Infectious diseases
are on the rise worldwide, and many of the emerging diseases
in humans come from wildlife or domestic animals (zoonoses).
In light of these global changes, student understanding
of disease must extend beyond homeostasis to a broader perspective
of disease ecology: Where do new diseases come from? Why
does this happen?
This curriculum
gets students thinking about the ecological factors, particularly
environmental change, that cause disease epidemics in humans.
Because disease is a difficult topic to experiment with
directly in the classroom, this unit provides a wide range
of scientific data for students to interpret and evaluate.
The curriculum
is set up as a mystery to capture student interest and to
engage them in interpreting scientific data as “clues.”
Students can work in pairs or larger groups to interpret
the clues. The topic can bridge the homeostasis and ecology
units, and it provides students with a good example of the
interdisciplinary nature of scientific thinking.
Downloadable
WORD files:
Teacher's
Guide
Clues
(to be given out by the teacher, 1-by-1 as they get
solved)
Student
Handout
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