Epidemiology Education in Grades 6-12
American Public Health Association Conference
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
December 12, 2005
2:30 - 4:00 PM
Epidemiology Education in Grades 6-12
5 Learning Objectives
1. Consider the public health and educational rationale for
teaching epidemiology to students in grades 6-12.
2. Review selected grades 6-12 epidemiology curricula.
3. Participate in components of lessons from the above
curricula.
4. Identify the challenges to infusing epidemiology education
into an already packed school curriculum at a time when
standardize testing is of increasing importance.
5. Explore ways the public health community can address
these challenges.
Epidemiology Education in Grades 6-12
5 Learning Objectives
1. Consider the public health and educational rationale for
teaching epidemiology to students in grades 6-12.
2. Review selected grades 6-12 epidemiology curricula.
3. Participate in components of lessons from the above
curricula.
4. Identify the challenges to infusing epidemiology education
into an already packed school curriculum at a time when
standardize testing is of increasing importance.
5. Explore ways the public health community can address
these challenges.
Epidemiology Education in Grades 6-12
Detectives in the Classroom
Wendy Huebner, Ph.D.
Montclair State University
Epidemiology Education in Grades 6-12
Young Epidemiology Scholars
David Fraser, MD
College Board and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
Epidemiology Education in Grades 6-12
EXCITE
Ralph Cordell, Ph.D.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Epidemiology Education in Grades 6-12
5 Learning Objectives
1. Consider the public health and educational rationale for
teaching epidemiology to students in grades 6-12.
2. Review selected grades 6-12 epidemiology curricula.
3. Participate in components of lessons from the above
curricula.
4. Identify the challenges to infusing epidemiology education
into an already packed school curriculum at a time when
standardize testing is of increasing importance.
5. Explore ways the public health community can address
these challenges.
Epidemiology Education in Grades 6-12
Collectively Discuss the Challenges
Epidemiology Education in Grades 6-12
5 Learning Objectives
1. Consider the public health and educational rationale for
teaching epidemiology to students in grades 6-12.
2. Review selected grades 6-12 epidemiology curricula.
3. Participate in components of lessons from the above
curricula.
4. Identify the challenges to infusing epidemiology education
into an already packed school curriculum at a time when
standardize testing is of increasing importance.
5. Explore ways the public health community can address
these challenges.
Epidemiology Education in Grades 6-12
Top 8 Reasons for Teaching / Learning Epidemiology
1.
Empowers students to be scientifically literate participants in the
democratic decision-making process concerning public health policy.
2.
Empowers students to make more informed personal health-related
decisions.
3.
Increases students’ media literacy and their understanding of public
health messages.
4.
Increases students’ understanding of the basis for determining risk.
5.
Improves students’ mathematical and scientific literacy.
6.
Expands students’ understanding of scientific methods and develops
their critical thinking skills.
7.
Provides students with another mechanism for exploring important,
real world questions about their health and the health of others.
8.
Introduces students to an array of career paths related to the public’s
health.
.
Epidemiology Education in Grades 6-12
5 Learning Objectives
1. Consider the public health and educational rationale for
teaching epidemiology to students in grades 6-12.
2. Review selected grades 6-12 epidemiology curricula.
3. Participate in components of lessons from the above
curricula.
4. Identify the challenges to infusing epidemiology education
into an already packed school curriculum at a time when
standardize testing is of increasing importance.
5. Explore ways the public health community can address
these challenges.
Epidemiology Education in Grades 6-12
Detectives in the Classroom
Wendy Huebner, Ph.D.
Montclair State University
Detectives in the Classroom
An Epidemiology Curriculum for Science, Mathematics, and Health Educators
This project is supported by Science Education Partnership Awards, from the National Center for Research Resources, National Institutes of Health.
Pedagogical Basis
Enduring Understandings
… the big ideas that reside at the heart of a discipline
and have lasting value outside the classroom.
