Lesson Plan: The Race for a Vaccine

Essential Questions

• How are science and health care linked? 

• How can ordinary people help solve big problems?

Literature Connection

• Graphic nonfiction: Jonas Salk and the Polio Vaccine by Katherine Krohn

Preview Text Features (15 minutes)

Guide students to locate the article. Preview the text features by asking the following questions:

• Read the article’s title and subtitle. Why do you think there’s a “race” for a vaccine? Answers may vary. Some students might say that scientists want to create a vaccine as quickly as possible so that life can get back to normal. Others might guess that scientists are racing each other to see who can create a vaccine first.
• Who is the woman in the photo on page 5? What do you think she has to do with the article? The woman in the photo is Ellie Lily, a social studies teacher from Missouri. Students might guess that Lily got sick from Covid-19 or that she is helping to develop a vaccine. 
• Look at the sidebar “How Do Vaccines Work?” Why do you think the author included it? You can assume that many people don’t know how vaccines work. Since the article is about creating a vaccine, it’s important to be clear about what a vaccine is and does.

Preview Vocabulary (10 minutes)

• Point out the vocabulary box. Read the words (vaccine, antibodies, invaded, immune, eliminated) aloud and discuss the definitions.
• Play the Vocabulary Slideshow. 

Make a Plan for Reading 

Before students start to read, walk them through a reading plan:

• Set a purpose for reading: Tell students that the article will tell them about the work scientists are doing to create a vaccine to stop the spread of Covid-19. 
• Point out the Pause and Think boxes. Tell students they can check their understanding of what they’ve read by answering these questions.
• Point out the activity at the end of the article, and tell students they will complete it after reading. Guide them to briefly scan the questions in the activity and to keep them in mind as they read.

Guide students to read the article. Once they understand it well, discuss the following close-reading and critical-thinking questions

Close-Reading Questions (15 minutes)

• The article says that it was brave of Ellie Lily to try out a vaccine. How does the author explain why Lily’s choice was brave? (evaluating a claim) The article says that no one knew exactly what effect the drug would have on the volunteers who tried it out. That means that Lily couldn’t know that it was safe. 
• How does a vaccine work? (cause and effect) A vaccine makes your body think it’s been exposed to certain germs. Your body produces antibodies to protect you from the germs. When you are exposed to the germs, the antibodies do their job. 
• Once a vaccine for Covid-19 is created, what will it take for us to return to normal life? (cause and effect) Once a vaccine is created and approved, the first doses will go to health-care workers. The  people at greatest risk from the virus will get the next doses. Over time, most people will get the vaccine. Then it will be safe to spend time close together again.

Critical-Thinking Questions (10 minutes)

• Would you be willing to test out a vaccine being developed? Why or why not? (making connections) Answers may vary. Some students might say they wouldn’t be willing to test a new vaccine because it would involve health risks. Others might say they’d be willing to test a new vaccine because the chance to help solve a serious problem would be worth the risk. 
• The article says that when a vaccine is available, health-care workers will get it first. Do you think this is a good plan? Why or why not? (critical thinking) Answers may vary. Most students will probably say that health-care workers should get the vaccine first because they’re exposed to a lot of people and their services are badly needed. Some might say that no one is more important than anyone else and that everyone should have equal access to a vaccine. 

• Have students work in pairs to complete the Summarizing activity at the end of the article.
• Use our Summarizing Skill Builder, available in higher and lower level versions. (Click here to view all your Skill Builders.)
• Writing prompt: Imagine that you are a scientist and you’ve created a vaccine for Covid-19. A reporter asks you why it took so long. Write a one-paragraph response, describing the steps involved in creating a vaccine.