HIV/AIDS: science, community, action
9th Grade Project
Humanities and Science
Driving Questions
"How can I stop AIDS from killing my friends
and community?"
"How can I support people affected with HIV/
AIDS?"
"How can I prevent the stigmatization if HIV/
AIDS?"
PROJECT CALENDAR
Humanities
Week of
Science
Joint launch-create a need-to-know
April 6
Design
History and Biology
April 13
Create
Cells & immune system
April 20
Implement/Community Service
+ guest speakers
Biology of AIDS
Treatment & Prevention
Essay Research + Planning
Assessment-Teaching
April 27
May 4
Mini-exhibitions
May 11
Assessment-Essay Writing
Reflection + Essay Writing
History &
Current
Statistics
Human Body Deep-Dive
The Biology of AIDS
• cell structure
• organs
• immune system
• transmission
• invasion & release
• immune suppression
• opportunistic infection
Treating &
Preventing
• existing meds
• vaccines in progress
Deliverables:
Week 1
Week 2
Week 3
Week 4
(Apr 6-10)
(Apr 13-17)
(Apr 20-24)
(Apr 27-1)
Summative
Formative
Humanities
Science
Conversation/academic
argument
HIV/AIDS Elevator Speech
Ethical Question graphic
organizer
Immune System Graphic
Research notes
Model/Analogy
Outline
Lesson Plan
Persuasive Essay
HIV/AIDS mini-lesson
Reflection & self-assessment
Reflection & self-assessment
Science Assessment Notes
HIV/AIDS
Elevator
Speech
Students develop a oneminute speech to
communicate the
importance of HIV/AIDS and
contextualize the issue for a
young person
3 notecards:
• logos (the logical
argument, including history
and current statistics)
• ethos (communicate your
connection and your level of
commitment and
knowledge)
• pathos (use empathy to
appeal to your listener)
Oral Delivery:
Student will deliver the
speech to
instructor/peer…and it will
become part of their lesson
plan
Immune
System Graphic
Students develop a
small comic/cartoon,
graphic novel, or
interactive game
that could be used
to teach a middle
school student
about the biology of
the cell and immune
system
Model/Analogy
Lesson Plan
Students come up with a
model or analogy that
accurately represents the
mechanism by which the
HIV virus infects the
human body (e.g. a
pirate ship…pirates
invade neighboring ships,
etc…)
Students develop a
lesson plan to explain
the science and
treatment of
HIV/AIDS to a young
patient who tested
positive.
HIV/AIDS minilesson
Students teach their
lesson to one or more
6th/7th graders as
‘practice’ for their
conversation with a
patient
Reflection &
self-assessment
Students write a
guided reflection,
which can become
part of their eportfolio
Students complete
the same rubric that
their teacher is using
to self-assess their
own work