Summary

In this lesson, students will read the article Can a Vaccine End the Pandemic? by Wynne Parry from the December 2020 edition of ChemMatters magazine. Students will answer questions based on the content of the article and also have the opportunity to do additional research. Finally, they will create a podcast discussing the chemistry of vaccines.

Grade Level

High School

NGSS Alignment

This lesson plan will help prepare your students to meet the performance expectations in the following standards:

• HS-PS2-6: Communicate scientific and technical information about why the molecular-level structure is important in the functioning of designed materials.
• HS-ETS1-3: Evaluate a solution to a complex real-world problem based on prioritized criteria and trade-offs that account for a range of constraints, including cost, safety, reliability, and aesthetics as well as possible social, cultural, and environmental impacts.
• Scientific and Engineering Practices:
  • Asking Questions and Defining Problems
  • Analyzing and Interpreting Data
  • Engaging in Argument from Evidence
  • Obtaining, Evaluating, and Communicating Information

Objectives

By the end of this lesson, students should be able to:

• Understand how a vaccine is used to train the immune system, as well as how vaccines are made, and the success rate of vaccines.
• Demonstrate understanding by creating a podcast based on evidence and reasoning from their reading and research.

Chemistry Topics

This lesson supports students’ understanding of:

• Molecular Structure
• Chemical Properties

Time

Teacher Preparation: minimal
Lesson: 60-90 minutes

Materials

• Copy of the ChemMatters article, Can a Vaccine End the Pandemic, from the December 2020 issue (available for download)
• Anchor App:  Free podcast making App (available for Apple and Android)

Safety

• No safety issues are associated with this activity.

Teacher Notes

• It is important to remind students that podcast discussions must remain respectful and school appropriate, just as you would encourage for an in-person class discussion.
  • These Guidelines for facilitating classroom discussion around controversial issues, developed by the University of Michigan might be helpful for teachers to review.
• A copy of the ChemMatters article, Can a Vaccine End the Pandemic, from the December 2020 issue is available for download in the sidebar.

Part 1: Article and Reading Comprehension questions:

• Depending on the nature of your instruction (in person or remote), teachers can make hard copies for each student or make the article available digitally (students can access the article directly from the AACT website with a Student Pass from the ChemMatters archive).
• Students should read the article and answer the Student Reading Comprehension Questions and the Questions for Further Understanding. These questions are from the ChemMatters Teachers Guide. An Answer Key document has been provided.

Part 2: Podcast

• Students can record the podcast using any medium they are comfortable with as long as the resulting podcast can be shared with the teacher.
• An easy to use App called Anchor, is free and available for apple and android. Recording and sharing a podcast with Anchor is very easy. A great feature of this App is that students can record a podcast with friends/partners from separate locations.
• For the podcast, students can work alone or in small groups (2 to 3 students). They should create a podcast that highlight both the benefits of vaccines and the challenges associated with developing safe, effective vaccines and distributing them to the community. In a remote setting, students may ask a family member for assistance to have an additional voice in the podcast.
• The expectations for the podcast can be adjusted by the teacher as needed but recommended expectations include:
  • Podcast should be approximately 5-10 minutes in length.
  • The podcast should highlight both the benefits of vaccines and the challenges associated with developing safe, effective vaccines and distributing them to the community.
  • Opinions should be supported by credible facts from research.
• Encourage students to assess the quality of the resources that they are finding so they are sure they are getting scientifically accurate information. This article is a good place for students to look for guidance on evaluating internet resources. Also be sure to indicate which format (APA, MLA, Chicago, etc.) you want them to use for their citations. Resources such as www.easybib.com or www.bibme.org might be helpful tools.
• As students are researching, the teacher should check in to make sure that all students are able to use evidence to support their conclusion.
• It is important to give our students an opportunity to create an argument based on evidence and facts from credible sources. These skills are linked to the science and engineering practices and are invaluable in a world full of misleading news and information.
• Podcasts can be private to only the teacher and/or the students can be given an option to share with the class based on their comfort level.
• A follow up discussion on vaccines can be had after the podcast have been submitted based on the comfort level of the teacher or the submission of the podcast can end the lesson if the teacher felt the vaccine discussion might become too political.