Gold Seal Lesson:
Disease Detective

Copernicus Education Gateway

 

Subject:

Science

Grade:

 

 

9-12

 

 

ICLE Standards:

 

 

  • Resources - Identify, plan, and allocate resources
  • Interpersonal -  work with others
  • Information -  Acquire and use information
  • Technology -  Work with a variety of technologies
  • Basic Skills -  Read, write, perform arithmetic and mathematical operations, listen, and speak
  • Thinking Skills - Think creatively, make decisions, solve problems, and visualize

 

 

Performance Task:

 

 

Some folks in the region caught Legionnaires' disease. Personnel from the local health department quickly identified the disease and found its origin in an un-chlorinated hot tub at a local building supply dealer.

The purpose of this activity is to imitate the transmission of disease by exchanging simulated body fluids.  At the conclusion of the activity students will learn who became "infected" during the process.

Procedure:

  1. Obtain from the teacher a test tube containing a clear unknown solution. (Only one student will have the "infected" test tube.)

  2. Empty the contents of your test tube into the contents of another student's test tube. Gently move the test tube back and forth to mix the contents. Pour half the mixed contents back into your test tube.

  3. Record the name of the person with whom you exchanged fluids.

  4. Repeat the procedure in step two three times with a different student each time.  Again, record the name of each person with whom you exchanged liquids.

  5. Add one or two drops of the test solution into your test tube. A change in color from clear to pink shows the test is positive.

  6. Empty the contents of your test tube and wash it thoroughly. Remember to wash your hands.

  7. Determine the percentage of students who became infected.

  8. Analyze the class data concerning who became infected and who did not. Follow the path of the infection from one student to another. Find the source of the infection.

  9. As a result of this activity, speculate on the relationship between the number of contacts a person has and the possibility of getting an infectious disease.

  10. Write a report formulating your results into the possibilities of the spread of infectious diseases that health officials are dealing with today.

  11. Read related materials from the library and Internet as for your report.

    Materials needed: Test tubes 13 x 100 millimeters (one for each student)
    Distilled water
    0.1M sodium hydroxide
    Test solution (Phenolphthalein solution)

 

 

Knowledge / Skills:

 

 

Understand the transport (absorption and circulation) of materials throughout the body and related disorders such as high blood pressure, leukemia, anemia, and coronary thrombosis.  S.39

Plan and apply real or hypothetical models and constructions to facilitate investigation and learning and the solution to practical problems..    S.115

Gather information from a variety of sources, including electronic sources, and summarize, analyze, and evaluate its use for a report.  ELA.3

Understand the nature and purpose of and be able to word process a variety of formats including essays, business letters, memos, instructions, policy statements, technical proposals, user manuals, lab reports, etc.  ELA.30

 

 

Rubric:

 

 

Rate each of the statements below using this scale:

4 POINTS:  Excellent: The student worked above minimum requirements of the assignment and demonstrated mastery of the subject, topic, or principle with little or no help or coaching.

 

 

3 POINTS:  Very good: The student worked above minimum requirements of the assignment and demonstrated mastery of the subject, topic, or principle with some coaching and help.

 

 

2 POINTS:   Good but needs improvement: The student met only the minimum requirements of the assignment.  He or she did not demonstrate mastery of the subject, topic, or principle and needed considerable coaching and help.

 

 

1  POINT:   Poor: The student did not meet the minimum requirements for the assignment even with considerable coaching and extra help.

  • The student acquires the proper fluids and demonstrates safe handling of them during the activity.      

  • The student used time wisely, allocating enough time to successfully complete the activity.       

  • The student cooperated with other students to achieve the objectives of the activity.        

  • The student acquired and evaluated the data from the activity.   

  • The student interprets and communicates data from the activity and related readings.        

  • The student chose the correct materials, equipment and followed the correct procedures to successfully complete the activity.   

  • The student read related materials and understood the information as written in his or her report.        

  • The student wrote a report that effectively communicates his or her thoughts, ideas and information. 

 

 

Keywords:

 

 

CHEMISTRY
LAB EXPERIMENTS 
LIFE SCIENCE
DISEASE
GERM THEORY
TECHNOLOGY INTEGRATION
MODELS AND CONSTRUCTION
RESEARCH
EXPOSITION

 

 

Grades:

 

 

Kg [] - 1 [] - 2 [] - 3 [] - 4 [] - 5 [] - 6 [] - 7 [] - 8 [] - 9 [x] - 10 [x] - 11 [x] - 12 [x]

 

 

ICLE Application:

 

 

D

 

 

 

 

 

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