Poisoned Picnic

Description:
This is one of two possible culminating activities for the infectious disease epidemiology module. It will work best with older (7th or 8th grade) or advanced students. In this lesson, students will bring together everything they have learned. In order to teach this lesson, you do not have to have taught all the other lessons, but your students should, at a minimum, have worked through Lesson 1.

The goal of this lesson is to engage students in the analysis of information, allowing them to arrive at conclusions and develop action plans based on that analysis. During the activity, students will apply their newly acquired knowledge of epidemiology to identify the agent responsible for an outbreak of a mysterious illness. Students must then present a proposal identifying the cause of the disease and measures to prevent future outbreaks.

Objectives:
Students will:

• Identify the disease agent responsible for a simulated outbreak of a mysterious disease
• Outline a strategy to prevent future outbreaks of the disease

Relevant Standards:
This activity fulfills science and health education standards [PDF - 2 MB].