The Spring 2019 cohort of Project-based Instruction students at the University of Texas at Austin were required to plan and execute a three to four-day miniature project-based instruction unit at a local high school (S. F. Austin High School). Students were put into pairs to complete their projects, and were assigned to a High School subject area and teacher. Two student groups (a total of four students) were assigned to 10th grade biology classes and were given the task of teaching students about viruses, viral reproduction, and the role of vaccination in reducing the chance of an epidemic.
Both student groups opted to use the GbCC Vaccination models in their field teach component. High school students were challenged to select a disease from the CDC’s website of infectious viral diseases and use the model to attempt to simulate the disease and compare disease with other classmates. Students were able to share their simulated diseases to the gallery space, which afforded student teachers the opportunity to begin class discussions on how various viral traits emerge to produce different population effects.
All four teachers reflected on their field teach, and wished for more time to allow students to attempt to modify the simulations to increase the sophistication of what each simulation represents.