A cure to a disease is usually discovered in a scientific lab after extensive research that spans many months or years. The John P. Atkinson lab in the Division of Rheumatology at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis has a team of dedicated scientists making discoveries about our immune system. Kathryn Tristan, assistant professor of medicine and research scientist, has been involved in this type of work for more than 40 years. In this video, learn how their discovery of C3s ability to act as a “hidden immune arsenal” can impact scientific research and medical treatment.

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Teacher Resources for the Video:

NGSS Disciplines Addressed in Standards Referenced Below:
• Life Sciences
• Physical Sciences
• Engineering, Technology, and Applications of Science

Discussion Questions:
• Have students discuss how Dr. Tristan’s discovery is an example of the crosscutting concept of “Interdependence of Science, Engineering, and Technology?” How was her discovery influenced by work of other scientists and how will her discovery impact future work?

Activity Ideas:
• Use the video along with others on the website with an activity focused on the NGSS crosscutting concept of “Interdependence of Science, Engineering, and Technology. As a result of viewing the videos, have students develop a position statement explaining this concept and how it functions in the work of scientists and engineers. Have them include examples of the concept in action from this video and others.
• Use the video in conjunction with an arts integration activity. Have students write a short scene of the C3 system at work incorporating medical terminology and insights gained from the video into the dialogue and action of the scene.

Vocabulary to Consider:
• Complement System
• T-cell

Resources for Additional Research:
• Learn more about the NGSS Science and Engineering Practices at the NSTA website.

Unique ID for the Video: IinAction-39
• Use the unique ID as a shortcut for students to find this specific video. Click on Search and choose “By Video ID.” Type in the Video ID as it appears above.

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