Students Simulate Virus Transmission in Science Lab

Middle School science teachers Nikki Gutierrez and Angela Williams understand how much their students enjoy experiential learning, and did not want to miss the opportunity to include a unit and lab dedicated to understanding viruses.

 “We have learned about the structure and function of viruses and how different types of viruses are transmitted. This lab demonstrated how virus transmission could occur. Simulating how fluid might be exchanged through shared water bottles, students used test tubes filled with fluid and were asked to share some of the liquid in their tubes with a few other students,” Ms. Gutierrez explained. “I then tested each tube to see if it was ‘infected’. 0A simple pH indicator showed how some test tubes turned pink, confirming they had contracted the virus in this simulation. We then learned that only one student was the original carrier of the ‘virus’ at the lab's start. We analyzed who exchanged with whom and noted how much the virus spread (a lot!). Students worked backward to determine where the original infection came from. This modeled contact tracing, another familiar experience from current events,” she added. Mrs. Williams and Ms. Gutierrez's Grade 7 science classes participated in this unit. 

Students used timely resources to obtain a better understanding of vaccine development. They also took inspiration from the Times of Israel article about the immigrant scientist who pushed for mRNA vaccines and her tale of persistence: https://www.timesofisrael.comthe-hungarian-immigrant-behind-messenger-rna-key-to-covid-19-vaccines/