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Students will understand how genetic variation leads to the evolution of new flu strains.

Students will comprehend how the immune system reacts to infection, and how immunity is safely triggered by vaccines.

They will demonstrate the attainment of these goals by making decisions about policies for vaccines and antiviral drugs.

The students will understand the basics of acquired immunity and vaccines. 

Attainment of this goal will be evaluated by students’ quiz responses in the first and second quizzes.

The students will use logic and cooperation skills in the active learning exercises.

The students will understand the history of vaccination.

The 3 active learning exercises (pre-quiz, flu model manipulation, and decision-making group work) will allow for the students and the teacher to gauge regularly the learning success of the unit.

The web tutorial will highlight the historical benefit of science to humanity.  The invention of vaccination illustrates the scientific process.

In the decision-making activity, the students will practice activities common for scientists: collaboration and presentation.

Many Americans think of scientific accomplishments as being originated by the West.  The description of the Chinese contribution to vaccine invention should counteract that misconception.          

Additionally, the variety of learning methods employed in this lesson should reach students with diverse learning preferences.

The core activity will be the use of the flu models to illustrate evolution via genetic variation. This activity will model science as a process of inquiry.  The students will determine what will happen when various changes are made to the genome of their flu virus.

The main idea of the session will be that flu evolution is driven both by the genetic makeup of the flu viruses and the immunity status of the human population.

By using lecture and discussion as well as 3 active-learning exercises, a variety of learning styles will be accommodated.

The web tutorial will allow students actively to learn about the invention and development of vaccination in Asia and Europe.

The opening quiz will elicit prior knowledge on vaccines, active immunity, and antiviral drugs. 

Manipulation of the flu models in response to genetic changes should demonstrate whether the students understand antigenic variation via antigenic drift and antigenic shift.

The second quiz will show the students how much they have learned thus far.

The decision-making activity will allow students to synthesize what they have learned about flu evolution, vaccines, drugs, and epidemiology.