With the Virus Explorer Click & Learn, students will gain a better understanding of viral diversity, the criteria that scientists use to classify viruses, and the global prevalence of viral infections. The Click & Learn includes 10 different types of viruses to explore: rabies, influenza A, HIV, Ebola, tobacco mosaic virus (TMV), adenovirus, T7, papillomavirus, Zika, and coronavirus.
Each virus is accompanied by background information, an interactive 3D composite model based on published structural information (which highlights the overall shape of the virus and some of the proteins that are key to the virus’s structure or transmission.), an illustration of the virus’s cross section (which provides additional information and shows the structure of the capsid), and a diagram of the virus’s replication cycle. The Click & Learn also includes an illustration of the relative sizes of the viruses, which provides an opportunity to discuss scale and units.
Additional information related to pedagogy and implementation can be found on this resource’s webpage, including suggested audience, estimated time, and curriculum connections.