Human Diseases Student Resources in Context
Grade Level: 7-12
Overview: Students will learn about the various types of diseases humans are subject to and will
learn how to classify them, distinguish them from each other, and what kinds of precautions can be
taken to prevent some of them. Upon completion of this unit, students will have examined various
diseases and determined their causes in order to become more informed health advocates for
themselves and others.
Objectives:
1. Learn the differences between viral, bacterial and fungal diseases and toxins.
2. Consider a worldwide perspective of the different types of diseases as well as some of the
implications of biological warfare.
3. Research precautions that can be taken to prevent certain types of diseases and analyze how
some pathogens become antibiotic resistant.
Materials:
1. Access to computers and Gale Student Resources in Context database.
2. Scoring rubric handout
3. A slideshow program for presenting projects
Time Frame: 3-4 class periods
Vocabulary: Students should be familiar with the following terms: viral, bacterial, fungal, venomous,
systemic, toxicity.
Procedures:
Day 1 – Different classes of microorganisms
1. Develop student awareness of everyday threat of illness by having them partner read:
2. Build background knowledge by having students refer to The Gale Encyclopedia of Science to
define the characteristics of a virus and related diseases; a bacterium and related diseases,
and a fungus and related diseases.
Day 2 – Beneficial microorganisms
1. Have students read newspaper article from The Telegraph Online, June 4, 2014 about how we are
making our lives too sterile.
2. Have students listen to audio: Thriving Gut Bacteria Linked To Good Health."
3. Have students do a Student Resources in Context search for “Beneficial Microorganisms” and
choose one article to summarize and share in small groups.
Exit card for the day:
1. What country do you think the Telegraph Online newspaper article is from and why?
2. How are some organisms beneficial? Give specific examples from what you read or heard
today.
Day 3 – Diagnosis and Prevention
-
Molecular approaches to infectious disease assays Medical Laboratory Observer,
January 2014
o Who is the author of this magazine article? Who do you think his audience is? Give
examples of the vocabulary he uses to support your answer.
o What are some of the obstacles in diagnosing bacterial and fungal pathogens?
- Discuss disease prevention & watch 2 video clips:
- Discuss worldwide implication of biological weapons & what is being done to prevent such an
occurrence.
Day 4 Student Independent Research on an Assigned Disease (projects and assessment)
1. Assign each student a disease to research and present their findings to the class using a slide
show. Students need to take notes on each presentation and note pathogen classification,
symptoms and treatment.
2. Presentations will be scored using presentation rubric
3. Summative assessment will be mystery disease stations that students must diagnose correctly
and suggest treatment citing specific information from classmates’ presentations.
a. Students must also design a diagnostic flow chart (see example)
4. Middle School Project: Develop a public service announcement for disease prevention for an
assigned disease.
5. Middle School Project: Extract DNA from spinach (see website & watch YoutTube demo)
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• Public Awareness Campaign : Disease Report
• Teacher Name:
Student Name:
___________________________
CCSS
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RST.6-8.2
Determine the central ideas or conclusions of a text; provide an accurate
summary of the text distinct from prior knowledge or opinions.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RST.6-8.6
Analyze the author's purpose in providing an explanation, describing a
procedure, or discussing an experiment in a text.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RST.6-8.9
Compare and contrast the information gained from experiments, simulations,
video, or multimedia sources with that gained from reading a text on the same
topic.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RST.9-10.1
Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of science and technical texts,
attending to the precise details of explanations or descriptions.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RST.9-10.4
Determine the meaning of symbols, key terms, and other domain-specific
words and phrases as they are used in a specific scientific or technical context
relevant to grades 9-10 texts and topics.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RST.9-10.7
Translate quantitative or technical information expressed in words in a text
into visual form (e.g., a table or chart) and translate information expressed
visually or mathematically (e.g., in an equation) into words.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RST.11-12.1
Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of science and technical texts,
attending to important distinctions the author makes and to any gaps or
inconsistencies in the account.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RST.11-12.4
Determine the meaning of symbols, key terms, and other domain-specific
words and phrases as they are used in a specific scientific or technical context
relevant to grades 11-12 texts and topics.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RST.11-12.7
Integrate and evaluate multiple sources of information presented in diverse
formats and media (e.g., quantitative data, video, multimedia) in order to
address a question or solve a problem.
