12
© 2011, University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Explore HIV through a riveting graphic story about aliens who visit Earth in search of a cure for AIDS. Embedded in this graphic story are interactive learning activities which explore the biology of HIV and the world distribution of people living with HIV since 1990. Open the HIV to see inside and learn about the parts. This App includes an essay and radio documentary.
Activity Duration:
Cost:
Standards:
Teacher comments:
High school teacher: Really terrific embedded modules in comic show biohazard lab levels, equipment use, HIV virus morphology
Virologist comments:
Coming soon
7-12
© 2011, The Board of Regents of the University of Nebraska. Alien visitors to a depopulated Earth seek cells from HIV-resistant survivors in order to save their own species.
Activity Duration: 30-60 min
Cost: free
Standards:
Teacher comments:
High school teacher: This is a good format to explain HIV virus mechanisms and morphology. The drawings and scenario help elaborate concepts that might be much more challenging to show in other formats, like lecture or text. Rating: Highly recommended.
Virologist comments:
The content is highly entertaining. It should have broad appeal to the general public, including K-12 students. The scientific content and presentation is excellent. Rating: Highly recommended.
6-10
© 2010 Baylor College of Medicine. BioEd: The Science of Microbes. This Web-based magazine introduces microbes and explains how they are transmitted and how the body defends itself against them. It gives a brief history of past epidemics, then explores the HIV/AIDS epidemic, the technology used to study viruses, and careers in science and medicine.
Activity Duration: 30-60 min
Cost: free
Standards:
Teacher comments:
Middle school teacher: Awesome magazine that will fit into middle school science for virus, bacteria, and disease transmission. Great use of color, diverse people are represented in the pictures, and it's very appealing to middle school students. The reading level is appropriate for middle school readers. It could also be used in a health class. Rating: Highly recommended
High school teacher: It's a great magazine to use during any microbiology unit whether it is 6th or 10th grade. Hits nearly all standards dealing with infection, virus-host relationships, vaccines, antibiotics, and prevention. Very appealing magazine, fun to read, and even has a section that encourages continued learning in microbiology. Rating: Highly recommended
Virologist comments:
These files are excellent supplemental materials for the classroom. They will serve to stimulate many important discussions. Rating: Highly recommended
9-12
© 1994 to 2011, Quill Graphics. Explore HIV infection at the cellular level. Diagrams and simple animations show a series of steps from initial attachment of a viral particle to a lymphocyte through budding of new viruses from that cell.
Activity Duration: 15-30 min
Cost: free
Standards:
Teacher comments:
High school teacher: Cells Alive! is a great site, and this activity is another example of that. The diagrams and animation are clear with clickable links. Really good tool for explaining reverse transcription. Rating: Highly recommended
Virologist comments:
Rating: Acceptable
7-12
Northwest Association for Biomedical Research. Licensed under Creative Commons. This Web-based image explores the scientific challenges faced by researchers in developing an HIV vaccine.
Activity Duration: < 15 min
Cost: free
Standards:
Teacher comments:
Middle school teacher: Great visual to explore why it is so hard to make a vaccine for HIV. Easy to manipulate the diagram and provides six short tutorials on various places on the cells. The site uses higher-level vocabulary that may not be consistent with middle school reading levels. Rating: Recommended
High school teacher: Great activity to use after learning about vaccines. Students may not understand why we cannot "cure" HIV; therefore this animation does a great job of explaining why. Curriculum relevant only due to its being an extension of the study of vaccines. The site has a very attractive animation. It's probably not appropriate for middle school students because the important info has to do with reverse transcriptase. Rating: Highly recommended
Virologist comments:
This animation does not offer interaction. Rather than giving an understanding of the multifactorial basis for difficulties in vaccine development, this site gives an overview of the HIV life cycle. If presented to students as a small part of a virology teaching module, it may be adequate. Rating: Questionable
9-12
© 2011, University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Explore HIV through a riveting graphic story about aliens who visit Earth in search of a cure for AIDS. Embedded in this graphic story are interactive learning activities that explore the biology of HIV and the world distribution, since 1990, of people living with HIV. Open the virus to see inside and learn about the parts. This app includes an essay and 30-minute radio documentary.
Activity Duration: 1 hr
Cost: free from the App Store
Standards:
Teacher comments:
High school teacher: Really terrific embedded modules in comic show biohazard lab levels, equipment use, HIV virus morphology--all explained and interactive. Explanation of HIV infection is very clearly diagrammed and captioned. Exceptional lesson on retrovirus/host cell interactions. This has particular appeal for students interested in "extraterrestrial" scenarios and biohazard labs. A definite bonus for my class! Rating: Highly recommended
High school teacher: Nice job of explaining how a retrovirus works. Kids need to understand DNA structure and function before they will understand this. I like the economic aspects since cross-curricular methods always make it more relevant for kids. Rating: Highly recommended
Virologist comments:
The radio documentary gives a good perspective of efforts to educate around the world about safe sex and prevention. The success of antiviral vaginal gel, announced recently, was tempered by the realities of South Africa, and the high percentage of infected people. Students will benefit from learning about the challenges that have slowed vaccine development. Rating: Highly recommended
