Coronavirus Worksheet and Class Activity
In this coronavirus activity, students will simulate an outbreak much like the we are currently experiencing with COVID-19. In this class activity students receive a test tube with some “bodily fluids.”
Students will receive a test tube or cup with simulated bodily fluids in it. One or more people (you choose, see teacher notes) in the room have bodily fluids that are infected.
To simulate how some viruses like SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that causes COVID-19) spread, students will use a pipette to exchange droplets from their test tube to another person’s test tube.
Determining how a virus is spread is crucial in preventing the spread of a virus. Finding patient zero, the first person known to become infected, is a critical part of this process. After scientists determine patient zero it can help them determine the origin of a virus and allow them to inform the public to prevent future infection.
Directions for students:
- Obtain a test tube or cup and a pipette from your teacher.
- When directed by your teacher, you will move around the room and when told you will exchange 4 drops of simulated bodily fluids from your test tube to the other persons test tube.
-This simulates the exchanging of bodily fluids from a simple handshake, sneeze or cough.
- Repeat until you have exchanged “bodily fluid” with 5 people.
- When everyone is done you will take you test tube to your teacher to test whether you have become infected using a chemical indicator. If your sample turns pink, you are infected.
Teacher Tips:
Recommended Materials:
If you do not have the materials listed below you can creatively substitute materials. See the teachers notes attached to the download.
- Phenolphthalein indicator solution (see notes for making the solution)
- .1M NaOH (Sodium Hydroxide) or other base that will result in a positive test for phenolphthalein indicator solution. This works well because it appears the same as water.
- Distilled water
- Test tube (recommend plastic) for each student
- Pipette for each student
Increase the challenge:
- Start with two infected people from the start. This will only work with larger class sizes. Five exchanges with one patient has worked fine for classes as low as 18 and high a 30. For two infected patients I stick with my higher level (honors classes) and larger classes.
- Do not give students the handout until they are done. Then ask them to record the names of the people they interacted with. Many students will find it to be a challenging task to list the names even though it happened only minutes earlier. This helps students understand some of the challenges that come with remembering people they encountered.
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