Grade 8 Students Connect Science Unit to Real Life

Grade 8 IB Science students have wrapped up their Cell Biology and Immune System unit in class, and teachers Ms. Jennifer Quinn, Ms. Anne-Marie Simard and Ms. Katherine Mikes used multiple resources including Kids Boost Immunity (KBI) to complement their teaching. KBI is a non-profit Canadian education initiative, made possible through a partnership between the Public Health Agency of Canada, the BC Ministry of Health, the Public Health Association of British Columbia and the BC Centre for Disease Control.  KBI has more than 80 lessons and quizzes, and every time a student scores 80 percent or higher on a lesson quiz, KBI donates a life-saving vaccine to UNICEF Canada.  “We are always looking for a way to connect subject material and ways students can be of service,” said Ms. Mikes “We used it last year as well; it’s a good way to learn in class, and provide vaccinations to kids in the world.”  This platform was specifically chosen because it was developed in British Columbia and provides accurate, up-to-date information that can be assigned to students at different grade levels.  “There are even some new lessons and quizzes on COVID-19,” added Ms. Simard. “When the students realize that their work can help other students somewhere by earning a vaccine, the learning can become even more engaging for them.”  Some students challenged themselves and their classmates to complete as many quizzes as they could at home. When the students were completing the tests, GNS was in the top five for vaccines earned across Canada!  During the unit, students learned about pathogens, the immune system, antibiotics and vaccines. They took part in a variety of lessons that included lectures, videos, and simulations of the spread of the disease.  “The final project was making a poster on different vaccines and how they were tested and what those vaccines have done for our communities to reduce infection rates,” said Ms. Quinn, who added it was a good way to have the students learn what is going on in the world right now during the pandemic.  “It was good because it took away some of the taboo on talking about COVID-19, and it helped them to understand a little bit more on what is going on in the news, especially with the vaccines being published now. There was a lot more discussion on how they were being tested. It was amazing seeing Grade 8s making those links and understanding the global importance.”  Way to go Grade 8 students!