DISEASE ACTIVITIES

BSCS
Outbreak!

Overview of Activity
In this activity, students examine an outbreak of the Hantavirus by being gradually exposed to information that helps them discover it as an epidemiologist would.

Activity Type: In Class Group Guided Discussion/Activity
URLs: Outbreak Teacher Pages
Grade Level: 9-12
Level of Difficulty: Intermediate-Advanced
Amount of Time Required for Activity: One 50-minute Class Period
Recommended Uses:
Prior to attending exhibit, it may be used as an activity to engage students in thinking about how public health measures are used to prevent epidemics.
After visiting the exhibit, it may be used to reinforce and highlight the value of public health measures in preventing epidemics.

Description
Students are first given a scenario to prompt a group discussion about the causes of death of a young woman and her fiancé in the Southwest. They are then introduced to the concept of PCR and are asked to discuss, in small groups, what the PCR results of this situation may mean. They are then given a new set of information telling them that this virus is a new type of Hantavirus. After being told this information, students are asked to use the previous information they had to determine what relationship to other Hantaviruses this pathogen has. Students are then introduced to different southwestern rodents that are vectors for different pathogens. They are asked to discuss and determine which of these vectors the source of Hantavirus is. Finally, students look at the conclusion of the story and compare their analysis to the real one. This is followed by a class discussion about the post-activity questions.

This activity was designed by BSCS and the American Institute of Biological Sciences (AIBS) as part of a series of evolution related activities in the book Evolutionary Science and Society: Activities for the Classroom

Relation to the Science Standards
High School
Content Standard A - Abilities Necessary to Do Scientific Inquiry
Content Standard C - Behavior of Organisms
Content Standard C - Interdependence of Living Organisms
Content Standard F - Personal and Community Health

Related Part of the Exhibit
Public Health
Tracing Emerging Infectious Diseases

Additional Related Links
Outbreak Worksheet 11.1
Outbreak Worksheet 11.2
Outbreak Worksheet 11.3
Outbreak Worksheet 11.4
Outbreak Worksheet 11.5