Essential Questions
… the questions, that when answered,
create the enduring understandings.
Content
Make the content the answers to the questions.
Detectives in the Classroom
Pedagogical Basis
Enduring Understandings
Essential Questions
Clues for formulating hypotheses can
be found by describing a disease
in terms of person, place and time.
Who has the disease?
When does it occur?
Where does it occur?
Hypothesized associations
can be tested using
observational studies.
Are the hypothesized
cause and exposure
associated with each other?
Causality must be considered
as just one of several possible
explanations for an association.
Is the association
causal?
Prevention strategies consider
many societal factors
as well as science.
What should be done
when a preventable
cause is identified?
Prevention strategies can be
evaluated scientifically. Costs
and trade-offs are also considered.
Did the prevention
strategy work?
Detectives in the Classroom
Module 1
Essential Question 1:
Why do some people get sick while others remain healthy?
Investigation 1-1: Why Are These Students Getting Sick?
Investigation 1-2: In the News
Investigation 1-3: What’s My Hypothesis?
Investigation 1-4: Amy
Investigation 1-5: A Mysterious Ailment
Investigation 1-6: Concept Connections
Enduring Understanding 1: Clues for formulating hypotheses can be found by
describing the way a disease is distributed in a population of people, in terms of
person, place and time.
Detectives in the Classroom
Person, Place and Time (PPT)
PPT Sheet
Person:
Place:
Time:
Detectives in the Classroom - Investigation 1-3: What’s My Hypothesis?
Person, Place, and Time
PPT Sheet
Person:
Lifeguards, Drum Majors,
Referees , Coaches, Traffic
Policemen
Place:
Pools, seashore, gymnasiums,
athletic fields, intersections
Time:
Hot days, schooldays, after
school, holidays
Detectives in the Classroom - Investigation 1-3: What’s My Hypothesis?
Hypotheses for Card 1
Detectives in the Classroom - Investigation 1-3: What’s My Hypothesis?
Hypotheses for Card 1
Card / Group
Hypotheses
1
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
2
Grass / Soil
3
Grass
4
Grass / Leaves / Dirt
5
Grass / Dirt
6
Grass / Trees
7
8
9
10
Detectives in the Classroom - Investigation 1-3: What’s My Hypothesis?
Hypotheses for Card 1
Card / Group
Hypotheses
1
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
2
Grass / Soil
3
Grass
4
Grass / Leaves / Dirt
5
Grass / Dirt
6
Grass / Trees
7
8
9
10
Detectives in the Classroom - Investigation 1-3: What’s My Hypothesis?
Hypotheses for Card 2
Detectives in the Classroom - Investigation 1-3: What’s My Hypothesis?
Hypotheses for Card 2
Card / Group
Hypotheses
1
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
2
Aerosol poisoning / fumes from
chemicals / make-up / hair dryer
3
Make up
4
Hair sprays / gels
5
Brush / hairspray
6
XXXXXXXXXXXXXX
7
8
9
10
Detectives in the Classroom - Investigation 1-3: What’s My Hypothesis?
Hypotheses for Card 2
Card / Group
Hypotheses
1
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
2
Aerosol poisoning / fumes from
chemicals / make-up / hair dryer
3
Make up
4
Hair sprays / gels
5
Brush / hairspray
6
XXXXXXXXXXXXXX
7
8
9
10
Detectives in the Classroom - Investigation 1-3: What’s My Hypothesis?
Hypotheses for Card 3
3
Detectives in the Classroom - Investigation 1-3: What’s My Hypothesis?
Hypotheses for Card 3
Card / Group
Hypotheses
1
Alcohol / Food poisoning / Drug-smoking
2
Alcoholic beverages
3
Alcohol
4
Alcohol / Drinks / Food / Music
5
XXXXXXXXXXX
6
Music
7
8
9
3
10
Detectives in the Classroom - Investigation 1-3: What’s My Hypothesis?
