| 
Grade
5 : A Healthy
Body
A Sample Unit on HIV/AIDS |
|
| Grade 5: A Healthy Body: Lesson 1 |
| Topic: HIV/AIDS |
Activity:
Concept web — diseases |
| Decision-making
Process
|
Resources
|
| Foundational
objectives
- Students will increase their knowledge of the
human body
- Students will participate in a wide range of
language experiences to develop their knowledge
of diseases (C)
|
Learning objectives
Students will:
- gradually incorporate the vocabulary related
to the human body and to health into their speech
and writing (C)
- understand some problems of physical health,
one of which is HIV/AIDS
- show their understanding of ideas by making a
concept web (C)
|
Note: All lessons
in this unit incorporate HIV/AIDS education
Procedure
- Divide the students into groups of three or four
and ask them to prepare a concept web using the
terms from Information Sheet 5.1: "A concept web
— diseases" (words are presented on "labels" so
that students can experiment with various ways of
organizing their concept web). Remind students that
they are to help each other, both to "guess" the
meaning of unfamiliar words (discuss with them some
good strategies for doing this) and to organize
the concept web.
- Each group is to decide how to arrange the words
and expressions, and affix them to a large sheet
to create a poster. Remind students that they do
not have to use all the words provided (if they
can’t find a logical place for them or are still
unsure of their meaning in spite of their efforts)
and that they are allowed to add words if they wish.
- Display the posters and invite the students in
each group to briefly explain their concept web,
by describing the links they have made and any difficulties
they encountered.
- Ask the students to discuss briefly the differences
and similarities between their concept webs.
- Explain that among these diseases, several are
spread by viruses and that in the following lessons,
students will examine how the body reacts to the
attack of two different viruses: the virus that
causes measles and the virus that causes AIDS.
|
Notes Assessment:
Observe students' participation: Do they demonstrate
respect for others? Do they suggest ways to organize
the concept web? Do they justify suggestions? Record
obvious signs of growth or areas of concern in anecdotal
records. |
Information Sheet 5.1: A concept web
— diseases
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| Swollen glands
in the throat |
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| Grade 5: A Healthy Body: Lesson 2 |
| Topic: HIV/AIDS
|
Activity: The
Evolution of a Disease |
| Decision-making
Process
|
Resources
|
| Foundational
objectives
|
Learning objectives
Students will:
|
| Procedure
This activity helps students to understand how we
become sick when a virus attacks our body, and to
review how the human immune system works.
- Remind students that our body has a number of
defense systems for combatting diseases and germs.
Ask them if they can name any. Write the list on
the chalkboard. For example:
- skin
- nails
- tears
- tonsils
- blood
- white blood cells
- stomach acids, etc.
- This defense system can be likened to a team:
for the system to be efficient, each member must
do its part and they must all work together.
- Give the students a copy of Information Sheet
5.2: "The measles virus", and ask them to put the
sentences in order and link them with arrows to
illustrate the evolution of a disease such as measles
(have them work in groups, and encourage discussion).
Then show an overhead of Information Sheet 5.3:
"The evolution of a disease such as measles", to
summarize.
- To reinforce what they have learned and to accommodate
kinaesthetic learners, have students dramatize the
story of an attack by the measles virus. For more
details on how to carry out this lesson, see Information
Sheet 5.4: "Dramatized story."
- Repeat steps 2 and 3, but this time for a different
disease: AIDS. Use Information Sheet 5.5: "The evolution
of the AIDS virus in the body" to show the sequence
of the steps in the life cycle, and then show an
overhead of Information Sheet 5.6: "The evolution
of the AIDS virus in the body," to summarize. Using
Information Sheets 5.3 and 5.6, have the students
compare the evolution of a disease such as measles
with that of AIDS.
- Conclude by reviewing the differences seen so
far between AIDS and another disease caused by a
virus (some differences, including means of transmission,
will be covered in later lessons):
- A person who has the measles virus gets sick
quickly; a person with HIV can seem to be in
good health for years.
