Lesson: Testing Vaccines

Note: Keep in mind the effect that the pandemic has had on your community and your students. Guide the conversation to ensure everyone is comfortable with the discussion. Ask students what they have heard about the development of vaccines against the virus that causes Covid-19.

Ask students to share questions they have about the Covid-19 vaccines. Then distribute the skills sheet “What I Watched” to students. Play the video “Ask an Expert: Vaccines.” Have students complete the skills sheet. Then discuss which student questions were answered in the video. Discuss the process of vaccines being tested in trials.

Read the pre-reading question aloud: As you read, think about how a new vaccine is created and tested. Read the article aloud, stopping after each section to summarize important information. Have students complete the “Check for Understanding” to reinforce the article’s core science ideas. When they have finished, reconvene and reread the post-reading question: Explain why pharmaceutical companies test their vaccines on people of all ages. Support your answer with evidence from the text. Have students write a paragraph in response.

Share the “Building a Defense” skills sheet so students can analyze the diagram “How an mRNA Covid-19 Vaccine Works” (p. 15). Share the graphic organizer “Evaluating Visuals” and discuss the purpose of including the diagram in the article. Have students analyze other visuals from the article. Let students share their work and update their graphic organizers after hearing from peers.

Ask students what has to happen for successful vaccinations. Discuss how some things the vaccine needs to be successful are connected to science, like creating the vaccine, while others are related to societal and individual decisions. Discuss how communication can increase a vaccine’s success, for example, by educating people about the vaccine.

⇨ SEL: This lesson plan contains social-emotional learning support related to social awareness.

⇨ VIDEO EXTRA: Watch a microbiologist answer students’ questions about vaccines.

⇨ SLIDESHOW: View a slideshow about how an mRNA Covid-19 vaccine works.