The curriculum unit is for students taking a 1 ^st year biology course in high school. The unit is a supplement when teaching about viruses and bacteria. The unit will provide students with background information about HIV and Bubonic Plague. It will provide them with the basic structure of a virus and the types of bacteria. The unit discusses the evolutionary relationship that exists between these two pathogens and the impact they have on society. Students will learn about the timeline for the HIV virus, correlations will be made to deaths found prior to the official timeline. The unit will expose the students to pathogens discussed in literature and sung in nursery rhymes. The purpose of the unit is to increase awareness in risky behavior and cause teenagers to alter this behavior. The unit will empower teenagers with knowledge about the dangerous HIV pathogens and how they can alter the spread of the pathogen in their community.

(Developed for General Biology and Science, grade 10; recommended for Biology, Science, Health, and Physical Education, grades 9-12)