- When a person has measles, the body creates
antibodies and destroys the virus; when a person
has AIDS, the body creates antibodies but they
can't destroy the virus.
- People can recover from measles; with AIDS,
they eventually die.
|
Notes Assessment:
Observe the extent of students' prior knowledge
and adapt instruction accordingly. |
Information Sheet 5.2: The measles virus
Instructions: Put the sentences below in the proper
order and link them with arrows to illustrate the evolution
of the measles virus and its effect on the body.
-
The measles virus attacks the body.
-
The immune system is still strong.
-
Antibodies destroy the virus.
-
The immune system is stronger and can fight the measles
virus better.
-
The person gets well again.
-
The person catches measles.
-
The immune system creates antibodies.
- The person takes care of himself or herself.
Information Sheet 5.3: The evolution
of a disease such as measles
The
measles virus attacks the body.
The person catches measles.
The immune system creates antibodies.
The antibodies destroy the virus.
The immune system is still strong.
The person takes care of himself or herself.
The person gets well again.
The immune system is stronger and can fight the measles
virus better.
 |
Information Sheet 5.4: Dramatized story
| Characters |
| For a class of 28, organize
the students like this — |
- 12 students play the role of the body of an
infected person. Each student can play a specific
part of the body and must try to represent the
feelings and actions of the body under attack
by the virus.
- 6 students represent the feelings and actions
of the disease virus.
- 10 students represent the feelings and actions
of the antibodies formed by the immune system
to combat the attacking virus.
|
| Description
The teacher tells the story, pausing between each
sentence or section. The students represent the
actions and portray the events and feelings through
a mime (they may be given a few minutes for a small
group discussion before they start). The sentences
in italics below correspond to the text read out
by the teacher. The students’ actions are given
merely as examples. |
| Procedure
The students representing the body form a group
in the middle of the room, holding hands in a large
circle. The others remain off to the side, in a
corner of the classroom.
At first, the body is healthy. The children
can smile, show that life is good and that the body
is strong and happy.
The virus enters the body, a bit at a time.
Within a few minutes, the virus has invaded in force.
The students playing the virus enter the body, one
or two at a time; in a few minutes they have all
entered the circle of students representing the
body. The virus may have a confident, "mean" attitude.
The virus explores the body to find a place
where the body's defense are weak. When it finds
this place, it stays there and starts to harm the
cells of this part of the body. The virus can
pretend to be attacking and harming the body. The
students representing the body begin showing new
feelings, for example, pain, to indicate that the
disease is beginning to affect the body's cells.
The body is ill. The children express pain,
sadness, distress.
Gradually, the immune system sends out antibodies,
to fight the virus. The students representing
antibodies display a confident and superior attitude.
They look strong, and will fight the virus to bring
the body back to health.
After a few days, the antibodies win the battle
against the virus. The antibodies work in pairs
to eliminate the virus; the virus dies and the students
playing the virus leave the body.
The antibodies remain in the body to help it
fight other viruses that may enter the body.
The "antibodies" and the "body" show that they are
satisfied and proud. The "virus" prowls around the
class. |
Information Sheet 5.5: The AIDS virus
Instructions: Put the sentences below in order and
link them with arrows to illustrate the evolution of the AIDS
virus and its effect on the body.
The person can give the disease to someone else.
The person is still healthy.
The immune system is gradually destroyed by the virus.
The AIDS virus enters the body.
The antibodies cannot destroy the virus (HIV).
This can continue for up to ten years.
The immune system can’t fight off the infections and diseases
— in the end, the person dies.
The immune system creates antibodies.
The virus (HIV) attacks the immune system.
The person has AIDS and can easily catch different infections
and diseases.
The person gets weak and is very frequently ill.
