Infectious Diseases: Unit 1

Why should we care about infectious diseases?

The goal of this unit is to improve students’ understanding on the impact that infectious diseases had and still have on societies, and to introduce the factors responsible for infectious diseases. The unit begins by engaging the students by presenting the impact of infectious diseases from historical and current perspective. It continues with introduction to microbes as the infectious agents and focus on their structure and functions, especially in relation to microbes’ infectivity and pathogenicity. The unit is completed by introducing the roles of different protective barriers that the human body has to fight off invaders.

Lesson 1

The flu, do we overreact?

This lesson is intended as an ‘engage’ as well as to address the larger question: Why should we care about infectious disease? You will capture student interest by stimulating a discussion focused on what makes a disease infectious. The flu is then used to illustrate the potential impact infectious diseases can have. Students are asked to question the importance of flu shots. The students revisit this question again after watching a video about the Spanish flu pandemic of 1918.

Objectives – Explain what a disease is.
– Explain what makes a disease infectious.
– Explain why we care about infectious disease.
– Name three impacts the flu has on society.
Activities – Pros/cons of a flu shot
– Watch flu pandemic video
Materials Printed:
– Lesson worksheet

Other:
– Video (see PowerPoint)
Homework Have the students write a paragraph about three globally important infectious diseases of their choice.

Lesson 2

Lesson 3

Lesson 4

Lesson 5

Teacher Prep: Unit 1 Lesson Overview Videos

In the YouTube embed below, click the order listing in the upper right to toggle the display for the full playlist.