TEACHER’S G UIDE
15.What is an antibody?
16. How do phagocytes destroy microscopic invaders?
17.What does it mean to be immune to a disease? How can that happen?
18.What is the difference between active and passive immunity?
19. How can vaccines help us?
20.W hy is it important to take a complete course of antibiotics even after
you are feeling better?
Follow-up Discussion
R e s e a rch indicates that students will retain their previous misconceptions
about a topic, in pre fe rence to new information, until they active ly re c o gnize and correct their own erro rs. Therefore, it is important to have yo u r
students re - examine the facts/beliefs they put on their “ E ve rything We
Think We Know About…” list. It might also be helpful to review the list by
m a rking each entry with a “+” or “-” to show which facts we re correct and
which were incorrect.
TEACHER’S GUI DE
Suggested Print Resources
• Brynie, Faith Hickman. 101 Questions About Your Immune System You
Felt Defenseless to Answer ... Until Now. Twenty First Century Books, New
York, NY; 2000.
• Murphy, Jim. An American Plague: The True and Terrifying Story of the
Yellow Fever Epidemic of 1793. Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston, MA;
2003.
• Tocci, Salvatore. Jonas Salk: Creator of the Polio Vaccine. Enslow
Publishers, Berkeley Heights, NJ; 2003.
Immune System
Grades 5–8
Thought-provoking discussions provide a good way to assess the ove ra l l
depth of student understanding. The following are some suggested discussion topics.
S
• Explain the inflammatory response.
• Explain how the immune system “remembers” pathogens.
TEACHER’S GUIDE CONSULTANT
• Discuss why the development of sanitation methods has saved more lives
around the world than all medicines and medical treatment combined!
Follow-up Activities
• E n c o u rage students to design ex p e riments to determine if bacteria are
growing on drinking fountains, doorknobs, coins or payphones.
• Have students work in small groups to research specific vaccines that are
re q u i red for school entrance and the history of the diseases they are
designed to prevent, and report what they have learned to the class.
• Using the Internet, have students find out about the work of three scientists who have contributed significantly to the field of immunology.
Suggested Internet Resources
Periodically, Internet Resources are updated on our web site at
www.LibraryVideo.com
• www.kidshealth.org/kid/asthma_basics/related/allergies.html
The KidsHealth site developed by the Nemours Foundation explains
how allergies are caused when a person’s immune system overreacts.
• www4.tpgi.com.au/users/amcgann/body/immune_system.htm
This site provides students with an inside look at the human body. Parts
of the immune system are described in detail as well as how they work
together to help the body fight germs.
5
TEACHER’S G UIDE
Conrad M. Follmer
25 years as a K–5 Science & Math Coordinator for a Pennsylvania public
school system, currently an independent consultant to elementary schools.
TITLES
• THE BRAIN & THE NERVOUS SYSTEM
• CELLS
• CIRCULATORY & RESPIRATORY
SYSTEMS
• DIGESTIVE & EXCRETORY SYSTEMS
• GENES & HEREDITY
Teacher’s Guides Included
and Available Online at:
6/05
• HEALTH & NUTRITION
• IMMUNE SYSTEM
• INTERRELATIONSHIP OF THE
BODY SYSTEMS
• REPRODUCTIVE & ENDOCRINE
SYSTEMS
• SKELETAL & MUSCULAR SYSTEMS
800-843-3620
Teacher’s Guide and Program Copyright 2001 by Schlessinger Media,
a division of Library Video Company
P.O. Box 580, Wynnewood, PA 19096 • 800-843-3620
N6757
Executive Producers: Andrew Schlessinger & Tracy Mitchell
V6397
Programs produced and directed by Fabian-Baber, Inc.
All rights reserved
tudents in grade 5–8 classrooms possess a wide range of
b a ck ground know l e d ge . Student response to this video
program is sure to be va ried, so the teachers at these grades
need all the help they can get! This guide has been designed
to help the 5–8 science teacher by providing a brief synopsis of the pro gra m , p rev i ewing and fo l l ow-up questions,
activities, vo c ab u l a ry and additional resources.
