If you've ever had an injection, the horseshoe crab protects you from infection! Young marine biologists discover how scientists use the unique physiology of the horseshoe crab in medicine with a thought-provoking video. The narrator discusses how little we know about the crab's life, how its blood is harvested for its immunological benefits, and the impact human activity is having on horseshoe crab breeding.

Concepts

crabs, immunity, bacteria, marine ecosystems, blood, the circulatory system, human impact on the environment, coastal ecosystems, medicine, mass extinction

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Additional Tags

science

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Instructional Ideas

• Pair the resource with a lesson about human impacts on the environment or modern medical practices
• Have learners research to compare the horseshoe crab with other crab species

Classroom Considerations

• Review the immune response briefly for pupils with less experience with the immune system before watching the video

Pros

• The video is accompanied by an assessment and discussion questions
• Animations help convey how the horseshoe crab's blood protects it—and us—from infections
• Resource presents information clearly and concisely
  

Cons

• None

Common Core

SL.9-10.2