Through a variety of learning strategies, this curriculum guide provides an age-appropriate Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) education for students grades 5-8. An introduction incorporates curriculum objectives, classroom environment, teacher responsibilities, time, instructional strategies, parental involvement and support, and evaluative methods. The main body of the guide is comprised of 12 lessons that include reproducible student pages. The lessons cover: (1) assessment of students' current knowledge about Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV); (2) information sources such as newspaper articles; (3) sources of information, including human resources; (4) encouragement of students to use written resources to verify information; (5) some epidemics of the past; (6) study of disease as a context for the study of HIV transmission; (7) causes and transmission of contagious diseases; (8) comparison with other sexually transmitted diseases; (9) the importance of a healthy immune system; (10) answers to students' questions about how HIV is and is not transmitted; (11) a variety of HIV and AIDS symptoms; and (12) compassion for persons living with HIV. Appendices provide a glossary, an evaluation record sheet, pre- and posttests and answer keys, and sample parent letters. A student workbook to accompany the guide is included. (LL)