Hypotheses for Card 3
Card / Group
Hypotheses
1
Alcohol / Food poisoning / Drug-smoking
2
Alcoholic beverages
3
Alcohol
4
Alcohol / Drinks / Food / Music
5
XXXXXXXXXXX
6
Music
7
8
9
3
10
Detectives in the Classroom - Investigation 1-3: What’s My Hypothesis?
Hypotheses for Card 4
4
Detectives in the Classroom - Investigation 1-3: What’s My Hypothesis?
Hypotheses for Card 4
Card / Group
Hypotheses
1
Joint stiffness / Bed bugs
2
Pillows
3
Blankets
4
Pillow / Blanket
5
Blankets / Pillows
6
XXXXXXXXXXXX
7
8
9
4
10
Detectives in the Classroom - Investigation 1-3: What’s My Hypothesis?
Hypotheses for Card 4
Card / Group
Hypotheses
1
Joint stiffness / Bed bugs
2
Pillows
3
Blankets
4
Pillow / Blanket
5
Blankets / Pillows
6
XXXXXXXXXXXX
7
8
9
4
10
Detectives in the Classroom - Investigation 1-3: What’s My Hypothesis?
Module 1
Essential Question 1:
Why do some people get sick while others remain healthy?
Investigation 1-1: Why Are These Students Getting Sick?
Investigation 1-2: In the News
Investigation 1-3: What’s My Hypothesis?
Investigation 1-4: The Case of Amy
Investigation 1-5: A Mysterious Ailment
Investigation 1-6: Concept Connections
Enduring Understanding 1: Clues for formulating hypotheses can be found by
describing the way a disease is distributed in a population of people, in terms of
person, place and time.
Detectives in the Classroom
PPT and Hypotheses
Person (n = 608)
Place
Time
Young Men
Homosexuals (403)
Bisexuals (54)
Heterosexuals (86)
Hemophiliacs (3)
20 states, 7 countries
November
1982
IV Drug Users
Equatorial Africa
NY (20%), CA (22%)
FL (7%), NJ (6%),
TX 3%
SF, LA, NYC
Haitian Immigrants
EPI 101 – Descriptive Epidemiology
What’s My Hypothesis?
Descriptive Epi
Person:
Place:
Time:
Detectives in the Classroom - Investigation 1-5: A Mysterious Ailment
Epidemiology Education in Grades 6-12
Young Epidemiology Scholars
A program of the College Board and
the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
Genesis
• Prize competition in epidemiology to attract
bright students into population health
• High school curriculum in epidemiology
(1) to prepare students for the competition
(2) generally to enhance scientific literacy
Focus groups - form
• Variety of high schools: rural-urban, publicprivate, magnet-marginal, E-W-N-S
• Variety of teachers: math, biology, social
science, environmental science, health ed.
• What is epidemiology? What epidemiology
is already taught? What additional
epidemiologic ideas could usefully be
added? What resources would be helpful?
Focus groups - feedback
• Epidemiology is interesting (and parts are
already taught under different names)
• Curriculum is crowded; standards constrain
• Do not create a course or textbook
• 1-3 day modules could fit into existing
courses in various disciplines
• Cite standards that each module helps meet
• Provide intellectual framework, training
Working Group - people
• Mona Baumgarten (U
MD)
• Manuel Bayona
(UNT)
• Diane Marie St.
