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Lesson 1A-1: Antigen Switching in Malaria

Page history last edited by mariaelizabethbunn@... 8 years, 5 months ago
Time

Engaging the Student (Entry Task) 

Developing the Ideas--Lesson

Checking for Understanding (exit ticket)

Student Handout 
Teacher/Lesson Notes
Materials

50 min-1 hr

  1.  Assess students' previous learning of the immune system, antigens and immune defense by brainstorming and making a list on the board.
  2. Assess students' previous learning about the life cycle of malaria: Disease caused by protozoan parasite, found in tropical regions, transmitted by mosquito, infects red blood cells. (refer to the Content Background for Instructor in full lesson plan)

 


View the full lesson plan here:

 

Summary: 

In this activity, students will model how the parasitic malaria protist Plasmodium falciparum evades the host immune response through a phenomenon called antigen switching.  Specifically, slips of paper representing malaria-infected red blood cells will be used to demonstrate how random changes in the expression of Plasmodium proteins that display on the surface of human red blood cells helps the parasite avoid destruction by the host immune system. Students start with a single infected red blood cell with a specific surface marker protein, and from there will simulate the spread of infection through multiple generations of infection (each generation consisting of a parasite infecting a red blood cell, dividing and multiplying inside the red blood cell, then bursting to release new parasites that go on to infect new red blood cells).  Student will find that the parasite occasionally changes the type of surface marker protein expressed over several generations.  When the immune system begins destroying infected cells displaying the original surface protein, cells that have switched to expressing a different protein survive and continue to divide.

 

Learning goals/objectives for students: 

Students will be able to explain how antigenic switching allows the malaria parasite to evade the host immune system.

 

 

This Lesson Provided by:

Mary Kate Alexander, SEP University of California


  • Student Handouts  
  • Supply Grab Bags: Containing slips of paper representing infected red blood cells 
  • Cell Images Printable (see full lesson plan for instructions on printing & filling grab bags) 

 

 

Ask students to explain, based on the activity they just carried out, how antigenic variation can be useful to the parasite. 

 

 

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