Timeline |
Big Ideas |
Lesson Overview | Eliciting and Engaging the Student | Developing the Ideas | Checking for Understanding |
~3-4 Class Periods |
BIG IDEA 1: What is Malaria? |
In these five lessons, students will develop a basic understanding of malaria as a human disease, including:
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Lesson 1-1: An Introduction to the Disease
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Lesson 1-2: Disease Life Cycle and Transmission
Lesson 1-3: Discovering Malaria
Lesson 1-4: Mosquito Dissection and Blood Smears Lab
Lesson 1-5: The Spread of Malaria
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FOR A FUN REVIEW!:
Ask Students:
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~4 class periods | BIG IDEA 1.A: The Biology of Malaria; Going Deeper |
In a deeper exploration of Big Idea 1, these lessons look more specifically into the biology of the human immune system, the malaria protist Plasmodium falciparum, and the genetic ties between sickle cell anemia and malaria resistance. For best understanding, students need a prerequisite knowledge of the immune system, parasitic relationships, genes, DNA and proteins.
These lessons would be best used in an advanced or AP Biology class setting. |
Lesson 1.A-1: Antigen Switching in Malaria
Lesson 1.A-2: Immunity Meets Invasion
Lesson 1.A-3: Genetic Variation and the Malaria-Sickle Cell Link
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Ask students:
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~2-3 class periods | BIG IDEA 2: The Impacts of Malaria Infection |
In these lessons, students will develop an understanding of the social and economic impacts of malaria infection around the world.
Lesson 2-2 has two pathways (Option A or Option B), both of which involve student groups exploring case studies and then sharing out as a class. Teachers can look over each and choose the one that they prefer for their class. |
Lesson 2-1: The Human and Social Crisis of Malaria; Class Reading & Discussion |
Lesson 2-2 (Option A): Malaria Case Studies
Lesson 2-2 (Option B): Malaria Town Hall Meeting
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Ask students:
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~3 class periods | BIG IDEA 3: The Fight Against Malaria |
In these lessons, students will examine the many fronts on which malaria is being fought today, including the battle against the mosquito vector (Deadly Messengers), and what is being done to help vaccinate against malaria and the challenges faced by researchers.
Lessons 3-3 through 3-5 are less specific to malaria but instead offer useful insight for students who may not have prerequisite knowledge of the history, development and function of vaccines. These ideas scaffold a full understanding of the challenges in creating a malaria vaccine.
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Lesson 3-1: Deadly Messengers Elicitation
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Lesson 3-2: Deadly Messengers, cont'd.
Lesson 3-4: Viruses and Evolution
Lesson 3-5: The Scientific Method in Vaccine History
Lesson 3-6: TED TALKS & The Elusive Malaria Vaccine
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Ask students:
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TBD by Instructor | BIG IDEA 4: Action Project |
For this activity, students will work in groups of four and select either a method of malarial control OR an awareness/advocacy issue related to malaria.
They will create a poster that will be used for a classroom presentation and for use in educating the rest of the school community about health and development issues associated with malaria.
The posters should be created as if they are from a local organization requesting development funds or as if they are part of a larger education campaign to raise awareness about malaria-specific issues. An evaluation rubric has been included. |
Lesson 4-1: Action Project Posters |
Ask students:
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Variable | Extra Activities: |
These three optional activities are found on YourGenome.org, and could be used in the science classroom or as lessons in a social studies course if a collaboration is possible throughout the project. Descriptions of the activities are as follows and all lesson materials can be downloaded at the links provided.
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Extra Activity Links:
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