Resources for teachers & students
Source Citation - Newspaper
Cha, Ariana Eunjung. "Creating life forms: There's an app for that." Washington Post 24 Oct. 2013.
Student Resources in Context. Web. 26 June 2014.
Document URL
http://ic.galegroup.com/ic/suic/NewsDetailsPage/NewsDetailsWindow?failOverType=&query=&prodId=SU
IC&windowstate=normal&contentModules=&mode=view&displayGroupName=News&limiter=&currPage=
&disableHighlighting=false&displayGroups=&sortBy=&search_within_results=&p=SUIC&action=e&catId=
&activityType=&scanId=&documentId=GALE%7CA346832220&source=Bookmark&u=canby&jsid=c6091
9b81f85060f17d31dd4685fca97
Will dengue fever threaten the World Cup? CNN Wire, June 12, 2014
Document URL
http://ic.galegroup.com/ic/suic/NewsDetailsPage/NewsDetailsWindow?failOverType=&query=&prodId=SUI
C&windowstate=normal&contentModules=&mode=view&displayGroupName=News&limiter=&currPage=&
disableHighlighting=false&displayGroups=&sortBy=&search_within_results=&p=SUIC&action=e&catId=&a
ctivityType=&scanId=&documentId=GALE%7CA370981388&source=Bookmark&u=canby&jsid=a3c3f0afd
16c88e554921ad8514124b0
Bacteria and foodborne illness. Pamphlet by: National Digestive Diseases Information
Clearinghouse.
Document URL
http://ic.galegroup.com/ic/suic/PrimarySourcesDetailsPage/PrimarySourcesDetailsWindow?failOverType=
&query=&prodId=SUIC&windowstate=normal&contentModules=&mode=view&displayGroupName=Prima
rySources&limiter=&currPage=&disableHighlighting=false&displayGroups=&sortBy=&search_within_resul
ts=&p=SUIC&action=e&catId=&activityType=&scanId=&documentId=GALE%7CA82877244&source=Boo
kmark&u=canby&jsid=92226677176c3815ddd8402b003c3989
The Telegraph Online, June 4, 2014:
“Mothers should suck their babies’ dummies, scientists say; Being too clean has killed beneficial
bacteria and mothers should suck their babies’ dummies to wash them and keep their children
healthy, research suggests.”
Document URL
http://ic.galegroup.com/ic/suic/NewsDetailsPage/NewsDetailsWindow?failOverType=&query=&prodId=SUIC&
windowstate=normal&contentModules=&mode=view&displayGroupName=News&limiter=&currPage=&disable
Highlighting=false&displayGroups=&sortBy=&search_within_results=&p=SUIC&action=e&catId=&activityType
=&scanId=&documentId=GALE%7CA370260434&source=Bookmark&u=canby&jsid=9a67fd6888d3688e619c
67dd239dc9ff
Source Citation - Audio
"Thriving Gut Bacteria Linked To Good Health." Morning Edition 16 July 2012. Student
Resources in Context. Web. 25 June 2014.