Information Sheet 5.6: The evolution
of the AIDS virus in the body
| Grade 5: A Healthy Body: Lesson 3 |
| Topic: HIV/AIDS |
Activity:
Immunization — "Strengthening your defense" |
| Decision-making
Process
|
Resources
|
| Foundational
objectives
|
Learning
objectives
Students will:
|
Procedure
- Immunization will already have been discussed
in previous grades, so a short review should be
sufficient. Ask the students who has had measles
before, and whether anyone has had measles more
than once. Review the evolution of a disease like
measles (see the previous lesson) and explain
why we catch some diseases like measles only once:
our bodies become immunized against them. Other
diseases have almost been wiped out, because we
have found a vaccine to immunize people against
them (mention the most common vaccinations that
most of the children have had). Show an overhead
of Information Sheet 5.7 - "Strengthening your
defense," to clarify the role of immunization.
- Discuss the relative importance of vaccination.
For example, tell students how a different kind
of immunization is necessary for each disease,
how researchers and doctors are constantly working
to develop vaccines against certain diseases,
and how some diseases can be fought with drugs
and proper care, making vaccination less crucial.
- Explain to the students that for the rest of
this unit, they will be studying AIDS, a disease
for which there is, as yet, no vaccine. Explain
that there is no cure for AIDS, but that there
are drugs that can help people with AIDS.
|
Notes |
Information Sheet 5.7 — Strengthening
your defence
The person is
vaccinated against a disease (the vaccine contains small
amounts of dead virus).
The immune system produces antibodies for that disease.
Later, the disease virus attacks the body.
There are already antibodies in the immune system, because
the person has been immunized.
The antibodies protect the person, so he or she does
not catch the disease.
The immune system remains strong to fight other viruses
in the future.
|
| Grade 5: A Healthy Body: Lesson 4 |
| Topic: HIV/AIDS |
Activity:
"Acronyms" - HIV, AIDS... What does it all mean? |
| Decision-making
Process
|
Resources |
| Foundational
objectives
|
Learning
objectives
Students will:
- gradually incorporate the vocabulary related
to the human body and to health into their speech
and writing (C)
- use a variety of strategies to interpret the
meaning of words (C)
|
Procedure
- Write some common acronyms and abbreviations
in a column on the chalkboard, e.g., RCMP, YMCA,
YWCA, GST, CBC, NATO. Ask the students to look
at these "words" and tell you what they have in
common. Do they know what this kind of word is
called? Can they tell you what each of the letters
in the acronyms and abbreviations stands for?
Write down their answers.
- Then ask the students whether they know any
other acronyms and abbreviations. Write their
suggestions on the board.
- If the students have not suggested HIV and
AIDS, add them to the column on the board.
- In groups of two or three, ask students to
guess what HIV and AIDS stand for, based on what
they already know about them, and to explain their
suggestions.
- Have them present their answers and, if no
one has come up with the right answer, explain
that HIV stands for Human Immunodeficiency Virus,
and AIDS stands for Acquired Immune Deficiency
Syndrome or Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome.
Have students explain their answers and guide
the discussion so as to clarify the meaning of
the most important words (e.g., "immuno" refers
to the immune system). The following lessons will
focus on how the disease is transmitted.
|
Assessment:
Observe students' participation: Do they build
on each others' suggestions? What strategies do
they use to construct the meaning of these acronyms?
What prior knowledge do they have?
Assessment: Note significant information
in anecdotal records. |
| Grade 5: A Healthy Body: Lesson 5 |
| Topic: HIV/AIDS |
Activity:
The "A" in AIDS - How is HIV transmitted? |
| Decision-making
Process
|
Resources |
| Foundational
objectives
- Students will increase their knowledge of the
human body
- Students will identify sources of risk to healthy
living
|
Learning
objectives
Students will:
- identify personal and interpersonal behaviours
in their everyday lives that might present a risk
to their health or safety
- understand some problems of physical health,
one of which is HIV/AIDS
|
Procedure
- Lead a discussion, mentioning the following
points:
- During the previous activity, we said that
there is no vaccine to protect us against
AIDS.
