It's virus-fighting time! Pupils learn how viruses attack and reproduce and how the immune system works to protect the body. They identify unfamiliar terms and tissues and organs of the immune system. Working in small groups, scholars...

Attack the pathogen from within. Learners delve deeper into the immune system and find out about the adaptive immune system such as T and B cells. Groups create graphical models of the adaptive immune system along with a multimedia...

My body is my castle. Pupils learn about the innate immune system in the second lesson plan of a three-part unit on the immune system by comparing the innate immune system to a castle and moat. Groups conduct a simulation where they try...

In the preceding lesson from the unit, beginning biologists discovered that microorganisms are everywhere, so the question follows, why are we not sick all of the time? Class members read and discuss an article in small groups about...

Stop the spread. Pupils work through two activities to gain an understanding of vaccines and immunity. Learners research different types of vaccines and how they are made and explore the advantages and disadvantages of them. Using a...

It's all in the cards. Using cards to simulate a disease's attack on the immune system, pupils develop an understanding of how the immune system and pathogens react to each other and why at times the pathogen wins. Groups play a game to...

In a creative writing and health assignment, your pupils will write a letter on behalf of an immune system to apologize for causing a food allergy, while also identifying what food allergies are and what types of foods can cause them.

Flu fighters unite! To get the word out about the importance of getting vaccinated against the flu, groups create posters that persuade teens to get immunized. Also, scholars read articles about how to cope with colds, then create...

Wouldn't it be lovely if people were immune from colds and flu? Alas, such is not the case; however, there are things we can do to avoid getting or spreading these pesky health hazards. Middle schoolers read articles that provide them...

Sickle cell disease only occurs when both parents contribute the trait, and mostly in those of African descent. Where did it come from? How did it evolve? Tony Allison, a molecular biologist, noticed a connection between sickle cell and...

Your health class reads two biographical stories: one about a girl who has allergies and the other about a girl who has asthma. They watch a quick cartoon on the KidsHealth website about immunity and take the related online quiz. You...

How does HIV operate at the molecular level? Pupils discover the progression from a healthy immune cell to one infected with HIV, watch an animation of the HIV life cycle, and finally identify each of the stages with illustrations...

How did the Ebola virus first infect humans? Young virologists examine genetic sequences from the 2014 Sierra Leone outbreak to find similarities during a riveting activity. Following similar methods used by MIT and Harvard, partners...

Beware the bugs! Two activities engage high schoolers in the study of germs, what they are, what they do to the body, and what can be done to prevent them from spreading. After reading a series of related articles, groups create a...

A very timely lesson plan looks at the social and political factors that affect the spread of disease. Using the 1918 Influenza Pandemic as a case study, pupils research factors that influenced the spread of the disease, including the...

Over two lessons, scholars use articles and discussions to define what a food allergy is and identify the most common food allergens. Small groups prepare a skit showcasing how the body exhibits an allergic reaction. Learners examine...

Two activities help high schoolers learn about HIV and AIDS. First, groups read and discuss articles that provide information about sexually transmitted diseases and conduct further research to gather current information. They then...

Stop infection spread. Pupils participate in an activity to model infections and replications of viruses. Within the activity, scholars see that viruses may end up with genetic variation and connect that to how some forms of the flu are...

The divide between federal and state government is responsible for much of tension that continues to this day, partly because of the US Constitution. The activities in the 14th lesson in a series of 20 are designed to help learners...

What sort of shoes do frogs wear? Open toad sandals. If your scholars want experience collecting field samples, this is the lesson plan for you. After learning the proper way to collect field samples, pupils catch amphibians to test for...

Investigate herbal medicine in the science or health classroom with this activity from the New York Times. After a discussion about class members beliefs about and experiences with herbal medicines, pupils read an article that might...

FLASH has put together a pretty comprehensive lesson on fertility and infertility. There is a lot of information on the male and female reproductive systems, fertility, reducing the odds for infertility, the menstrual cycle, and...

Explore human anatomy and physiology using models. Scholars study systems of the human body and design a display for a museum exhibit. To complete the activity, individuals create analogous models of their chosen human body systems.

We should all do more exercising, but should the judicial branch as well? High schoolers develop their understanding of what powers the judicial branch carries because of the US Constitution, as well as where their limits lie in the...