Team:TECHNION-ISRAEL/CraftKit

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Craft Kit

Immunology Craft Kit

We have created a craft kit for kids. The kit includes all the parts that are necessary in order to create a game that will afford young children hours of enjoyment. We contacted several game companies, in Israel and abroad, and are currently in discussions regarding manufacturing and distribution. The game is designed to simulate the immune system. Each kid creates a “dummy antibody” that can bind specifically to certain “dummy antigens”. In our surroundings, as well as in the game, there are many different types of antigens. For simplicity, we divided the “dummy antigens” into two groups: "Bad bacteria" which are harmful to our body and "Good bacteria" that coexist with, and help our body. The “dummy antibody”, which your kid will create, shall bind only to the "Bad bacteria" and not to the "Good bacteria". The binding is based on the magnetic attraction between a magnet (connected to the “dummy antibody”) and a metal component (inside the “dummy antigens”). Kids create their own collection of antigens and decide which bacterium is "Good" or "Bad". When the kids finish preparing their “dummy” antibody and antigens, they can start playing. Younger children may enjoy the game as is, attempting to find the "Bad" bacteria and separate them from the "Good" bacteria. Older children are encouraged to play a more advanced version with their friends (see instructions below).

Number of participants: 1-4

Ages: 3-8

Game instructions:

Simple version: Shuffle the “dummy antigens” created by all participants; this is your "pool". Invert the hourglass. Each participant should collect as many "Bad" bacteria as one can in this period of time. The winner is the participant that collects the most antigens from the "pool", while collecting as few “Good” bacteria.

Advanced version: Shuffle the “dummy antigens” created by all participants; this is your "pool". Invert the hourglass. Each round one of the participants declares specific traits (e.g color, number of googly eyes, good or bad bacteria). He/she can choose one characteristic or a combination of a few characteristics. All the others must collect as many matching bacteria as they can within the time limit. For each collected antigen that matches the declared traits a point is awarded. For every collected antigen that does not match the declared traits a point is subtracted. After an agreed upon number of round the player with the most points wins.

The kit includes: 1 page of “dummy antigen” templates, 20 googly eyes, 6 paper clips, 1 popsicle-stick, 1 magnet, 1 pipe cleaner and 1 hourglass.

Additional equipment: scissors (use with adult supervision), glue stick, colorful markers.

Preparation instructions:

Antigens preparation:

Decorate your antigen printed on the colored page.
Add googly eyes to your antigens, as many as you wish.
Cut the continuous lines circling the antigens. Do not cut the dashed line.
Fold each antigen on the dashed line. Open the fold.
Put all the antigens upside down. Choose your "Bad" bacteria, and put a paperclip in the middle of each one.
Spread the glue stick around the shape in the "Bad" and the "Good" ones (as done on the red line below, for the good ones).
Fold the antigens again. Press on the surface to complete your antigen.

Congratulations! Your antigens are ready.

Antibody preparation:

Fold the pipe cleaner in the middle. Open the folding. This is your middle sign.
Put the pipe cleaner 2 cm (1 inch) from the top of the popsicle-stick. Wrap it around the popsicle-stick from the right side and then from the left side.