- We also know that there are no drugs that
can cure AIDS.
- We found out that the "A" in AIDS stands
for "acquired." The disease is "acquired",
meaning that it is transmitted from one person
to another.
- But this disease can be prevented. And
if we learn how to avoid situations where
HIV can be transmitted, then we can stop the
spread of AIDS.
- Ask students what they know about how HIV is
transmitted. During previous lessons, students
may already have made comments based on misconceptions.
Remind them of those comments or ask them questions
such as: "Can a person with AIDS transmit HIV
by sneezing?" "Can a mosquito transmit HIV?" Ask
them if they know "for sure" and where they learned
this.
- Suggest to the students that they form groups
of two and draw up a short (5 questions) true
or false test on how HIV is transmitted.
- Invite the students to find out more to ensure
that they have the right answers (remind them
about checking the validity of information sources:
checking the date of the source and the author’s
credentials, consulting several sources to make
sure they do not contradict one another, etc.)
- Have students share their findings with the
group, then select some of the questions to make
up a questionnaire.
- Discuss with students what they have learned.
How much of what they thought they knew turned
out to be misconceptions? Sum up by emphasizing
the most common ways of transmitting HIV:
- using a contaminated syringe (the needle
can contain cells from an infected person,
which can enter the body of a person using
the syringe);
- a pregnant mother can transmit HIV to her
growing baby;
- through a blood transfusion (quite rare
since 1985, since all donated blood is now
tested);
- through sexual relations with an infected
person.
|
Notes Be
sure to screen carefully the pool of resources that
the students will use for their research. Please
note that the use of Internet resources for this
particular research project is not recommended.
However, teachers might print carefully selected
information from Internet sites for students to
use.
Refer to guidelines regarding "age-appropriate"
HIV/AIDS instruction in the introduction of this
document when selecting resources for students'
use. |
| Grade 5: A Healthy Body: Lesson 6 |
| Topic: HIV/AIDS |
Activity:
Informing others... here is a challenge! |
| Decision-making
Process
|
Resources |
| Foundational
objectives
- Students will help members of their family,
class, and community achieve physical, mental
and social well-being (PSVS)
- Students will develop their ability to make
decisions (CCT)
- Students will develop attitudes necessary for
healthy living (PSVS)
|
Learning
objectives
Students will:
- develop their ability to communicate their
knowledge about health to their friends, family
and community (C)
- reflect on what they know and feel about an
issue
- value behaviours which contribute to good health
or which prevent disability or illness, including
HIV/AIDS
|
Procedure
- Discuss the following points: We have known
about AIDS only since the early 1980s. There are
still many myths about how HIV is transmitted.
Many people are poorly informed. In doing your
research, did you find that you already knew the
answers to our test? What new things did you learn?
Were you surprised at some of the things you found
out? Which ones surprised you?
- Suggest to the students that they give their
parents the test they prepared and, in cooperation
with the students, write a letter explaining to
parents why we want them to try this little test.
- Afterwards, compile the results of the test
given to parents.
- Lead a discussion, mentioning the following
points: were there questions your parents couldn’t
answer? Were you surprised at your parents’ scores
on the test? Why?
- Help the students set an objective for a decision
they would make within this unit, asking them
to reflect on the following questions:
- Given what they have learned about HIV transmission,
is there a high risk for children their age
of catching AIDS?
- Is it really necessary for them to make
a decision and prepare an action plan to avoid
catching AIDS? Why or why not?
- If they were to make a decision and prepare
an action plan, what could their objective
be, if they based it on what they have learned
so far? Looking at their parents’ scores on
the test that the students prepared in class,
would they like to set an objective and prepare
an action plan based on these results?