George (Walden U)
• Paul Stolley (U MD)
• Flora Huang (Biology
Stuyvesant HS, NYC)
• Mark Kaelin (Montclair
State)
• Felicia McCrary
(History, Galloway
School, Atlanta)
• Chris Olsen (Math/Stat,
George Washington HS,
Cedar Rapids)
Working Group - form
•
•
•
•
Identify key epidemiological principles
Work in teacher-epidemiologist pairs
Rotate pairs to get creative mix
Choose topics/formats that would interest
HS students
• Use matrix (principles x modules) to track
• Provide intellectual framework
Working Group - product
• 27 web-based modules (incl. 2 from Lloyd Novick)
http://www.collegeboard.com/yes/index.html
• Biology (15), social science (14), math/stat (13),
environ. science (10), health ed. (4), English (1)
• Study design (11), descriptive epidemiology (11),
science and policy (10)
• Case definition, hypothesis testing, measures of
association, causation, bias, confounding, screening,
epidemic investigation, ethics, risk-benefit, racial
and ethnic disparities, prevention, molecular
epidemiology
Working Group - examples
• Mock court (Alpine Fizz [Mountain Dew]
and Male Infertility)
• Review of original archival documents
(Tuskegee Syphilis Study)
• Manipulation of actual data from an
epidemic investigation to identify the source
(An Outbreak of Legionnaires’ Disease).
Adolescent suicide unit (1)
• Question 6.
Examine the first
two columns in
Table 1. If you were
to consider only the
mortality rates,
would you conclude
that suicide is an
important public
health problem for
children and teens
aged 10–19?
Adolescent suicide unit (2)
• Question 7.
Describe how the
mortality rates vary
by age group. Then
describe how the
percent of all deaths
varies by age group.
Explain the
differences in the
two patterns.
Adolescent suicide unit (3)
• Question 8. How
does consideration
of the percent of all
deaths affect your
conclusion about
whether suicide
should be regarded
as an important
public health
problem in children
and teens aged 10–
19?
Adolescent suicide unit (4)
• Question 15. Calculate
the odds ratio for
substance abuse.
Explain in words the
answer you get.
• Question 16. Examine
the results in Table 3.
According to this study,
what are the two
strongest risk factors for
suicide in males?
YES Competition
• Research projects by HS juniors and seniors
• 650 applicants in 2004-05 judged by panel of
teachers & epidemiologists
• Top 120 get scholarships
• 60 regional finalists go to Washington, DC
for oral presentation at regional and national
finals
• Prizes range from $1000 for regional semifinalists to $50,000 for 2 national winners
YES Competition – 2004-05
National Winners
• Jessica Cohen of Roslyn Heights, NY: “The
impact of condom education on high school
students”
• Andreea Seicean of Bayville, OH:
“A
significant association between short
sleeping hours and teens
overweight/obesity: results from Bay High
School”
YES Competition - Selected
Other 2004-05 National Finalists
• “Fatal motor vehicle accidents increase after
the fall and spring time changes”
• “Disease propagation through connective
paths: application of the small world theory
to epidemic modeling.”
• “Asthma disparities in Fresno unified
school district: mapping socioeconomic
status and prevalence”
Epidemiology Education in Grades 6-12
EXCITE
Ralph Cordell, Ph.D.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/folicacid/ScienceAmbassador.htm
CDC’s Framework for
Science Education
Curriculum Development
Family,
Community,
& Partners
Teacher
Development
Interscholastic
Activities &
Competitions
School
Involvement
Student
Development
Colleges
& Universities
Media
Teacher Development
• Accomplishments
– Provided training to >3000 teachers through
Hammond Coaches Clinic
– Science Ambassador Program
• Need to
– Foster teacher training opportunities within
CDC and within other health agencies
Extracurricular Activities
Participant at the Prom Nightmare, cosponsored by OSE and
the National Council of the Girl Scouts of the United States
Science Olympiad
For the last 5 years, OSE has brought the winning team of the
National Disease Detectives Competition to Atlanta. Two of the 10
winners brought to Atlanta have returned for summer internships.
Curriculum Development
• Accomplishments
– Middle school curriculum
– Series of lesson plans on line
• EXCITE
• Science Ambassador
• Need
– Expand to high school
– Broaden to cover math for both levels
Middle School Mock Foodborne Outbreak
Disease Detectives Middle School Curriculum
Middle school class doing mock foodborne outbreak exercise
Student being “Tested” for Food Poisoning
Epidemiology Education in Grades 6-12
5 Learning Objectives
1. Consider the public health and educational rationale for
teaching epidemiology to students in grades 6-12.
