Download the immune system - Regenerative Medicine Partnership in Education

Grade Level 3-5
Sergeant Cell’s Immune System
Defense Team Webquest Activity
Summary Comparing immune cells with
a police team, the webquest activity guides
students to research the immune system
online. At the end of their research, students
will create “Profiles” for the molecule or cell of
their choice.
Y
WEBQUEST
our students will learn:
◊◊
The 4 major types of cells of the
immune system and explain what their
jobs are.
◊◊
How the immune system remembers
germs.
◊◊
How a vaccine works.
Full educational standards available online at www.sepa.duq.edu/education
THE IMMUNE
SYSTEM
Teacher
Pages
Content Developers Gerra Bosco and Brianne Miller
Skills
◊◊ Associate
Topic Description
This Webquest was developed as part of the multimedia educational project
“Regenerative Medicine – Partnership for Life.” This project is funded by the
National Institutes of Health and the National Center for Resource Research.
The Webquest is designed to help students acquire new knowledge about the
immune system: its function and benefits, its role in health defense, and the
different types of cells and tissues that work together to protect our body.
Standards
National Science Education Standards
http://books.nap.edu/html/nses/html/pdf/index.html
Science in Personal and Social Perspectives
CONTENT STANDARD F (Grades K-4):
• As a result of activities in grades K-4, all students should develop understanding of
o Personal health
◊◊ Create
◊◊ Describe
◊◊ Draw
◊◊ Differentiate
◊◊ Explain
◊◊ Identify
◊◊ Illustrate
◊◊ Infer
◊◊ Name
◊◊ Order
Science in Personal and Social Perspectives
CONTENT STANDARD F (Grades 5-8):
• As a result of activities in grades 5-8, all students should develop understanding of
o Personal health
o Risks and benefits
o Science and technology in society
ISTE National Educational Technology Standards for Students (Grades 3-5)
http://cnets.iste.org/currstands/cstands-netss.html
Performance Indicators:
• All students should have opportunities to demonstrate the following
performances.
Prior to completion of Grade 5 students will:
1. Use keyboards and other common input and output devices (including adaptive
devices when necessary) efficiently and effectively. (1)
3. Discuss basic issues related to responsible use of technology and information and
describe personal consequences of inappropriate use. (2)
4. Use general purpose productivity tools and peripherals to support personal
productivity, remediate skill deficits, and facilitate learning throughout the
curriculum. (3)
5. Use technology tools for individual and collaborative writing, communication,
and publishing activities to create knowledge products for audiences inside and
outside the classroom. (3, 4)
8. Use technology resources for problem solving, self-directed learning, and
extended learning activities. (5, 6)
9. Determine when technology is useful and select the appropriate tool(s) and
technology resources to address a variety of tasks and problems. (5, 6)
Immune webquest- Teacher
Grade Level
This Webquest is
designed for students
in third to fifth grade.
Instructors at the
middle school level,
however, can adapt the
Webquest for use in
their classrooms as well.
2
◊◊ Computer lab/computer
area
◊◊ Computers (one for each
pair of students)
◊◊ Photocopies of the
“Capture, Identify, and
Activate! Webquest” (one
copy for each student)
◊◊ Photocopies of
“Employment Profiles”
(one copy for each pair of
students)
◊◊ Pencils
Process
Your students will use the internet to explore the human immune system. Students
will work in pairs to complete the interdisciplinary Webquest activity during one
class period (30-45 minutes). Plan for more time if you feel your students need it.
Please advise your students to follow the directions in the Reading Guide, review
the rubric that will be used to evaluate their work, check off each box as a step is
completed, and use their Brainstorm Sheet (Applicant Profile Worksheet) to record
ideas.
After they all finish collecting information, they should begin filling out the
“Employment Profiles” provided as a separate handout. It is best if the assignment
is completed in class with their partner. Decide how many days your students will
have to complete their assignment and set a due date. Pairs will then present their
project in front of the class.
Why Use This Webquest?
Things to Consider
Before Implementing this
Webquest in the Classroom:
◊◊ Pair students into
effective cooperative
partner groups (see
below).
