Epidemic Simulation  by  Ruth Baldivia

 This is an Epidimiological scavenger hunt for high school students.  The hunt is to give the students an opportunity to find the origin of an epidemic outbreak.  The students are actively engage in solving the problem because the occurrence of the epidemic is on their school campus.

• The objecive is to give the students an opportunity to find the origin of an epidemic outbreak using physical clues and invetigative interviews..

Notes to the Teacher: to top

Limitations: This activity relies on three major factors; first, the students must be able to get out and search the campus.  Second, you must enlist faculty and drama student volunteers to roleplay.  Third, the disease (in the case of Rangeview High School) breeds in a stagnate pool of water created by extensive rains which overflowed this water through ceiling tiles and dripped the contaminated water to an area where a student might sit.  At Rangeview we have a roof that leaks if there is rain.   Two evidences of this are stained ceiling tiles and dripping water.  This is the area where all of the victims will have sat at some time during the day.

Time: I do this activity over a period of four days about 15 min. a day.  The first day students are put into groups and are given the problem with time to plan strategies (last 20 min of class).  The second day they are given the last 15 minutes of the period to regroup.  The third day they are also given the last 15 of the period to regroup.  The fourth day, if they have not solved the problem, I tell the students that the CDC concluded it was the contaminated water dripping from the ceiling tiles in the commons.

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Materials for each student group:
 1.  a copy of the school newspaper article pertaining to the epidemic
 2.  a faculty list describing any areas of specialty
 3.  a list of the names of friends of people who have contracted the disease

Pre Lab:  Volunteers are given the scripts and a note to all faculty members explaining the activity and how they might anticipate questions relating to this activity.

Players:

Faculty Specialties

School Nurse - Degree in Nursing with a specialty in bacterial infections

Faculty Volunteer #1 - A former CDC agent

Student Information
Carlos Mendoza Close Friends
 Sophomore Drama Volunteer #1
 Sophomore Drama Volunteer #2
 Senior Drama Volunteer #3

Jennifer Morgan Close Friends
 Sophomore Drama Volunteer #4
 Sophomore Drama Volunteer #5
 Sophomore Drama Volunteer #6

Volunteer Scripts

School Principal - The two students and custodian are doing better, but there are still no answers about the bacteria.  There is a possibility that when an antibiotic is found to be effective the entire school will be asked to take part in a school wide medicine dispensing program.  The CDC is interviewing all the students in the classes attended by the students who are infected.

School Nurse - The two students and custodian are doing better, but there are still no answers about the specific bacteria.  It is likely that one of the many of drugs will be effective.  Many antibacterial drugs are effective for a wide variety of bacteria, because of their ability to break into the cell membrane.

There is a possibility that when an antibiotic is found to be effective the entire school will be asked to take part in a school wide medicine dispensing program.  This will not be required by all students, but will be highly recommended.
The CDC are interviewing all the students in the classes attended by the students who are infected.  If the CDC is able to find the origin of the bacteria they will be better able to combat it and potentially get rid of it.

Faculty Volunteer - Haven't worked in the field for a very long time but can point out that the CDC is looking for commonalties between the three victims.  These commonalties can be things they have eaten or places they have been.

Records Keeper - This is the person in the building that has all of the school schedules for all of the students.  The information they share with the student investigators is that Carlos and Jennifer have no classes together nor do they have the same teacher for any class.

Head Custodian - Only knows that the new custodian like to work alone.  He was responsible for cleaning out the commons and often took his break by himself.  The Head Custodian does not know any more details.

Student Volunteers -Ask the Drama students to take their roles seriously.  They can be any type of person they want and may embellish things if they wish. Make sure that in their acting that they do not cloud the following facts.  Facts:
  Carlos and Jennifer did not start to feel sick until after lunch.
  Their illness started as a fast spreading rash all over their body.
Volunteers 1,3,4, & 5 sat with either Carlos or Jennifer at lunch that day.
They ate Lunch at the Sophomore’s table in the far southeast corner of the commons, Carlos 5th hour and Jennifer 6th hour sat in the seat closest to the brick pillar.

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Activity: Students are given material about an epidemic, and are asked to find the origins of the disease.  In their quest for additional information, students are encouraged to ask individuals around campus.  During the second day of their search they are given this additional information:  Rudy Van Horn, the new night custodian is now in the hospital with the same bacterial infection.
 
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