Gold Seal Lesson:
Tuberculosis: Past, Present & Future

Copernicus Education Gateway

Subject:

Science

Grade:

9-12

ICLE Standards:

Science as Inquiry: Conduct quantitative and qualitative research.

Performance Task:

Tuberculosis outbreaks have caused a major concern in some parts of the country. This bacterial infection that was a plague to society in the early 1900s had finally been considered manageable. Antibiotics were able to destroy this very hardy organism. Recent outbreaks, however, have shown a TB organism that is resistant to medications. This current science issue raises some interesting questions. For example, "What is tuberculosis?" "How is tuberculosis spread?" "Is tuberculosis more prevalent in some parts of the country?" "How serious is the new problem?" "What treatments are there for tuberculosis?" etc.

Your task is to identify some question about tuberculosis that interest you. You may use one of the suggested questions or formulate one of your own. Use a variety of resources including, but not limited to, computer on-line research, library, town halls and records, local public health departments, state agencies, etc., to get as much information about tuberculosis as you can. Your study should include each of the following:

1. basic research - cause, symptoms, cure and prevention of the disease; the physiology and morphology of the tuberculosis bacteria;
2. statistics - number of TB cases and/or deaths that occurred in your state in the 1900s (use some statistical method to display this data and analyze your data display);
3. historical interviews - interview three to five people that somehow have been involved with or influenced by TB (interview possibilities could include old and new physicians, nurses, pharmacists, former TB patients and others).

After completing your study, you are to write a report of your research. Your paper should be well written and include:

1. an introduction identifying the question you plan to research
2. a section summarizing your basic research;
3. a display and interpretation of statistical data collected;
4. a description of your historical interviews;
5. a summary, including conclusions, implications and further questions to consider.

Knowledge / Skills:

Exhibit good data management skills by collecting, organizing, and graphing data.  (s19)

Gather information from a variety of sources, including electronic sources, and summarize, analyze, and evaluate its use for a report.  (ela3)

Use expository writing skills in subjects other than English language arts.  (ela58)

Rubric:

4 Points  =  The student completes all parts of the task. He/she demonstrates the ability to do quality research, to interpret and communicate information from the research, and to state findings in a written report. The written report is complete, clear, coherent and interesting. The written report uses good grammar and style throughout. The student demonstrates considerable knowledge about tuberculosis in general and about the stated question in particular.

3 Points  =  The student completes all parts of the task, but the research done is not comprehensive. He/she has some difficulty interpreting and communicating information from the research. The written report is fairly complete, but lacks clarity, coherence, and is not particularly interesting to read. The student's writing indicates that he/she does not have a complete understanding of the disease. His/her statistics are a bit sketchy and not as effectively displayed as they could be. The student did not interview the minimum number requested, and the report of these interviews is sketchy. Although the student's research does address the question he/she posed, he/she does not stick to the question. Some extraneous and unnecessary information is given.

2 Points  =  The student does not complete all parts of the task. His/her research is not comprehensive. The student data are inadequate and this is little interpretation of that data. The written report is incomplete, unclear and dull. The student's writing indicates that he/she does not have much understanding of the disease. One person at most was interviewed for the historical information. The student strays from the question he/she asks and just talks about tuberculosis in general. The student's work indicates that he/she does not know how to satisfactorily conduct a research study.

1 Point  =  The student does very little of the task. He/she makes little attempt to do research. The little research that is done is sketchy and meaningless. There is no attempt to gather and display statistical information. No meaningful interviews were conducted. The written report is incomplete, messy and incoherent.

Keywords:

CHEMISTRY
SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH 
LIFE SCIENCE
DISEASE
HEALTH
EXPOSITION
STATISTICS
INTERVIEWING

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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