Lesson One:
Viral anatomy and capsid assembly
Duration: 1-2 Classes
Hook: Scale of the universe: this flash application can be used to clearly illustrate exactly how small a virus is, giving students a point of reference they can connect to their personal experience.
Link: http://scaleofuniverse.com/
Text Material: Viruses are not classified under the Linnaean system, they are non-living. (pg.104)
Viruses have a proteinaceous capsid and a nucleic acid core (DNA or RNA). (pg.104)
Viruses have a specific host range, and often show tissue specificity. (pg. 104)
Activity: Construct a virus. Provide the class with the requisite materials, scissors, glue, capsid templates, yarn and coloured beads for the DNA/RNA core. Explain that if the virus model being constructed was the size of an actual viral particle, a single human cell would be roughly the size of the entire school. Activity template accessible from here.
NOTE: If you plan on playing VIRUSBALL in the next lesson (and trust me, you are) you may
want to make the templates out of card stock for durability. The DNA/RNA centers should have a uniform
colour scheme for nucleotides. Chain length may vary, but should not be less than ten base pairs per
virus. Wait...what's VIRUSBALL?
Glad you asked. Get the rules here.
Misconceptions Addressed: 1a), 1c), 1d), 2b)
Assessment for Learning: Students have accurately labeled the parts of their viral model.
Hook: Scale of the universe: this flash application can be used to clearly illustrate exactly how small a virus is, giving students a point of reference they can connect to their personal experience.
Link: http://scaleofuniverse.com/
Text Material: Viruses are not classified under the Linnaean system, they are non-living. (pg.104)
Viruses have a proteinaceous capsid and a nucleic acid core (DNA or RNA). (pg.104)
Viruses have a specific host range, and often show tissue specificity. (pg. 104)
Activity: Construct a virus. Provide the class with the requisite materials, scissors, glue, capsid templates, yarn and coloured beads for the DNA/RNA core. Explain that if the virus model being constructed was the size of an actual viral particle, a single human cell would be roughly the size of the entire school. Activity template accessible from here.
NOTE: If you plan on playing VIRUSBALL in the next lesson (and trust me, you are) you may
want to make the templates out of card stock for durability. The DNA/RNA centers should have a uniform
colour scheme for nucleotides. Chain length may vary, but should not be less than ten base pairs per
virus. Wait...what's VIRUSBALL?
Glad you asked. Get the rules here.
Misconceptions Addressed: 1a), 1c), 1d), 2b)
Assessment for Learning: Students have accurately labeled the parts of their viral model.