Teaching Notes
Understanding Immunity: A Modeling Activity
Overview:
The lesson provides students with the opportunity to work through various processes of the immune system,
keying in on the roles of specific cells and proteins, with an emphasis on connecting the structure of the
proteins involved to their functions.
Learning Objectives:
1. Understand key players and their functions in different types of immune response (innate, and adaptive,
including humoral and cell-mediated)
2. Relate the structures and functions of the different proteins and involved in immune pathways.
Estimated time: 50 minutes
Educational Standards
A. Common Core
a. Key Ideas and Details
i. RST.11-12.1
ii. RST.11-12.2
b. Craft and Structure
i. RI.11-12.4
c. Integration of Knowledge and Ideas
i. RI.11-12.7
ii. RI.11-12.8
B. Next Generation Science Standards
a. Practices
i. 2. Developing and using models
ii. 6. Constructing explanations for science
b. Crosscutting Concepts
i. 1. Patterns
ii. 2. Cause and effect
iii. 4. Systems and system models
iv. 6. Structure and function
c. Disciplinary Core Ideas
i. LS1: From Molecules to Organisms: Structures and Processes
ii. LS2.A: Interdependent Relationships in Ecosystems
iii. LS4: Biological Evolution: Unity and Diversity
C. Advanced Placement Biology - Essential Knowledge (EK), Learning Objectives (LO), Science Practices
(SP)
a. EK 2.D.3
i. LO 2.28, SP 1.4
b. EK 2.D.4
i. LO 2.29, SP 1.1, 1.2
ii. LO 2.30, SP 1.1, 1.2
Developed as part of the RCSB Collaborative Curriculum Development Program 2014
Teaching Notes
Suggestions for how to use this activity:
Materials: Any and all materials on hand can be used to model the proteins and cells in this activity. For
example construction paper, pipe cleaners, beads, clay, fabric etc. The main objective in this modeling exercise
is that the students should be able to show structure of the cell(s) and/or protein(s) and move the various
components around to model their interactions and functions.
Safety: No special considerations
Planning ahead:
Each student should receive a copy of the activity and appropriate modeling materials should be provided.
Students may be grouped into groups of 2 or 3 and assigned one of the three themes
a. innate response
b. cell-mediated response
c. humoral response
After building the models, the student groups need to work together in larger groups to simulate how all three
types of responses (innate, cell-mediated and humoral) interact with each other.
Extensions and Modifications
After following through the immune response for a single infection, students could try to predict what happens
with a second infection of the same pathogen occurs and compare the response with a time line. Also, they
could use the same model and use HIV as the pathogen to demonstrate how the virus is difficult to fight.
Modeling Activity
To understand the function of the immune system, it is helpful to understand the various cells, proteins and
complexes involved and relate them to their function.
Key ideas:
1. The immune response is a complex set of reactions that relies on interplay among the different cells.
2. Cells communicate with one another using different chemical messengers. Each of these chemical
messengers has a structure that is directly related to its function.
3. Immunity is the state of having body defenses, which protect, eliminate and provide future protection
against invaders.
4. In vertebrates, immunity can be either innate or adaptive. Innate immunity is general and adaptive is
specific to a particular pathogen or infectious agent. Adaptive immunity is effected by two groups of
lymphocytes and can be subdivided into the humoral response and the cell-mediated response, each
governed by a different group of lymphocytes.
Activity:
1. Students will investigate the workings of innate immunity, humoral response and cell-mediated
response.
2. Students will work in groups and each group will become the expert for one of the following types of
immune responses:
a. Innate response
b. Humoral response
c. Cell-mediated response
Developed as part of the RCSB Collaborative Curriculum Development Program 2014
Teaching Notes
3. Students will make a model showing how the assigned type of immune response works and then use it
to explain this to other groups. When designing the model, students should demonstrate:
a. their understanding of structures as well as the functions of the proteins involved.
b. Key cells, structures and proteins for each of the immune responses are listed below
c. Models should also show the spatial reference, in other words, students should show where
these events are occurring.