For the purposes of this model unit, we will assume
that the test results showed that misconceptions
are still very common. So the students decide on
the following objective: "We need to do something
so that people are better informed about how HIV
is transmitted". |
Notes |
| Grade 5: A Healthy Body: Lesson 7 |
| Topic: HIV/AIDS |
Activity:
What can we do? |
| Decision-making
Process
|
Resources
|
| Foundational
objectives
- Students will develop their ability to make
decisions (CCT)
- Students will develop attitudes necessary for
healthy living (PSVS)
|
Learning
objectives
Students will:
- suggest several possible courses of action
and explore the long- and short-term consequences
of these actions
- make decisions based on their analysis of the
choices
- value behaviours which contribute to good health
or which prevent disability or illness, including
HIV/AIDS
|
| In grade five, students
should make at least two health-related decisions
and carry out action plans to implement those decisions.
Selection of the topics for this real life application
of the Decision-making Process should be based on
local needs. The activities below are suggested
as examples of a decision and action plan that would
fit within this unit. Students might make a decision
and design an action plan within this unit if they
were personally affected by HIV/AIDS. Teachers might
otherwise select only some of these activities for
students to practise Levels B and C of the
Decision-making Process.
|
Procedure
- Ask the students to suggest some things they
could do to reach the objective they have set.
- Write down each of these options as a title
on a separate large sheet.
- Under the title on each large sheet, divide
the page into two columns and write the subtitles
"Advantages" and "Disadvantages" ( or "+" and
"-").
- Ask the students to identify the advantages
and disadvantages of each option (guide them by
asking questions such as "Would this solution
be practical?", "Would this option take up a lot
of our time?", etc.). See Information Sheet 5.8
- "A few options" for examples of options and
consequences.
- Have the students think about the pros and
cons of each option: its practicality, the time
and work it would involve, the size of the audience,
the expectations of the audience, etc. Let us
assume, as an example, that the students decide
to choose the second option (a conference for
their parents), for the following reasons:
- Our parents are an audience that is closer
to us — it is easier to inform them because
we know them. They have expectations of us.
If we tell them what we have learned about
the transmission of HIV, we will all understand
each other better when they tell us about
their expectations.
- The other options do have some advantages:
for instance, they would help us reach a larger
audience. But there may be many more difficulties
with negative reactions, because these options
involve audiences that don’t know us as well.
It would be difficult to make them understand
why our information campaign is worthwhile
and necessary. In addition, adults who are
not our parents don’t really have expectations
of children where AIDS is concerned, because
they think that this subject does not affect
children.
|
Notes Assessment:
Observe the students' ability to suggest a variety
of options and to project positive and negative
consequences for each. |
Information Sheet 5.8 - A few options
Option No. 1
Prepare posters to inform the community: explain how HIV
is transmitted and ways in which it cannot be transmitted.
| Advantages |
Disadvantages |
-
We would reach a fairly large part of the local
population.
-
We already have experience in preparing posters,
because we have made them for other projects;
we could work on them as part of our language
arts program.
-
They wouldn't take too much time to prepare,
because we already have all the information.
|
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The audience might have negative reactions.
-
It would be difficult to explain to people why
we decided to make these posters.
-
We might have to ask for permission to put up
our posters, and some people might not allow it.
-
We would have to keep our message short, and
couldn’t include much information.
|
Option No. 2
Invite our parents (or other students or teachers) to
a mini-conference where we would hold information workshops
to tell them what we have learned, tell them about the test
results and explain how HIV is transmitted.
| Advantages |
Disadvantages |
-
We know this audience well and we could explain
why we decided to take on this project.
-
We have read stories and seen films in which
parents didn’t want their children to make friends
with other children who have AIDS. Sometimes parents’
expectations are based on incorrect information.
If our parents have the same information as we
do, it will make it easier to discuss their expectations
with them in case we ever find ourselves in a
similar situation.
-
We would be communicating with our parents and
showing them what we have learned.
-
Our parents would be proud to see us make a presentation
in a mini-conference.
|
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Some parents would not react favourably to the
idea.
-
Preparing the conference would take lots of time
and organization.