2. Review selected grades 6-12 epidemiology curricula.
3. Participate in components of lessons from the above
curricula.
4. Identify the challenges to infusing epidemiology education
into an already packed school curriculum at a time when
standardize testing is of increasing importance.
5. Explore ways the public health community can address
these challenges.
Epidemiology Education in Grades 6-12
Top 8 Reasons for Teaching / Learning Epidemiology
1.
Empowers students to be scientifically literate participants in the
democratic decision-making process concerning public health policy.
2.
Empowers students to make more informed personal health-related
decisions.
3.
Increases students’ media literacy and their understanding of public
health messages.
4.
Increases students’ understanding of the basis for determining risk.
5.
Improves students’ mathematical and scientific literacy.
6.
Expands students’ understanding of scientific methods and develops
their critical thinking skills.
7.
Provides students with another mechanism for exploring important,
real world questions about their health and the health of others.
8.
Introduces students to an array of career paths related to the public’s
health.
.
Epidemiology Education in Grades 6-12
Connect the Dots
Epidemiology Education Movement
Goals
Infuse epidemiology
education into curricula
in grades 6-12.
Improve scientific literacy.
Increase the number of
students preparing for
careers in public health.
Epidemiology Education Movement
Assess Short and Long Term Goals
Develop
Curricula
Create new
curricula and
enhance existing
curricula.
Prepare
Teachers
Goals
Infuse epidemiology
education into curricula
in grades 6-12.
Improve scientific literacy.
Develop cadre of
epidemiology
curriculum
developers.
Increase the number of
students preparing for
careers in public health.
Evaluate curricula.
Implement
teacher training
workshops in a
variety of venues.
Implement
demonstration
projects in a
variety of school
and non-school
venues.
Maintain
Momentum
Create
Demand
Develop mechanisms to make people aware of the
efforts of others (web site, newsletter, list serve).
Infuse into educational structure (state / national
standards, standardized testing, textbooks).
Develop mechanisms to focus and coordinate
efforts of many interested but busy stakeholders.
Obtain support of stakeholders (educators,
epidemiologists, public health community, professional
organizations, scientific journals, government).
Epidemiology Education in Grades 6-12
Using the concept map as a point of departure,
•
Change the map.
•
Identify other steps to take.
•
Prioritize the steps.
•
Identify opportunities for the public health
community to participate.
Epidemiology Education Movement
Assess Short and Long Term Goals
Develop
Curricula
Create new
curricula and
enhance existing
curricula.
Prepare
Teachers
Goals
Infuse epidemiology
education into curricula
in grades 6-12.
Improve scientific literacy.
Develop cadre of
epidemiology
curriculum
developers.
Increase the number of
students preparing for
careers in public health.
Evaluate curricula.
Implement
teacher training
workshops in a
variety of venues.
Implement
demonstration
projects in a
variety of school
and non-school
venues.
Maintain
Momentum
Create
Demand
Develop mechanisms to make people aware of the
efforts of others (web site, newsletter, list serve).
Infuse into educational structure (state / national
standards, standardized testing, textbooks).
Develop mechanisms to focus and coordinate
efforts of many interested but busy stakeholders.
Obtain support of stakeholders (educators,
epidemiologists, public health community, professional
organizations, scientific journals, government).
Epidemiology Education in Grades 6-12
Epidemiology Education Movement
“And can you imagine fifty people a day;
I said fifty people a day,
Walking in singing a bar of Alice's Restaurant
and walking out.
And friends they may think it's a movement.”
Alice's Restaurant, Arlo Guthrie
Epidemiology Education in Grades 6-12
Epidemiology Education Movement
Epidemiology Education in Grades 6-12
American Public Health Association Conference
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
December 12, 2005
2:30 - 4:00 PM