Rock Island High School students are learning the basic principles of blood typing and the consequences that come with mismatched blood transfusions. Students learn the significance behind ABO and Rh blood typing and how the antigens and antibodies on blood cells and in plasma are related to the blood typing procedure.

Through a PRIME grant from the Rock Island Milan Education Foundation, science teacher, Jennifer Trimble was able to purchase lab supplies to aid in the teaching/understanding of Genetics. 

During the lesson students look at how you get your blood type, what causes you to have a blood type, knowing why your blood type is important, and how hospitals/blood donation centers actually determine your blood type.

 Ms. Trimble says it’s an important lesson for students to learn about, “How blood typing works is complicated so the hope is by actually performing the tests on a few patients, students will have a better understanding of what is in your blood and how we determine blood type. We also discuss the importance blood typing has in paternity disputes, anticipating pregnancy complications, criminal investigations, and population studies.”

Shee adds that all three labs are topics that actually apply to student’s daily lives, regardless if they plan to go into a science field or not. The hope is by actually performing these labs the students will have and maintain a good understanding of these topics.