This lesson is for : Grade 9,Grade 10:
Summary
One of the most fascinating issues in recent science is whether viruses are a form of life. Scientists have gone back and forth over the past 100 years classifying viruses as alive and not alive. This lesson demonstrates to students both the changes in scientific knowledge and the role of interpretation in scientific understanding. Based on their learning of viruses and living things, students create visual infographics, in which they compare and contrast viruses with other known living things over five different arguments to justify their thinking. After establishing a theory, viewing other students’ arguments, and discussing the issue in class, students are challenged with an authentic task. The school’s Continuing School Improvement Plan (CSIP) has a goal for more community outreach on the topics of health and safety. Each students producing a public service announcement, to be shared with the local community via the school communication system, as to how avoid a viral outbreak in the school and surrounding community. As a class, the student select the best three statements to be passed on to the school’s Safety Committee for consideration.
TIPC Ratings
Research & Information Fluency
Rating: Approaching – Explanation:
- The students assemble information about the five arguments of virus as living things with learning about how a virus spreads to address the authentic task of crafting a public service statement addressing the viral prevention and awareness.
- The students select the most appropriate tools, such as Piktochart and other visual creation applications, to powerfully display information, as well as to share and interact with other student’s learning.
- In creating an infographic and crafting a public service statement, students are assembling arguments, visuals, charts and facts to address an authentic task for the school’s CSIP.
Communication & Collaboration
Rating: Developing – Explanation:
- The students communicate in classroom discussions and debates in considering the five arguments as to if a virus is a living thing.
- Students develop a communication to be sent to the surrounding community
Critical Thinking & Problem Solving
Rating: Ideal – Explanation:
- The students compare and contrast viruses to living things by using researched information on virus life cycles to argue their own opinion on whether or not viruses are living.
- The students choose the best digital tool to justify their argument of a virus being a living thing, through the creation of higher order thinking visual infographics.
- The students apply their learning about viruses, how they reproduce, and spread, to solve the authentic school CSIP goal of improving communication about health and safety with the local community by generating a public service announcement about preventing viral
Creativity & Innovation
Rating: Approaching – Explanation:
- The students bring together learning from previous lessons and self-generated knowledge through new research and discussions, to create the original product of an infographic that justifies an argument if a virus is living.
- The students are analyzing trends within the scientific community to inspire a new solution to reducing the spread of a virus within a community.
Student Artifact
Lesson Materials