4. Students may include additional relevant terms that are not listed here.
Key terms that must be included in your model:
Innate response
Basophils
Neutrophils
Granulocytes
Dendretic-cells
Monocytes
Mast-cells
Macrophages
Eosinophils
Toll-like-Receptors
Histamine
Natural-Killer-Cells
Complement
Lysozyme
Cytokines
Humoral response
Antibodies
Constant region
Plasma cells
Clonal selection
Complement system
Neutralization of microbe
B cell antigen receptor
Heavy chain
Memory B cells
Antigen recognition
Epitope
Variable region
Antigen
Disulfide links
Antibody surface
Light chain
Cell-mediated response
Antigen-presenting cells
Cytotoxic T cells
T cell antigen receptor
Chemokines
Constant region
Perforin
CD8 cells
MHC-I
Memory T cells
CD4 cells
Helper T cells
MHC-II
Dendritic cells
Granzymes
Clonal selection
5. After the model is assembled, students should practice the presentation, first in small groups and then
in larger groups. The larger groups should consist of members from an innate response group, a
humoral response group and a cell-mediated response group. Each group should present the model
and explain the processes involved.
6. When all presentations are completed, student can process and summarize the immune response with
the activity on the following page.
Developed as part of the RCSB Collaborative Curriculum Development Program 2014
Teaching Notes
Name_______KEY__________________________Date______________Class_____________
The Immune Response: Assessment for Learning
After viewing the models of all the immune responses, complete the following:
1. General Comparison of the three responses:
Innate Response
How it is initiated:
what starts the
process?
Speed of response
Types of cells involved
Types of protein
molecules involved
Is memory acquired?
If so, what cells?
Humoral Response
Cell-Mediated
Response
Always on—barriers are
present and the cells are
circulating. Neutrophils
are attracted by signals
from infected cells.
Histamines are released
at the site of damage.
Antigen is presented to
lymphocytes in lymph
nodes. When an antigen
binds to a B cell, the cell
is activated and divides
and differentiates into
plasma cells.
Antigen-presenting cell
binds to the antigen
receptor for the T cell
which divide and
differentiate into T helper
cells and cytotoxic T cells
Immediate, within
minutes or hours
Slow, may take up to a
week
Slow, may take up to a
week
Dendritic, Mast
Macrophages
Monocytes. Neutrophils,
Eosinophils, Basophils,
Granulocytes, Natural
Killer Cells
Toll-like receptors
Histamines
Cytokines (interferons)
Complement proteins
B cells:
Activated B cells
Plasma cells
Memory B cells
Helper T cells
Antigen-presenting cells
Helper T cells
Cytotoxic T cells
Memory T cells
Antigen
Epitope
Antibodies
B cell antigen receptor
T cell receptors
MHC I, MHC II
CD4, CD8, Chemokines,
Perforin
No memory
Memory B cells
Memory T cells
2. Compare and contrast MHC I and MHC II. What is the significance of each? Which cells have MHC II? How
does the presence of MHC relate to the functions of these cells?
MHC I and MHC II are the two classes of the major histocompatibility complex. Both MHC I and MHC II are cell
surface proteins. They function by displaying the epitope of the processed antigen. When certain cells, such as
macrophages and dendritic cells are infected, they process the antigen and display the antigenic epitopes (e.g.
short peptides) on the MHC complex. T cells recognize the presented antigens by binding to the MHC
complexes via T-Cell Receptors and are activated by this presentation. MHC I proteins are found on nearly all
nucleated cells; when displaying the epitope of the antigen, these will activate cytotoxic T cells. MHC II
proteins are found on dendritic cells, macrophages and B cells; when displaying the epitope of the antigen will
activate helper T cells.
Developed as part of the RCSB Collaborative Curriculum Development Program 2014
Teaching Notes
3. What in the complement system? Is it involved in both innate and adaptive immunities? Explain.
The complement system is a group of proteins found in blood plasma. They function in both innate and
adaptive immunities. In innate immunity, the activated complement proteins can stimulate the release of
more histamine, which attracts phagocytes. In adaptive immunity, complement proteins bind to the antigenantibody complex on the pathogenic cell and promote the formation of a pore in the pathogen which allows
water and ions to rush in and lyse the pathogen.
4. You have an ear infection and the culprit is the adenovirus. Using a flow chart or infographic, show how the
immune system responds to the virus.
Answers may vary. Students should show both innate and adaptive immunities and include the major events
of each immune response.
Developed as part of the RCSB Collaborative Curriculum Development Program 2014