Document URL
http://ic.galegroup.com/ic/suic/AudioDetailsPage/AudioDetailsWindow?failOverType=&query=&prodId=SUIC&
windowstate=normal&contentModules=&mode=view&displayGroupName=Audio&limiter=&currPage=&disabl
eHighlighting=false&displayGroups=&sortBy=&search_within_results=&p=SUIC&action=e&catId=&activityTyp
e=&scanId=&documentId=GALE%7CA296787340&source=Bookmark&u=canby&jsid=15006f1f91669f179c87
c83a92bc3874
Machine vision sees the food contaminants we can’t see Agricultural Research, August 2002
Document URL
http://ic.galegroup.com/ic/suic/AcademicJournalsDetailsPage/AcademicJournalsDetailsWindow?failOverType
=&query=&prodId=SUIC&windowstate=normal&contentModules=&mode=view&displayGroupName=Journals
&limiter=&currPage=&disableHighlighting=false&displayGroups=&sortBy=&search_within_results=&p=SUIC&
action=e&catId=&activityType=&scanId=&documentId=GALE%7CA90873336&source=Bookmark&u=canby&j
sid=5a5023f4f196e2d4ebce66dd4837defe
Molecular approaches to infectious disease assays Medical Laboratory Observer, January 2014
Document URL
http://ic.galegroup.com/ic/suic/MagazinesDetailsPage/MagazinesDetailsWindow?failOverType=&query=&pro
dId=SUIC&windowstate=normal&contentModules=&mode=view&displayGroupName=Magazines&limiter=&cu
rrPage=&disableHighlighting=false&displayGroups=&sortBy=&search_within_results=&p=SUIC&action=e&ca
tId=&activityType=&scanId=&documentId=GALE%7CA355190448&source=Bookmark&u=canby&jsid=f87008
418fcd04f9ccd9ad992421009e
CDC reports Highest Number of Measles Cases in 20 Years May 30, 2014
Document URL
http://ic.galegroup.com/ic/suic/VideosDetailsPage/VideosDetailsWindow?total=1&query=KE CDC reports
highest number measles cases 20 years&prodId=SUIC&windowstate=normal&mode=view&limiter=AC
y&displayGroupName=Videos&currPage=1&displayGroups=&sortBy=relevance%2Cdescending&p=SUIC&ac
tion=e&catId=&view=docDisplay&documentId=GALE%7CA369579015&source=Bookmark&u=canby&jsid=00
307dc0f48ad8fea7029fb0169fd584
Flesh-eating disease, June 25, 2012
Document URL
http://ic.galegroup.com/ic/suic/VideosDetailsPage/VideosDetailsWindow?total=5&query=OQE flesh eating
disease&prodId=SUIC&windowstate=normal&mode=view&limiter=AC
y&displayGroupName=Videos&currPage=1&displayGroups=&sortBy=relevance%2Cdescending&p=SUIC&ac
tion=e&catId=&view=docDisplay&documentId=GALE%7CA294369357&source=Bookmark&u=canby&jsid=bb
38a35db6d3faf52c80e02bedf6319c
Who’s Protecting Whom From Deadly Toxin? All Things Considered, April 23, 2014
Document URL
http://ic.galegroup.com/ic/suic/AudioDetailsPage/AudioDetailsWindow?failOverType=&query=&prodId=SUIC&
windowstate=normal&contentModules=&mode=view&displayGroupName=Audio&limiter=&currPage=&disabl
eHighlighting=false&displayGroups=&sortBy=&search_within_results=&p=SUIC&action=e&catId=&activityTyp
e=&scanId=&documentId=GALE%7CA367468121&source=Bookmark&u=canby&jsid=f3b7692572d2d9fc609
6752815fa8ef8
Stopping Microbes Not Missiles: U.S Plans for Next Global Threat All Things Considered,
February 2014
Document URL
http://ic.galegroup.com/ic/suic/AudioDetailsPage/AudioDetailsWindow?failOverType=&query=&prodId=SUIC&
windowstate=normal&contentModules=&mode=view&displayGroupName=Audio&limiter=&currPage=&disabl
eHighlighting=false&displayGroups=&sortBy=&search_within_results=&p=SUIC&action=e&catId=&activityTyp
e=&scanId=&documentId=GALE%7CA358954109&source=Bookmark&u=canby&jsid=a0ae74d0324d1b7062
86a8e40cf84c3f
Websites
Center for Disease Control & Prevention http://www.bt.cdc.gov
Extract DNA from spinach < http://www.education.com/activity/article/pull-dna-spinach/>
Extract DNA from blood YouTube < https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P0DCj6qyj4c>
• Public Awareness Campaign : Disease Report
• Teacher Name:
Student Name: ________________________________________