ALLERGIES v. VIRUSES PROJECT
OBJECTIVES
Students (team of 2) will do the following:
 Understand how a virus and an allergen infect the body and how the body
responds to each
 Create flowcharts to show the body’s reaction to the common cold (a viral
infection) or hay fever (an allergic reaction)
 Examine the differences in how colds and allergies are diagnosed and
treated.
PROCEDURE
Student 1 - Report on the following questions about allergies:
What is an allergy?
What causes allergies?
What happens to the body during an allergic reaction?
How are allergies treated?
Student 2 - Report on the following questions about viral infections:
What initially causes an infection?
How does the body react?
How is a viral infection treated?
This is for both:
1. Compare the immune system’s reaction to pollen, a common allergen, and the
common cold, a viral infection.
2. Use the Web sites suggested below. Take notes and answer the following
questions:
 What are the causes?
 What are the symptoms?
 How long do symptoms typically last?
 How is it treated?
 How can they be prevented?
 How is it diagnosed?
3. In your report try to answer the following questions:
 If you have a runny nose, fever, sore throat, and headache, how might
you be able to tell if you have a cold or allergic reaction?
 Why are people more susceptible to certain allergies at different times of
the year?
 Using what you know about how the common cold is transmitted, how
might you try to prevent catching a cold?
Allergic Reactions
Understanding Allergies: Hay Fever
<http://my.webmd.com/content/pages/10/1625_50516>
Seasonal Allergies
<http://my.webmd.com/webmd_today/home/404>
What Are Allergies?
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<http://my.webmd.com/content/pages/10/1625_50536>
Kids’ Health: Allergies
<http://kidshealth.org/kid/health_problems/allergy/allergies_p3.html>
Allergy Glossary
<http://my.webmd.com/content/pages/10/1625_50534>
Cold, Flu, Allergies
<http://www.bhg.com/bhg/category.jhtml?catref=C208>
Common Cold
Welcome to Common Cold
<http://www.commoncold.org/>
Common Cold
<http://my.webmd.com/webmd_today/home/404>
Cold, Flu, Allergies
<http://www.bhg.com/bhg/category.jhtml?catref=C208>
Kids’ Health: Cold
<http://kidshealth.org/kid/ill_injure/sick/colds.html>
What’s a Virus?
<http://www.microbe.org/microbes/virus1.asp>
4. Create a flowchart showing the body’s reaction to an allergen or virus. The
chart can use both text and symbols and should include the antigen entering the
body, the immune system’s various reactions, the body’s physical symptoms, and
how the body heals.
5. Finally, compare the two reactions as a team. How are they alike? Which
symptoms are similar? How can you tell the difference between a virus and an
allergen?
What to hand in (via email):
1. Word document (Font: Normal, Arial. Size: 12):
a. The report
b. The flowcharts
c. A list of any additional websites that you found useful (For each
Web site you should note the name, URL, and a list of interesting
facts about it)
d. A list of the medical words with their definitions
e. A list of the academic words with their definitions
Format of your Word Document:
Last name/first name/student number/email: 1. ___________________
2. ____________________
Collaborative Report and Flowcharts: (essay, max 4000 words)
Websites consulted (list of additional websites)
List of Medical words (max 20)
Format:
Example
in
TERM
context
…
catheter
Word class
information
…
Dictionary
definition
…
Greek
translation
…
2
hemodialysis
…the victim can
be
saved
by
regular use of a
renal
hemodialysis
machine.
noun
…
…
…
List of Academic words (max 10)
Format:
Example
in Word
class
TERM
context
information
approach
….
…
formula
…Coca-Cola’s
patented
formula.
noun
…
…
….
A
treatment
used
to
cleanse
the
blood
of
patients
whose kidneys
are defective
…
Dictionary
definition
…
A list of the
substances
used to make
a medicine
…
αιμοκάθαρση
…
Greek
translation
…
συνταγή,
τύπος
…
EXTENSION
You will get extra credit for submitting articles you have found on the Internet
related to your topic. These should be submitted along with their sources, a fiveto-eight-sentence summary on the article, and a three-to-five-sentence personal
reflection on why you chose the article you did and further presented to the class.
A possible starting point is the Discovery Health Web site <http://health.discove
ry.com/> or the NBC portal at <http://www.msnbc.com/news/HEALTH_Fro
nt.asp?0dm=B---H&ta=y>. These sites offer daily highlights related to health
issues.
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