Before Viewing: E x t e n s i ve re s e a rch tells how important
it is for the teacher to discover what the students know —
or think they know — about a topic, befo re actually starting a new unit.Therefo re , after prompting discussion with
the pre - v i ewing questions, lead your class to create an
“Everything We Think We Know About…” list.You may also
wish to preview key vo c abulary wo rd s , and have students
raise additional questions they hope will be answered.
After Viewing: Have your students share video excerpts
that fascinated or surprised them, then challenge your students to prove or disprove the accuracy of the facts they
put on their “ E ve rything We Think We Know About…” list.
Discuss what else they learned and use the fo l l ow-up questions and activities to inspire further discussion. E n c o u rage
students to re s e a rch the topic further with the Internet and
reading re s o u rces provided.
Program Summary
Vocabulary
The human body ’s immune system always stands guard to protect us against
microscopic germs that can cause infection and disease. Some common
disease-causing micro o rganisms are viruses, fungi, protozoa and bacteria.
These organisms that cause infectious diseases are commonly called
pathogens.They find their way into our bodies through openings such as the
eye s , nose and mouth. Fort u n a t e ly, the human immune system maintains a
number of lines of defense to protect us from pathogen invaders.The skin that
c ove rs our body is the fi rst line of defe n s e , acting as a barrier that keeps out
germs. Bodily secretions like tears wash away some germs while saliva, gastric
juices and mucus trap and kill many pathoge n s , and sneezing and coughing
can expel others.
The fo l l owing wo rds are included for teacher reference or for use with
students.They are listed in the order in which they appear in the video.
The immune system’s second line of defe n s e , the inflammatory re s p o n s e ,
t a kes over when the fi rst line fa i l s . Inflammatory litera l ly means “on fi re .” In
the case of a cut on the skin, chemicals are released by special nearby cells
that cause the tempera t u re in the area of the cut to rise.This signals white
blood cells to gather and destroy any fo reign substances. Similarly, in the case
of a ge n e ral infe c t i o n , the tempera t u re of the whole body is raised, causing a
feve r. If the invader happens to be a virus, i n fected cells release chemicals
called interferons that help prevent the virus from spreading.
The third line of defense of the body ’s immune system is the powerful ly mphatic system.The lymphatic system fi l t e rs fo reign substances and cell debri s
f rom the blood and produces white blood cells known as lymphocytes.This
system is a vast network of vessels, lymph nodes and organs such as the tonsils,
t hy mus and spleen. Special lymphocytes called T cells patrol the bl o o d s t re a m
s e a rching for pathogens.T cells “remember” the types of inva d e rs that have
e n t e red the body before and are re a dy to tag them.When they find a familiar
pathogen, they call in the B cells to produce antibodies that are specifi c a l ly
designed to match the pathoge n , l i ke keys in a lock . Next, the B cells signal for
other lymphocytes called phagocytes to surround the pathogen and destroy it.
Once the immune system destroys most of the pathogens carrying the specific disease, you start to feel better and get well.The T cells “remember” how
to defeat it, and the antibodies in your immune system are ready and wa i t i n g
to stop the disease in its tra cks the next time you are exposed.This is called
a c t i ve immu n i t y. A medicine that wo rks with your immune system and prevents you from having to actually suffer through a disease is called a vaccine.
Passive immunity to a disease comes when antibodies are introduced into the
bloodstream from an ex t e rnal source, s u ch as when a mother passes them to
her unborn ch i l d . H oweve r, passive immunity does not last long because the
body does not learn how to make those specific antibodies.
While the immune system is tru ly a master of self-defense, m a ny diseases can
be prevented through good health, hy giene and lifestyle choices. It is important to keep your immune system strong by getting rest, eating a balanced diet
and doing physical activity so it can continue to protect you throughout your
life.
