Drama with microbes
In this activity, students use drama to model science ideas about immune response to pathogenic microorganisms.
By the end of this activity, students should be able to:
explain some basic ideas about the working of the immune system
Download the Word file (see link below) for:
introduction/background notes
what you need
what to do.
Chickenpox
An example of a role-play made by year 5 and 6 students. The drama presents the students’ understanding of an immune response for chickenpox.
Meningococcal B
An example of a role-play made by year 5 and 6 students. The drama presents the students’ understanding of an immune response for meningococcal B.
View the video clips Meningococcal B and Chickenpox (see above) to see how other students have approached this activity.
Nature of science
Scientists often use models to help them research things they can’t readily observe. Scientists acknowledge that interactions that they don’t understand occur in immune response.
Related content
Discover more about our immune system in this article (includes two informative interactives) and then follow up by reading about cells and virus strains.
In The body’s second line of defence, we look at microorganisms including some of the pathogens that cause sickness – are microorganisms friend or foe?
Learn more about the power of drama our recorded webinar Understanding science through drama with Dr Carrie Swanson.
More activity ideas
Investigate further some of the big ideas in science.
These two activities also look at our immune system: The wars within and the Fighting infection card game.
Literacy in immunology provides another cross-curricular opportunity for your students.
Curious to see how all of this fits together? Check out the Fighting infection – the immune system unit plan.
See the Viruses and the immune system curated collection – it explores viruses and how our immune system fights them. Log in to make this collection part of your private collection. Click on the copy icon, and then you can add additional content and notes and make other changes.
