DISEASE ACTIVITIES

How Do Antiretroviral Drugs Work?

Overview of Activity
Just 25 years since it was first reported, HIV/AIDS has become one of the world’s
biggest public health crises. In recent years, scientists have learned a great deal
about the mechanisms through which HIV infects human cells. The purpose of this
activity is to engage students in studying those mechanisms and discovering how
this information advances HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment. . Working in small
groups, students will use scientific thought processes to examine the life cycle of
HIV and determine how to control the spread of the infection.

Activity Type: In Class Investigation and Analysis
URLs: How Do ART Drugs Work (Teacher Pages)
How Do ART Drugs Work(Student Pages)
How Do ART Drugs Work(Answer Key)
PBS: HIV Immunity Video Clip
PBS: Secrets of the Plague Article
NIH HIV Life Cycle
Grade Level: 9-12
Level of Difficulty: Intermediate to Advanced
Amount of Time Required for Activity: One and a half forty minute class
periods (60 min)

Recommended Uses: NOTE: This activity is designed to engage students in thinking
about how antiretroviral drugs interrupt the HIV life cycle. Ideally, students will
complete the activity before visiting the Koshland Science Museum’s exhibit: I
nfectious Disease: Evolving Challenges to Human Health. However, the activity may
also be completed as a stand-alone lesson.

In addition, the activity may also be used after visiting the Koshland exhibit to
increase student understanding of how ART drugs interrupt the HIV life cycle.
(The activity will not be inquiry-based if students have already viewed the
KSM video.)

Description
One way scientists have learned more about how HIV works is by studying the
small number of people who have a genetic immunity to the disease. Students
will first be introduced to HIV and the concept of immunity by viewing a short
PBS video clip that chronicles these efforts. They will then read a related article
that discusses how scientists are using the knowledge they have gained to
develop therapeutic drugs that inhibit HIV from spreading in the body.

The initial exercises should spur student thinking about how therapeutic drugs
effectively control the spread of diseases. Students will then take on the role of
scientists researching the HIV life cycle to discover how to prevent the virus from
spreading in an infected individual’s body. Students will present their findings
to the class and compare their results to those of existing drugs. The activity
culminates in a class discussion about therapeutic drugs, vaccines, and human
immunity.

This activity is designed by the Koshland Science Museum to accompany
the exhibit, Infectious Disease: Evolving Challenges to Human Health.
The exhibit is made possible by a Science Education Partnership (SEPA) grant
from NCRR, NIH.

Relation to the Science Standards (High School)

• Content Standard A - All students should develop abilities necessary to do
  scientific inquiry
• Content Standard C - All students should develop an understanding of the cell,
  molecular basis of heredity, interdependence of living organisms, biological
  evolution and behavior of organisms
• Content Standard E - All students should develop understandings about
  science and technology
• Content Standard F - All students should develop understanding of
  personal and community health, science and technology in local, national,
  and global challenges, and natural and human-induced hazards
• Content Standard G - All students should develop understanding of nature
  of scientific knowledge, historical perspectives, and science as a human
  endeavor

Related Part of the Exhibit
Antiretrovirals and the HIV Pandemic
Vaccines and Human Immunity

Additional Related Links
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/evolution/library/10/4/l_104_06.html
http://www.pbs.org/wnet/secrets/case_plague/clues.html