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SecondaryScience

Vaccination KS3 – Developing a vaccine lab activity

GSK
by GSK
What's included?

PDF

Key Stage

KS3

Age

Years 7-9

Subjects

In this vaccination KS3 activity, students will learn that a vaccine is made by using a harmless version of the microorganism that causes the disease you want to protect against.

When you have a vaccination, your body’s immune system recognises the harmless invader and makes antibodies to destroy it.

The aim of this lesson is to provide a visual and hands-on understanding of how vaccines work at a basic level, emphasising the concept of inactivation for safety and the body’s response to vaccination and subsequent exposure to a pathogen.

Vaccination KS3 experiment

Students will do an experiment to develop their own vaccine. Simulate the effect of vaccination using a simple model where yeast represents a virus, sugar water represents the blood of two individuals, and a mixture of yeast, oil, and salt acts as a vaccine.

Observe the difference in reaction, representing how a vaccinated individual might respond differently to exposure to a disease compared to an unvaccinated individual.

You will need:

  • Large beaker and two small beakers
  • Thermometer
  • Watch glass
  • Spatulas
  • 3 ml plastic pipettes (or plastic syringes without needles to add to the effect)
  • Baker’s yeast
  • Table salt
  • White caster sugar
  • Vegetable oil

GSK is a science-led global healthcare company. GSK Stem Education wants to share a passion for science with students and their teachers everywhere. This resource forms one part of a topic on ‘Fighting Back’. Find more resources below:

Vaccination KS3 resource
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Vaccination KS3 – Developing a vaccine lab activity
SecondaryScience

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