9-12
© 2011 by The University of California Museum of Paleontology, Berkeley, and the Regents of the University of California. This site explains how scientists reconstructed the evolutionary history of the SARS virus in order to better understand emerging diseases. Discussion questions are provided.
Activity Duration: 30-60 min
Cost: free
Standards:
Teacher comments:
High school teacher: Very effective teaching tool for more abstract evolution concepts. Only one link does not work ("Economist" article), and the extensions are useful and interesting. Great information for students about evolution in general, and microbe evolution in particular. Rating: Highly recommended
Virologist comments:
I would recommend this as a teaching resource, as someone reading it needs some science background to follow it. It is also a bit dated (2006). Its strongest point (and its primary goal) is that the Web site provides a good discussion of viral evolution basics. Rating: Recommended
4-8
SAFER·HEALTHIER·PEOPLE™, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Department of Health and Human Services. Follow the investigators to track down SARS and where it spread.
Activity Duration: < 15 min
Cost: free
Standards:
Teacher comments:
Middle school teacher: The activity is basically "information only." Teachers could set up a fact-finding scavenger hunt to encourage students to navigate and read through all four parts of the site. Excellent information on the SARS outbreak and how it was discovered and dealt with, and how it relates to other infectious diseases. The Web site is well organized and easy to navigate. Rating: Recommended
Virologist comments:
"Stalking SARS" provides information about how the CDC functions following the identification of an emerging epidemic. The information is organized in a straightforward question-and-answer format and should be easy to understand. Additional information is also available through links placed throughout the Web site. Rating: Highly recommended
