Engaging the Student (Entry Task) 

Checking for Understanding (exit ticket)

1-2 class periods

 Ask students:

1. Which do you think is easiest for the human immune system to fight off:   Bacteria, Viruses or Parasites? 
2. What observations, learning, or life experiences lead you to your answer in #1?
3. Name one way that you think a pathogen could evade the human immune system.

• Immunity Meets Invasion Student Handout
• Student Reading: Malaria RTSs Vaccine

• Immunity Meets Invasion: Teacher KEY

In this lesson, students (in groups) will review some of the fundamental immune defense mechanisms of the human host and learn how the malaria parasite has evolved strategies to evade those host defenses.

The lesson consists of 3 Parts (see Student Handout):

1. Lecture/Review of 7 Immunity Defense Mechanisms: Use the Teacher Key provided and any other resources/videos/supplements to review these parts of the immune system. Students will take notes to complete the table in Part 1 of their student handout.
2. Show the class the Immunity Evasion Video (see Materials). Make copies of the Parasite Strategy Cards and cut them into a stack of cards for each group (See Materials). Give a set of the cards to each group and see if together they can figure out which parasite strategies attempt to overcome each of the immune defenses. Don't give answers at this point, just have groups do the best they can and the class will share out/correct answers at the end of the lesson.
3. When students are done with part 2, they should move on to part 3 in which they receive a copy of the student reading "Malaria RTSs Vaccine". Have groups read this among themselves and answer the questions provided.  After all students have completed Parts 2 & 3, share out answers and use the Teacher Key to clarify any misunderstandings.

Lesson adapted from the Malaria Card Game created by Brandon Sack, Ph.D., Kappe Lab, Seattle Biomed Research Institute 

• Immunity Evasion Video
• Parasite Strategy Cards 

The following are optional, but REALLY COOL Video-Clip Resources that will really enhance this lesson (provided by the Center for Infectious Disease Research in Seattle):

• Video 1:  CD8 T cells (aka killer T cells, in red and blue) that recognize the parasite (in green) can find it inside a liver cell and release all sorts of toxic chemicals (interferons, granzyme B, perforin) to kill the infected cell, taking out the parasite with it.
• Video 2:  Another look at a dying liver stage parasite.