6-12
© 2010 Peabody Museum of Natural History, Yale University. Traveling Viruses is part of a larger curriculum unit, which explores Lyme disease and West Nile virus. In Traveling Viruses, students simulate disease transmission with a sodium carbonate solution. To carry it a step further, they simulate the natural world, with half the class representing birds and the other half mosquitoes. This helps students develop an understanding of how birds, mosquitoes, and the West Nile virus are related.
Activity Duration: 1 hr
Cost: ~ $20 for chemicals
Standards:
Teacher comments:
Middle school teacher: Good intro to how disease is spread. Activity involves some prep (e.g., making a solution) and requires phenolphthalein and making copies of supplemental note materials. I would not put student names on a chart for the activity; I'd rather assign numbers or fake names to the participants. This activity could lead to further discussions or research on the transmission of diseases. Rating: Recommended
High school teacher: The entire unit is laid out very well with tons of great info for teachers, especially those teaching in science focus programs. The Traveling Viruses activity is a great application activity, but probably not dense enough for most biology or middle school curricula. Rating: Highly recommended
Virologist comments:
This is a good resource for teachers. There are, however, some small errors that need corrections. The link for the CDC maps of the spread of West Nile virus is no longer available. Rating: Acceptable
6-8
SAFER·HEALTHIER·PEOPLE™, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Department of Health and Human Services. Excellence in Curriculum Innovation through Teaching Epidemiology and the Science of Public Health (EXCITE). Acting as entomologists, students investigate increased mosquito activity and the possibility of West Nile virus transmission in a fictional community. They present the fictional community with ways to prevent infection.
Activity Duration: 3-4 hr
Cost: cost of supplies
Standards:
Teacher comments:
Middle school teacher: Several hours will be necessary to prep this lesson, including making copies, reviewing the questions/answers, and reviewing Web sites for information. Copies are included for pre-test, case studies, presentation guidelines, and rubrics for grading. This activity would be better in a health class rather than a science class. Rating: Acceptable
Virologist comments:
This is an excellent activity on West Nile viruses. The video, pre-test, and case study are clear and well presented. The CDC references are excellent, and the students have all the information available to make the poster and presentation. Rating: Highly recommended
11-12
SAFER·HEALTHIER·PEOPLE™, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Department of Health and Human Services. Excellence in Curriculum Innovation through Teaching Epidemiology and the Science of Public Health (EXCITE). Students develop a prevention plan for an American Indian reservation that is experiencing a new occurrence of West Nile virus infection, while considering the cultural and environmental implications relevant to this population.
Activity Duration: 3-4 hr
Cost: free
Standards:
Teacher comments:
High school teacher: This is a high-level and time-consuming activity. It would be excellent in a gifted or AP classroom. There are terrific connections between pure biology and public health. Rating: Recommended
Virologist comments:
This is an advanced and lengthy lesson. Lots of materials. It is well designed. Students will learn extensively about WNV from this activity. Rating: Recommended
10-12
Columbia University’s Summer Research Program for Science Teachers. Acting as epidemiologists, students investigate facts related to a fictitious outbreak of West Nile virus and then pose various hypotheses about its origin. They present their hypotheses and an action plan to the Board of Health (represented by the teacher).
Activity Duration: 2-3 hr
Cost: free
Standards:
Teacher comments:
High school teacher: A decent case study that could be adapted to match different regions. Shows students where they can find epidemiological information online and how to organize such info into a hypothesis. Not a particularly creative activity, but could be something a microbiology teacher could use. Rating: Acceptable
Virologist comments:
The concept of this exercise is good. Unfortunately, three of the four Web sites are inactive, and without them there is insufficient information. Of the Day 2 references, only the USGS reference is in operation, but it is a good one. The Web site www.westnilevirus.com does not appear to exist any longer. Rating: Acceptable
5-8
© Montana State University 2006. Burns Technology Center at MSU-Bozeman. In this interactive scientific mystery, students choose the direction the story takes and make decisions that influence the outcome of the story. Students learn about West Nile virus and other insect-borne diseases, as well as human health, migratory birds, and wetlands habitat.
Activity Duration: 30-60 min
Cost: free
Standards:
Teacher comments:
Middle school teacher: Excellent scientific mystery. Students will be hooked with the story and the characters. The "options" buttons help make students feel like they are actually involved in the case. A lot of reading; might be difficult for students with lower reading levels. Teachers could maybe pair up students and the passages could be read out loud. Great site. Rating: Highly recommended
Virologist comments:
An online comic book basically. No serious errors, but little interaction and little real chance to solve a mystery compared to other programs. Rating: Acceptable