2
phagocytes — Special lymphocytes that destroy pathogens tag ged by B
pathogens — Microscopic organisms like viruses, fungi, protozoa and bacte-
and T cells.
phagocytosis — The process of engulfing and digesting foreign particles.
immunity — The ability of an organism to resist disease by identifying
ria that can invade the human body, potentially causing disease.
and destroying foreign substances or organisms.
disease — Any illness that affects the health of an organism.
infectious diseases — Also known as contagious diseases; illnesses caused
passive immunity — Temporary immunity acquired by the introduction
by pathogens that can spread from one person to others . I n fectious diseases
can be passed on through a handshake , a kiss, a sneeze, or by an infected
person handling food that is eaten by other people.
noninfectious diseases — Illnesses that cannot be spread by contact with
i n fected persons. Noninfectious diseases are caused by here d i t y, u n h e a l t hy
lifestyles, environmental hazards and the normal aging process.
of antibodies from an ex t e rnal sourc e . Pa s s i ve immunity occurs during
pregnancy when antibodies from the mother are passed into the fe t a l
bloodstream.
Jonas Salk — (1914–1995) The doctor who, in 1954, d eveloped a va c c i n e
against a virus that causes a para lyzing disease called poliomyelitis, or polio.
antibiotic — A medication that can slow the growth of disease-causing
bacteria.
gene — A section of a chromosome, made up of DNA. A given gene provides
Pre-viewing Discussion
the info rmation that a cell needs to create a specific pro t e i n . Some diseases
can be passed through genes.
Befo re students ge n e rate their list of “ E ve r ything We Think We Know
About…” for this topic, s t i mulate and focus their thinking by raising these
questions so that their list will better reflect the key ideas in this show:
immune system — All the cells and organs in your body that protect yo u
from disease, consisting of the skin, specialized blood cells, organs like the
lymph nodes, t hy mu s , spleen and tonsils, as well as secre t i o n s .The immu n e
system is responsible for protecting the body from microscopic invaders.
enzymes — Proteins made by living cells that are used by the body to start
chemical reactions.
inflammatory response — The immune system’s second line of defense,
when the body raises the temperature of a local area to destroy pathogens and
bring in disease-fighting white blood cells.
interferons — Small proteins produced by a cell that has been taken ove r
by a viru s . These proteins rush to uninfected neighboring cells to plug up
their receptors, preventing a virus from infecting them.
• What are the body’s physical barriers against germs?
• How do diseases spread?
• What is a vaccine?
After the class has completed their “ E ve rything We Think We Know
About…” list, ask them what other questions they have that they hope will
be answe red during this pro gra m . H ave students listen cl o s e ly to learn if
everything on their class list is accurate and to hear if any of their own
questions are answered.
Focus Questions
1.What are pathogens?
receptors — The openings in cell walls through which cells get their nu t ri-
2. How can bacteria be both helpful and harmful to living things?
ents.Viruses also enter host cells through their receptors.
3.What is an example of an infectious disease?
lymphocytes — White blood cells that respond to specific pathogens.
antibodies — Proteins produced by B cells in response to fo reign inva d e rs
4.What are some noninfectious diseases?
in the blood stream.Antibodies fit into the invader’s surface and disable it.
6.What is the first line of defense of the immune system?
T cells — Special lymphocytes in the bloodstream that mature in the thymus
7.What is the second line of defense of the immune system?
gland.T cells have many roles; some regulate the activities of other immu n e
cells, some identify and remember pathoge n s , and others destroy inva d e rs.
When a T cell identifies a pathogen (“remembering” it from previous infe ctions), it calls in B cells to make antibodies.
8.What is a fever?
B cells — Special lymphocytes in the bl o o d s t ream that mature in the bone
11.What causes swollen glands?
marrow. Some B cells produce antibodies, designed for specific pathoge n s ,
u s u a l ly rendering them harm l e s s . B cells can also act as a “homing dev i c e ” to
attract phagocytes in to destroy the tagged invader.
(Continued)
12.What are lymphocytes?
3
5.What are the parts of the human body involved in the immune system?
9. How do interferons help someone who has been infected with a virus?
10.What are the different parts of the lymphatic system?
13.What is one job of the T cells?
14. How do B cells disable intruders?
4
(Continued)