Bender 2014
Engaging in Scientific Inquiry Modeled from Engaging in Astronomical Inquiry by Stephanie and Tim Slater 6/7/14
Engaging in Zoonotic Inquiry
Common Core Reading Standards for Science
1. Follow precisely a complex multistep procedure when carrying out experiments taking,
measurements or performing technical tasks, analyze the specific results based on
explanations in the text.
2. Analyze how the text structures information or ideas into categories or hierarchies,
demonstrating understanding of information or ideas.
3. Synthesize information from a range of sources (e.g. texts, experiments, simulations)
into a coherent understanding of a process, phenomenon, or concept, resolving
conflicting information where possible
Big Idea: Many diseases are caused by microorganisms of various kinds. Some of these
organisms are transmitted to humans and animals by other animals or insects. These
organisms can be counted, organized and classified. Once this task has been accomplished we
can begin to determine similarities and differences among these disease causing organisms.
You do not need to know anything about diseases in order to complete this assignment.
Computer Research: You will need to access the UC Santa Barbara Office of Research, from
Google type in the following: UCSB Office of Research Zoonotic Diseases. Click on the first link
that appears.
Getting to Know the Data:
From the page listed,
1. What is a zoonotic disease?
2. Identify each of the following in the section labeled Epidemiologic Concepts
Classification
Based on Host
1.
2.
3.
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Description of Host for Zoonosis
Bender 2014
Engaging in Scientific Inquiry Modeled from Engaging in Astronomical Inquiry by Stephanie and Tim Slater 6/7/14
3. What are the various modes and mechanisms of transmission for various zoonoses from this
web site?
Mode
Mechanism
1.
1.
2.
2.
3.
3.
4.
5.
4. If you had to group the modes and mechanisms of transmission for zoonoses into various
categories, what categories would you choose? Why?
5. Means of classification of Zoonoses
Type Based on
Life Cycle
Description
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Part Two: Being an Epidemiologist
Question: Using the UC Santa Barbara website, how many different categories of zoonoses have
been identified by the World Health Organization? We could identify these diseases by
counting every infection transmitted by an animal, human, or insect. Instead we are going to
use a process called surveying.
Computer Research: You will need to access the National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic
Diseases, type in the following: www.cdc.gov/ncezid/dvbd/about.html. This is the division of
vector borne diseases.
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Bender 2014
Engaging in Scientific Inquiry Modeled from Engaging in Astronomical Inquiry by Stephanie and Tim Slater 6/7/14
1. From this page, discuss the concept of vector borne disease. What are the specific vectors,
(transmitters), of disease identified in the first paragraph?
2. Scroll to the bottom of the page and identify the eight types of Arborviral disease a type of
Metazoonoses identified earlier and currently studied at the CDC in Fort Collins, CO.? Click on
each of the hyperlinks and use context clues to identify what you believe the term Arboviral
means.
Eight Types of Arborviral Infections Studied at the CDC in
Fort Collins, CO
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
Your definition of an Arborviral infection:
Let’s Investigate.
Click on the Yellow Fever, (this is just a way to get to the maps…we will come back ti=o this
disease later), hyperlink at the bottom of the Arboviral list. In the center of the page, click on
maps and choose either a map of Africa or South America. Choose five (5) countries from either
Africa or South America for the next part of the activity.
Continent Africa
of South America
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Five Countries for Survey
Bender 2014
Engaging in Scientific Inquiry Modeled from Engaging in Astronomical Inquiry by Stephanie and Tim Slater 6/7/14
Now that you have selected your countries we will go to another branch of the CDC for more
data. http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/ Choose the countries that you have selected and list the
various zoonotic diseases in these countries that require vaccination.
Country
Names of Zoonotic Diseases Requiring Vaccinations
Number of Diseases
Total Number of Zoonoses
Average Number of Zoonoses
From the data, what is the most common zoonotic infection in the countries that you
surveyed? Could you make any predictions about the most common zoonoses in other parts of
the continent that you selected? Keep in mind, there are 57 countries in Africa and 15 countries
in South America.
Evidence Based Claim: Write at least five (5) complete sentences.(1) what questions were you
trying to answer? (2) How did you use data to answer your questions? (3) Why did you conduct
your investigation the way that you did? (4) What were the results of your investigation? (5)
Why are your results important?
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Bender 2014
Engaging in Scientific Inquiry Modeled from Engaging in Astronomical Inquiry by Stephanie and Tim Slater 6/7/14
Part Three: In part two (2), you engaged in a legitimate scientific investigation. You asked a
series of questions and came up with a means to answer those questions, collect data,
performed some calculations, and then used the evidence from your data to come to a series of
conclusions. That is the use of scientific thinking to solve a problem.
Question: Earlier in this activity, you were able to see that zoonoses come in several forms.
What are the percentages of the identifiable diseases that you found on your continent that
you selected classified by type?
Zoonotic Infection Survey by County and Mode of Transmission
Country #
#
#
#
#
Total %
%
%
%
%
Feces Urine Saliva Blood Milk
Feces Urine Saliva Blood Milk
Average Percentage for Mode of Transmission
Evidence Based Claim: Write five (5) complete sentences
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Bender 2014
Engaging in Scientific Inquiry Modeled from Engaging in Astronomical Inquiry by Stephanie and Tim Slater 6/7/14
Part Four: Up to this point you have discovered that zoonoses are classified according to type of
host, life cycle and mode of transmission. A certain percentage of those diseases are strictly
Arborviral in nature. What percentage of the diseases that you identified from your selected
continent were Arborviral in nature?
Procedure:
1. What evidence do you need to answer this question?
2. What data can you use for your evidence?
3. How would you collect this data?
Data: Create your table and record your data in this area.
Evidence Based Claim: Five sentences
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Bender 2014
Engaging in Scientific Inquiry Modeled from Engaging in Astronomical Inquiry by Stephanie and Tim Slater 6/7/14
Part Five: What’s next for your Zoonoses research?
Now it’s your turn. You have been provided with several questions throughout this activity
related to the classification and types of zoonotic diseases. You have collected data and formed
conclusions based on this data as evidence. Your task is to design a research question, propose
a plan to pursue evidence, collect data using the CDC website, or another suitable APPROVED
website. You will collect data to use as evidence to substantiate your conclusions about
Arboviral infections. This cannot be one of the previously answered questions.
Specific research question:
Procedure:
Data and or results
Evidence based claim:
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Bender 2014
Engaging in Scientific Inquiry Modeled from Engaging in Astronomical Inquiry by Stephanie and Tim Slater 6/7/14
Summary:
In your own words, describe the characteristics and distribution of various types of zoonotic
infections. You should cite specific evidence you have collected throughout this activity as
evidence for your conclusion. Your answer should only include information from this activity
and not from other sources or information that you have learned in other classes. You may use
a sketch or a data table to help with your response. You od not need to write more than fifty
(50) words for your answer.
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Bender 2014
Engaging in Scientific Inquiry Modeled from Engaging in Astronomical Inquiry by Stephanie and Tim Slater 6/7/14
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