Unit Overview

Youth use the Engineering Design Process to design an antiviral to stop a newly discovered virus from infecting a model cell.

  • Grades 6–8
  • Setting: Out of school
  • Science connection: Cells
  • 8 activities
  • 50–60 Minutes per activity

Standards alignment

We’ve developed each EiE unit with careful attention to educational standards in both science and technology/engineering. View Standards Alignments.

Unit Map

Youth are introduced to engineering as they work in teams to engineer a quarantine box that prevents UV glow powder from escaping.

Youth play a Technology Trivia game that guides them to think about the breadth of technology.

Youth investigate how bacteria and viruses can spread from one person to another.

Youth learn about their biomedical engineering challenge and investigate the virus causing the mock outbreak.

Youth engineer an antiviral to prevent the virus model from attaching to the cell model.

Youth make public service announcements to inform the public about how to stay healthy in the outbreak.

Youth engineer a new antiviral to prevent the newly mutated virus model from attaching to the cell model.

Youth communicate their work to visitors.

Videos

Special Report Video

Introduces the field of biomedical engineering through interviews with biomedical experts at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, MA. Use throughout the unit. (10:24)

What's Included?

  • Educator Guide (PDF)
  • Engineering Journal (PDF)
  • Special Report Video (YouTube)
  • Print Materials (PDF)