We all get sick sometimes, but most of the time our bodies protect us from foreign
invaders. This webquest introduces your students to the major players in the
immune system and helps them to understand how our immune system tries to
prevent us from getting sick and how it fights disease when germs get past our
defenses.
◊◊ Review proper computer
By using this Webquest, in conjunction with Dr. Allevable’s Laboratory Website
and the “Dr. Allevable and Regenerobot’s Exploration Adventure” workbook, the
immune system will come alive in your classroom! This Webquest, in particular,
helps integrate technology into your classroom and bring your students new
knowledge in a fun, interactive, and engaging manner.
◊◊ Copy Capture, Identify,
Adaptations
◊◊ Reserve time/class period
in the computer lab.
lab etiquette.
and Activate! Webquest
Reading Guides for
students.
◊◊ Implement necessary
academic adaptations
(see below for
suggestions).
◊◊ Review and revise the
suggested rubric.
◊◊ Students should work in pairs in the computer lab to create an evaluative
product. The partners can be previously chosen by the teacher to ensure that
all levels of learners are able to complete this task (i.e.- a lower-level learner
may be paired with a higher-level learner). This pairing style helps students
work collectively and practice cooperative skills and social skills. Additionally,
students can practice delegation of roles and division of tasks to complete and
create the assignment.
◊◊ Students will present their finished evaluative products to the entire class with
a partner. As partners, students scaffold each other’s learning and create more
advanced products/ideas than if they worked on an individual basis.
◊◊ If a student has a visual learning impairment, feel free to create learning
guides using larger print or Braille. Additionally, consider using a mouse with a
magnifying feature to aid them in reading smaller texts on a website.
◊◊ This activity should not create problems for students with auditory impairments
as the RegMed Immune System Website does not contain sound effects that
would impede comprehension.
Immune webquest- Teacher
Resources and Materials
3
Official RegMed Immune System Website
http://www.sepa.duq.edu/regmed/immune/immune_intro.html
Sponsored by the multimedia educational project “Regenerative Medicine –
Partnership for Life.
Kid’s Health Problems
http://www.kidshealth.org/kid/health_problems/index.html
Find out more information about different kinds of health problems kids can have
that affect their immune system!
Immune webquest- Teacher
For this Webquest, your students will be using the following websites:
4
The immune system is a very important and integral part of the human body.
The immune system is not located in a specific organ; it is easiest to think of it as
a complex constellation of different cells and tissues working together to protect
nearly every area of our body. The most important function of the immune
system is to distinguish what cells and substances are healthy and belong to
your body and which aren’t! The immune system is able to do this by detecting
and fighting infections caused by germs and other harmful things, like viruses,
bacteria, fungal infections and parasites, in our bodies.
The cells of the immune system are known as white blood cells. Each type of cell
performs certain functions, such as killing damaged or infected cells, carrying
messages, making antibodies, or carrying away debris. There are four major
types of white blood cells: T cells, B cells, Neutrophils and Macrophage.
From top to bottom:
macrophage, T cell and
B cell.
1. T cells are the most important white blood cell; they coordinate the activities
of the other white blood cells and are essential for fighting disease.
2. B cells also play an important role in protecting our bodies; they produce and
release special proteins called antibodies.
Antibodies stick to the surface of germs in our bodies, thus disabling them
and also making them a target for another type of cell called macrophage
(mack’-row-fage).
3. Macrophage (from the Latin macro = big, phage = eat) are white blood cells
that literally eat germs covered by antibodies.
4. Neutrophils (new’-tro-fills) are the white blood cells that are the “first
responders” to infections. We have more neutrophils than any other type of
white blood cell. Their job is to patrol the body looking for germs. When they
find an infection, they send a signal to our T cells, and our T cells send the
other white blood cells to the infection.
Each B cell only makes one type of antibody, but “Memory” B cells can remember
all the germs they’ve found for your whole life! Because your body remembers
what germs look like, any time that germ comes back your body can get rid of it
very quickly – before you even know you’re infected! This is why you can only get
sick from a disease one time (like Chicken Pox).
Immune Webquest - Teacher
Sergeant Cell’s
Immune System
Defense Team
Webquest
5
Applicant #1- The Skin
Students Should:
◊◊ Go to the following website:
http://www.sepa.duq.edu/regmed/immune/immune_intro.html
◊◊ Click the “General Mechanisms” link at the top of the webpage.
