PROJECT


Epidemic Group Project



Basic Overview:

The Essential Question for this unit is “What happens when a system is changed?”  You and your group will analyze one epidemic that occurred in the past or is occurring today.  You will consider the causes and effects of the epidemic.  The causes and effects should fall into these categories:  Political, Economic, Social/Cultural and Technical.  We will discuss these groupings in class.  Use this diagram as your guide:

 

 

 


What you will do as an individual:

  • Focus in on ONE of the PEST subtopics (Political, Economic, Social/Cultural and Technological parts of the system.)
  • Research your topic, using reliable Internet and/or print sources
  • Assemble ideas from your research onto a “Puzzle Piece” poster that answers these questions:

o       What is the time period and location of the epidemic?

o       What NORMS in the system contributed to the epidemic?

o       What CHANGES to the system occurred because of the epidemic?

 

 

What you will do as a group:

  • Plan and produce a Public Health Presentation that you will use to teach the class about your epidemic, its causes and its effects.
  • Your Presentation should reflect the time period of your group’s epidemic.
  • Your Presentation can take one of the following forms:  a play or dramatic performance; a news report; a video or movie; or a public art installation.

 

 

Epidemics to Choose From:

  • Black Death in Medieval Europe                           
  • Tuberculosis in Modern Russia
  • HIV/AIDS in Uganda (Africa)
  • Malaria in Modern Africa
  • Cholera/Diarrheal Diseases in Modern Latin America and South America
  • Influenza in 1918 in the United States
  • Smallpox worldwide until 1970’s eradication
  • Polio worldwide prior to development of vaccine in the 1940’s and 1950’s

 

 

Important Dates:

F October 26                         Assign Topics and Groups

M October 29                        Project “Kick Off”

W October 31                        “Puzzle Piece” Rough Draft Due

Th November 1                      “Puzzle Piece” Final Poster Due and Presentation assigned

Tu November 6                      Final Public Health Presentation

W November 7                      Wrap up Public Health Presentations and evaluations

 

 

Definitions:

 

*Norm = a condition accepted as being normal; the “status quo” (example:  in the U.S., it is a norm for all drinking water to be safe to drink.  This is not the case in some developing countries.)

**Change = in this case, an alteration or new condition that is a result (direct or indirect) of an epidemic (example: it is now common for donated blood to be screened for HIV.)