7-12
© 2011 The Board of Regents of the University of Nebraska. In this comic book, students read about the different types of the foot and mouth disease virus. The virus characters are prisoners at the Plum Island Animal Disease Center. Through the graphic story, readers learn how the foot and mouth disease virus is spread and what is being done to control it.
Activity Duration: 15-30 min
Cost: free
Standards:
Teacher comments:
Middle school teacher: A comic book is very appealing to middle school students. This has great graphics and use of color. It is easy to read and would be great as a supplement. It was a little hard to follow, as the viruses were listed as prisoners. This may have to be explained to middle school students, but not to high school students. Rating: Recommended
High school teacher: This comic book is particularly appealing for agricultural regions. It puts FMD in the perspective of fairly current livestock loss and examines the phenomena of disease transmission, spread, and prevention. Rating: Highly recommended
High school teacher: A very attractive comic, well done with great analogies. I fear there may need to be some prior knowledge laid down before this comic can be used. Students without knowledge of viruses may be very confused. A teacher may want to read the comic out loud with 7th graders. Otherwise, this lesson really should be an important component of any virus curriculum. Rating: Highly recommended
Virologist comments:
The graphic novel tells an accurate story of the recent history of foot and mouth disease and worldwide efforts to contain the virus. This is a terrific way to introduce viruses to young people. It is very creative and the graphics are terrific. The portrayal of the viruses as criminals with intent to generate chaos and disruption is creative and makes this science interesting to youth. Rating: Highly recommended
9-12
© 2011, University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Explore the biology of the foot and mouth disease virus (FMDV) through a graphic story. Different types of FMDV are portrayed as prisoners in a high-security laboratory on Plum Island. Learn about the impact of FMDV on the environment and how deadly the virus can be. The FMDV “prisoners” are plotting their escape while researchers seek to understand how to prevent the next wave of infection. Embedded in this graphic story are interactive activities that help the reader learn where in the world FMD outbreaks have occurred recently. Open the virus to see inside and learn about the parts. This app includes an essay and 30-minute radio documentary.
Activity Duration: 1 hr
Cost: free from the App Store
Standards:
Teacher comments:
High school teacher: This is a very good introduction to the topics of virus research and containment. The explanations of FMDV effects and the history of the virus is well explored in the essay (Terror on the Farm) and the Traveling Types of FMDV activity. This is engaging, informative, and offers a multimedia approach good for different learning styles. Rating: Highly recommended
High school teacher: I like the cross-curricular aspects (economic, etc.). This might make it more relevant to non-farm kids. Great point regarding "one health" - interconnectivity of the health of humans, animals, and the environment. I'd like to see some discussion aspect on how kids feel about having the Plum Island stuff moved to Kansas (agriculture country). This could draw connections to the lack of variation in livestock making them more vulnerable to viruses, showing disease spread as a density-dependent limiting factor. Rating: Recommended
Virologist comments:
The activity overall was excellent. I had some difficulty with the game, "Traveling Types of FMDV," which did not work smoothly. It would be nice if the "passports" of different types were easy to pop up and remove. The comic was entertaining, and the explanation of vaccination and prevention strategies was well stated. The best part of this activity is probably the radio documentary, which highlighted the economic devastation of the 2001 UK outbreak as well as the emotional toll on farmers and keepers of livestock. Rating: Highly recommended