◊◊ Read the text on the webpage that appears.
◊◊ Answer the following questions:
1. Lots of weird things like hairs and mucous really help defend your body.
In particular the skin! Why is the skin a major defense mechanism for the
immune system?
The skin poses a physical barrier.
2. What would germs do to the body if you didn’t have a skin?
Germs would get into our body very easily.
Applicant #2- Histamine
Students Should:
◊◊ Reread the section titled “General Mechanisms,” if necessary.
◊◊ Answer the following questions:
1. Histamines are an important chemical in the body. What is their purpose in
the immune system?
Histamines heat the blood and cause it to flow faster. Warmer
temperatures can kill some bacteria, and the rush of blood will bring
white blood cells to the site of infection quicker!
2. True or False? Circle your response. If false, rewrite the statement so it is
true!
FALSE. Once outsiders get through the skin, histamines will be
released.
Immune Webquest - Teacher
You might be thinking, “But I’ve had a lot of colds!” The “common cold” is actually
caused by many different types of viruses that all cause the same symptoms.
This is why you can “catch a cold” more than once. Because there are so many
types of viruses that cause the common cold, there is no vaccine for the
common cold. Vaccines work by showing your body what a single germ looks
like, just like a “Most Wanted” sign. After you get a vaccine shot, your B cells will
produce antibodies against that germ and become Memory B cells that will
remember that germ. Antibodies will only stick to germs, except in rare cases of
autoimmune diseases where the antibodies mistake our own healthy cells for
invaders.
6
complete the sentence. Identify if what you wrote is a cause or effect of the
written portion of the statement.
a. Warmer temperatures kill bacteria.
Cause or Effect? Effect
Immune webquest- Teacher
3. Cause and Effect? Fill in the cause or effect of the statements below to
b. Histamines and other chemicals will bring white blood cells to the site of infection
more quickly.
Cause or Effect? Effect
7
Applicant #3- Macrophage
Students should:
◊◊ Reread the section titled “General Mechanisms,” if necessary.
◊◊ Answer the following questions:
1. The macrophage is a swallowing cell, it can engulf things through
phagocytosis. Draw below what a macrophage looks like when it is about
to eat a bacteria:
2. What do macrophages do?
Macrophages get rid of bacteria, fungus, and different types of
parasites (like worms), and they also help fight off tumors.
Macrophages eat any foreign particles that live in the fibrous
environment (extra cellular matrix) between cells, as well as eat the
debris of damaged or dead cells.
Macrophages can also activate Helper T cells and so start an acquired
immune response.
Students should:
◊◊ Click the “T cells” link at the top of the webpage.
◊◊ Read the text on the webpage that appears.
◊◊ Answer the following questions:
1. Match the questions on the left column with the letter of their answers to
Immune webquest- Teacher
Applicant #4- T Cell
the right!
Descriptions
Answers
1. T cells are a type of white blood cell
called ______.
a. intruder organisms and
infected cells
2. This type of T cell can tell if another
cell is healthy or infected.
b. Killer T Cell
3. This type of T cell carries information c. lymphocytes
and decides when to tell other
immune cells to carry out an immune
response.
4. When a Killer T cell decides that a
cell is unhealthy, it can destroy with
______.
d. specific
5. T cells can identify individual germs
because they are ______.
e. Helper T Cell
2. Why do some T cells remain in the body, even after successfully getting rid
of an intruder?
Some T cells remain in the body to REMEMBER what the germ
looks like. The next time the body is exposed to the same germ,
the T cells are able to recognize it much faster. This way, you
don’t get sick from the same thing twice!
The B cell is a swallowing cell like the macrophage, but it can
only swallow one kind of germ! The kind of germ it is able to
swallow depends on the antibodies that the B cell produces. B
cell swallow germs through antibody-mediated phagocytosis.
The B cell’s main job is to produce antibodies that can bind the
invading germ.
8
Students should:
◊◊ Click the “B cells” link at the top of the webpage.
◊◊ Read the text on the webpage that appears.
