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    1.1.3 Are Viruses Alive?: Green Land Du Pré Vert

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    Nermine Abed
    Viruses exist in a boundary between living and non-living. They cannot reproduce or carry out life processes without a host cell. However, they have some characteristics of living things, such as being made of nucleic acids surrounded by a protein coat. Students are tasked with researching viruses to determine if they should be considered alive. They will analyze the characteristics of life and apply them to viruses. Based on their findings, students will justify in a paragraph whether viruses are alive or not. For an extension, students can create a fact sheet on a specific virus or compare computer and natural viruses.

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    1.1.3 Are Viruses Alive?: Green Land Du Pré Vert

    Uploaded by

    Nermine Abed
    68 views2 pages
    Viruses exist in a boundary between living and non-living. They cannot reproduce or carry out life processes without a host cell. However, they have some characteristics of living things, such as being made of nucleic acids surrounded by a protein coat. Students are tasked with researching viruses to determine if they should be considered alive. They will analyze the characteristics of life and apply them to viruses. Based on their findings, students will justify in a paragraph whether viruses are alive or not. For an extension, students can create a fact sheet on a specific virus or compare computer and natural viruses.

    Original Description:

    Task sheet Are viruses living or non-living?

    Original Title

    1.1.4 Are Viruses Alive

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    Viruses exist in a boundary between living and non-living. They cannot reproduce or carry out life processes without a host cell. However, they have some characteristics of living things, such as being made of nucleic acids surrounded by a protein coat. Students are tasked with researching viruses to determine if they should be considered alive. They will analyze the characteristics of life and apply them to viruses. Based on their findings, students will justify in a paragraph whether viruses are alive or not. For an extension, students can create a fact sheet on a specific virus or compare computer and natural viruses.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as docx, pdf, or txt
    68 views2 pages

    1.1.3 Are Viruses Alive?: Green Land Du Pré Vert

    Uploaded by

    Nermine Abed
    Viruses exist in a boundary between living and non-living. They cannot reproduce or carry out life processes without a host cell. However, they have some characteristics of living things, such as being made of nucleic acids surrounded by a protein coat. Students are tasked with researching viruses to determine if they should be considered alive. They will analyze the characteristics of life and apply them to viruses. Based on their findings, students will justify in a paragraph whether viruses are alive or not. For an extension, students can create a fact sheet on a specific virus or compare computer and natural viruses.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as docx, pdf, or txt
    of 2

    Green Land Ecole Internationale

    International School du Pré Vert

    ‫مدرســة األرض المخضـرة الدولية‬


    Date: .............................................. Name: ……………………………………………………. Class: MYP 5
    Title: 1.1.3 Are viruses alive?
    Reference:

    Task # 1.1.4 Unit: How is Life Organized?

    Key Concept:
    Global context: Identities and relationships
    Relationships
    Statement of Inquiry: Your identity is determined by the relationship between different levels of organization in your
    body which, although different in complexity, share patterns and functions with all life on Earth.

    Assessment Criteria Criterion A:

    Strand(s) Apply scientific knowledge to solve problems

    ATL Creative thinking skills: Apply existing knowledge to generate new ideas

    Pre-requisites Knowing and understanding Characteristics of living organisms

    1.1.3 Are viruses alive?


    In this activity you will apply your knowledge of living things to answer the problem: Are viruses alive or
    not?
    Viruses are minute particles that can infect animal and plant cells. One group, the bacteriophage attacks
    bacterial cells. Viruses are a variety of different shapes and sizes.
    The word comes from the Latin virus, meaning ‘to poison’. Typically, viruses carry a small amount of
    nucleic acids (either DNA or RNA) surrounded by a protective coat of protein. Some viruses use the cell
    membrane of the host cell to form their own membrane.
    Use the internet to research viruses. Do viruses carry out life processes? How do they live? Can they exist
    on their own?
    Use the information you have found to write about whether you think viruses can be described as ‘alive’
    or not. Summarize your views in one paragraph. To do this you can apply the following thought process:
     Describe the characteristics that determine whether something is alive or not.
     Interpret the information that you have found about viruses to make scientifically supported
    judgements about whether you think viruses are alive or not.

    Note: there is no ‘right’ answer. Share your ideas with your neighbor, and then feedback your
    thoughts to the whole class.
     Explain the life cycle of a specific virus and how it uses its host cell to fulfill life functions.
     Analyze and evaluate information to make scientifically supported judgements.

    Extension:
     Research one virus, for example virology, HIV, Polio, Ebola, Influenza, and produce a fact sheet
    about it. Does it cause a disease? If it does, what are the causes of the symptom?
     Write an essay comparing computer viruses and natural viruses.
     Read about how viruses may have affected evolution by researching virolution.

    1|P age
    Evaluation checklist
    Item Description Scale
    # 0 4
    1 The student described the
    characteristics of living
    organisms
    2 The student interpreted the
    information collected about
    viruses: are viruses alive?
    3 The student made
    scientifically supported
    judgements
    4 The student explained the
    life cycle of a specific virus
    5 The student explained how
    the viruses uses its host cell
    to fulfil life functions
    6 Analyze and evaluate
    information to make
    scientifically supported
    judgements
    7 Extension 1: Factsheet of a
    named virus:
     disease caused by the
    virus
     causes of symptoms
    8 Extension 2: Essay
    comparing computer virus
    and natural viruses
    9 Extension 3: Research on
    “Virolution”: How viruses
    affect evolution
    Total

    Ref.no.:ED/03/04h Process Owner: IB Coordinator


    Issue Date:April 2011 Page 2 of 2 Date of Use: / /

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