-
We would be uncomfortable in making a presentation
in front of adults.
|
Option No. 3
Write an article for a local newspaper (or a school newspaper
or newsletter) to inform readers about how HIV is transmitted.
| Advantages |
Disadvantages |
-
We would reach a very large audience.
-
We could give a lot of information in a newspaper
article.
-
Writing our article could also be a language
arts project.
-
We would be proud to see our work published in
the newspaper.
|
-
Many people would not understand our interest
in this topic. They would think that we are too
young to talk about it, and would not agree.
-
Some people would think that we are just kids
and don't know what we are talking about.
-
When people talk about AIDS, the public’s expectations
mostly concern teenagers and adults, not children
our age.
|
| Grade 5: A Healthy Body: Lesson 8 |
| Topic: HIV/AIDS |
Activity:
Mini-conference on infectious diseases -AIDS |
| Decision-making
Process
|
Resources
|
| Foundational
objectives
- Students will help members of their family, class,
and community achieve physical, mental and social
well-being (PSVS)
- Students will develop their ability to make decisions
(CCT)
|
Learning objectives
Students will:
- develop their ability to communicate their knowledge
about health to their friends, family and community
- design and apply action plans
- actively contribute to the improvement of the
well-being of the community
|
| Procedure
During the mini-conference, students will present
what they have learned in health class during this
unit. They will form small groups and prepare workshops
(each group will present some of the activities of
the unit).
-
The teacher will act as a facilitator in planning
and organizing the mini-conference: What will
they present? How will they present it (information
displays that parents can visit, presentations
by students, presentations by guests, etc.)? Decide
on the date, time and place. How will they publicize
the conference? Decide who will do what.
|
Notes Information
Sheet 5.9 -"Organizing the mini-conference," Information
Sheet 5.10 - "Speakers and hosts" and Information
Sheet 5.11 -"Plan for the mini-conference" can be
useful in planning this special event. |
Information Sheet 5.9 — Organizing the
mini-conference
| Mini-conference:
HIV, a different kind of virus
Date: ____________________________________
Time: ____________________________________
Place: ____________________________________
Groups of students (see the following page for the list
of students in each group) |
| Group |
Workshop or Display |
Location |
| 1 |
____________________ |
____________________ |
| 2 |
____________________ |
____________________ |
| 3 |
____________________ |
____________________ |
| 4 |
____________________ |
____________________ |
| 5 |
____________________ |
____________________ |
| 6 |
____________________ |
____________________ |
| 7 |
____________________ |
____________________ |
| 8 |
____________________ |
____________________ |
|
Information Sheet 5.10 — Speakers and
hosts
| Student speakers
and hosts |
| Group 1 |
Group 2 |
Group 3 |
Group 4 |
| 1 |
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| 3 |
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| 4 |
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| 5 |
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| Group 5 |
Group 6 |
Group 7 |
Group 8 |
| 1 |
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| 2 |
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| * Indicates
the leader for the group. |
Information Sheet 5.11 — Plan for the
mini-conference (example)
| Plan for the
mini-conference |
| Name of
display or workshop |
Group of
speakers or hosts |
Location |
| Opening of the conference
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| Concept web: diseases |
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| Getting help: immunization |
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| Our test: the students' scores |
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| Our test: the parents' scores |
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| Fact or rumour? |
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| An expert viewpoint (guest speaker) |
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| Coffee break: coffee, tea, juice, etc. |
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| Dramatized story:
"The evolution of a disease" |
| Grade 5: A Healthy Body: Lesson 9 |
| Topic: HIV/AIDS |
Activity:
Analyzing the project |
| Decision-making
Process
|
Resources |
| Foundational
objectives
|
Learning objectives
Students will:
|
Procedure
- Ask the students to analyze how they thought
the conference went. Have them assess the results:
- Did the project go well? Why or why not?
- If we were to do it over again, what would
we do differently?
- Did the conference seem to have any effect
on our parents’ expectations?
- Did we discuss some issues with our parents
as a result of the conference?
|
Notes |
|