◊◊ Answer the following questions:
1. The B cell is a special kind of swallowing cell. What does that mean?
Swallowing cells can engulf small particles and bacteria, digest them and then show the pieces to T cells
2. What is the B cell’s main job as a part of the immune system?
Immune webquest- Teacher
Applicant #5- B Cell
The main job of B cells is to produce antibodies that cover germs.
3. True or False? Circle your response. If false, rewrite the statement so it is
true!
False: The receptor site is a very important part of the B cell – it is
called an antibody. This receptor site is a specific binding site on the
membrane of the B cell, which means it can bind to many different
types ONLY ONE kind of harmful particle.
Applicant # 6- Antibodies
Students should:
◊◊ Reread the webpage titled “B cells,” if necessary.
◊◊ Answer the following questions:
1. Pick the True Statement from each pair below:
Antibodies are produced by B cells.
Or
Antibodies are produced by T
cells.
The antibodies of one B cell can bind
to many kinds of harmful particles.
Or
The antibodies of one B cell
can bind to only one kind of
harmful particle.
B cells release antibodies all the time.
Or
B cells only release antibodies
after becoming plasma B cells.
2. How do antibodies work? Explain.
When B cells come across a germ (also called an antigen), they
produce what is called an antibody. The antibody then binds or
attaches to the germ (antigen). Each antigen has its own shape and
the immune system works to make antibodies for each antigen. The
relationship between the antibody and antigen is similar to that of a
key and a lock they fit together.
The antibodies cover the antigen crippling it and calling other
immune cells to destroy it.
9
Students should:
◊◊ Reread the webpage titled “B cells,” if necessary.
◊◊ Answer the following questions:
1. We get vaccines all the time. What is a vaccine?
2.
A vaccine is like a “Most Wanted“ sign for your immune system, it
lets your body know what a particular germ looks like. A vaccine is
a neutralized form or just a part of a specific germ. When you are
innoculated, you are exposed to the vaccine. Your immune system
responds to the vaccine by creating specific antibodies and memory
B cells. This way, if you ever get exposed to the germ you were
vaccinated against, your B cells will recognize it very fast and fight
it off and you will not get sick. A vaccine gives immunity to a certain
germ.
True or False: Correct if it’s wrong:
False: A vaccine exposes your immune system to a live DEAD OR
NEUTRALIZED virus or bacteria so that your B cells will create the
specific antibodies. So if you ever come in contact with them, your B
cells will attack it quickly and you won’t get sick!
Conclusion
Now that the students have had a chance to complete their research, they should
create an Employment Profile for one of the applicants they plan to hire. Remind
them to cite their sources! The profile they create should include:
◊◊ New employee’s name (creativity is encouraged)
◊◊ A job title for that employee (it can be anything they want as long as it applies to
the information they find)
◊◊ Job description including the following:
o Type of Applicant (B cell, Vaccine, etc)
o Main role in the immune system
o Special jobs this applicant can perform
◊◊ A drawing of the Applicant
Evaluation
A rubric for evaluating the work of your students is included as supplementary
material. Feel free to use it as is, or revise it to more specifically reflect your learning
goals.
Immune webquest- Teacher
Applicant #7- Vaccine
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Kid’s Health Problems:
http://www.kidshealth.org/kid/health_problems/index.html
Find out more information about different kinds of health problems kids can have
that affect their immune system!
Immune webquest- Teacher
More Websites about the Immune System
The Lymphatic System:
http://www.acm.uiuc.edu/sigbio/project/updated-lymphatic/lymph7.html
Associated with the University of Illinois.
11
Microbioloy and Immunology On-Line:
http://pathmicro.med.sc.edu/ghaffar/innate.htm
This web site is good reference for the non-specific immune system, with animated
tutorials for high school and above. Associated with the University of South
Carolina.
The Immune System in More Detail:
http://nobelprize.org/educational_games/medicine/immunity/immune-detail.html
This web site is a great reference for middle school and above, with cartoons and
games. Associated with NobelPrize.Org.
Specific Immunity Animation:
http://science.nhmccd.edu/biol/inflam.html
This web site contains a great step-by-step animation of some of the more
complicated interactions in cell- and antibody-mediated immune response.
Associated with North Harris College, Houston TX.