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Teacher Guide to
Human Parasitic Diseases Case Study
Introduction:
Each year approximately one third of all human deaths are
caused by infectious and parasitic diseases. In developing
countries, that percentage increases to almost fifty percent.
While some of these diseases have existed for centuries, other
viral diseases such as HIV and SARS have emerged in the human
population much more recently. Globalization has allowed for the
transfer of these microbial pathogens across continents.
Level:
This activity is designed to be a teacher guided, inquiry-based lesson for high
school students with learning disabilities. The level also makes it appropriate
for use in middle school life science classes. The activity can be easily modified
for students of all ability levels.
Purpose:
In order to gain a better understanding of human parasitic diseases, students
will investigate one parasitic or infectious disease and use the information they
gather to create a case study.
The activity provides students with the opportunity to gain experience in both
scientific research and creative writing. Presenting the scientific information in
the form of a case study eliminates the risk of plagiarism while conveying
scientific information and gaining fluency in writing. Teachers may opt to
assign this project as an independent learning project or as a teacher guided,
inquiry-based lesson depending on the level of their students.
This activity addresses the following Massachusetts Curriculum Frameworks:
Ecology 6.3
Use a food web to identify and distinguish producers, consumers, and
decomposers, and explain the transfer of energy through trophic levels.
Describe how relationships among organisms (predation, parasitism,
competition, commensalism, mutualism) add to the complexity of biological
communities.
SIS1. Make observations, raise questions, and formulate hypotheses.
Read, interpret, and examine the credibility and validity of scientific claims in
different sources of information, such as scientific articles, advertisements, or
media stories.
Summer 2008 Workshop in Biology and Multimedia for High School
Teachers
Harvard University Life Sciences – HHMI Outreach Program
Guiding Activities:
I.
Activator: “What disease causes the most human deaths per year?”
Once students have contributed their ideas, present them with “The
Epidemic Scorecard.” (New York Times Op-Ed, April 30, 2003) It
visually represents disease incidence and mortality rates as
estimated by the World Health Organization.
It can be accessed through the following link.
http://www.nytimes.com/packages/pdf/opinion/030430_edt_MARK.pdf
II.
Have all students read The Boston Globe Article “Warning: Yucky
Parasites are closer than you think”
III. Present the Case Study Assignment.
IV. Use the information from the sample Case Study on Toxoplasmosis to
complete the “Researching the 5Ws and H” worksheet.
V. Research human parasitic and infectious diseases.
VI. Peers edit case studies. And have students self-assess before
submitting their final products.
VII. Have students figure out another student’s case study.
Human Parasitic Diseases:
(You Can Have Students Look at the NY Times Op-Ed to Choose)
AIDS
Bubonic Plague
Cholera
Eastern Equine Encephalitis
Giardiasis
Hepatitis
Influenza
Malaria
SARS
Tuberculosis
Yellow Fever
Others???
Possible Resources:
1. Centers for Disease Control http://www.cdc.gov/
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 11 Jan. 2008. Department of
Health and Human Services. 15 July 2008 <www.cdc.gov/ >.
2. The Boston Globe Article: “Warning: Yucky parasites are closer than you
think.” Discusses Toxoplasmosis and Giardiasis.
http://www.boston.com/yourlife/health/children/articles/2004/11/09/warnin
g_yucky_parasites_are_closer_than_you_think/
Sanghavi, Darshak. "Warning: Yucky Parasites are Closer Than You Think."
The Boston Globe 9 Nov. 2004. 14 July 2008 <http://www.boston.com>.
3. World Health Organization (WHO)/Malaria
http://www.who.int/topics/malaria/en/
"Malaria." World Health Organization. 15 July 2008
<http://www.who.int/topics/malaria/en/>.
Summer 2008 Workshop in Biology and Multimedia for High School
Teachers
Harvard University Life Sciences – HHMI Outreach Program
4. Epidemics Through Time Snapshots: Infectious Diseases Today
http://www.pbs.org/frontlineworld/stories/hongkong/diseases.html
“Epidemics Through Time Snapshots: Infectious Diseases Today.” PBS/WGBH.
15 July 2008
<http://www.pbs.org/frontlineworld/stories/hongkong/diseases.html>.
5. Markel, H. and Doyle S.: The Epidemic Scorecarrd. The New York Times (OpEd Essay), April 30, 2003, p. A31.
6. “How to Write a Case Study.” The Global Travel and Tourism Partnership.
2007. 16 July 2008
<http://www.gttp.org/docs/HowToWriteAGoodCase.pdf>.
Summer 2008 Workshop in Biology and Multimedia for High School
Teachers
Harvard University Life Sciences – HHMI Outreach Program