Lesson 6

A Shot in the Dark?
Weighing the Risks and Benefits of the Smallpox Vaccine

Author(s)
Deborah Lerman, The New York Times Learning Network
Javaid Khan, The Bank Street College of Education in New York City

http://www.nytimes.com/learning/teachers/featured_articles/20021218wednesday.html

Overview of Lesson Plan: In this lesson, students will ask and answer their own questions about smallpox and the smallpox vaccine. They will then create outlines for an informative CD-ROM that could be distributed to health care professionals.
Review the Academic Content Standards related to this lesson.

Objectives:
Students will:
1. Generate possible government and C.D.C responses to a hypothetical smallpox epidemic.
2. Learn about the United States government’s announcement that the smallpox vaccine will be made available by reading and discussing “Smallpox Shot Will Be Free for Those Who Want One.”
3. Brainstorm questions about smallpox and the smallpox vaccine; conduct research to discover the answers to these questions.
4. Create outlines of the information that should be included in an informational CD-ROM to be distributed to doctors.

Resources / Materials:
-student journals
-pens/pencils
-paper
-classroom blackboard
-copies of “Smallpox Shot Will Be Free for Those Who Want One” (one per student)
-resources about smallpox and the smallpox vaccine (health and science textbooks, library references, computers with Internet access)

TEKS:

5.1)  Scientific processes. The student conducts field and laboratory investigations following home and school safety procedures and environmentally appropriate and ethical practices. The student is expected to:

(A) demonstrate safe practices during field and laboratory investigations

5.2)  Scientific processes. The student uses scientific inquiry methods during field and laboratory investigations. The student is expected to:

(B)  collect information by observing and measuring;

(C)  analyze and interpret information to construct reasonable explanations from direct and indirect evidence;

(D) communicate valid conclusions

Engage

Students respond to the following prompt (written on the board prior to class): “In five major cities across the United States, thousands of people have appeared in hospitals and clinics complaining of flu-like symptoms, severe abdominal pain and small, round sores all over their bodies. The government and the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (C.D.C.) believe that the suddenness and severity of this epidemic demand immediate action. How do you believe the government and the C.D.C. should respond? What kind of information should they gather? What steps should they take to prevent the spread of this mysterious disease?”

Explore:

After students have shared their ideas, explain that a scenario like the one described in the journal prompt might represent a bioterrorist attack. Define bioterrorism for students as the use of biological agents, such as germs or agricultural pests, to achieve terrorist goals. The Bush administration and government agencies such as the C.D.C. have already outlined response plans in the event of a bioterrorist attack, and these plans might include some of the steps proposed by students in the journal exercise.

As a class, read and discuss the article “Smallpox Shot Will Be Free for Those Who Want One,” focusing on the following questions:
a. When is the smallpox vaccine expected to pass licensing tests?
b. Why does President Bush not recommend that people seek vaccination now?
c. Who will be vaccinated immediately?
d. Who will be vaccinated in the second stage?
e. In 2004, when the general public is allowed access to the vaccine, how will it be distributed?
f. Why will the vaccine now be given to children?
g. According to the article, what is the level of public understanding of the potential risks associated with the smallpox vaccine?
h. How do the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention plan to educate doctors about the smallpox vaccine?
i. How can people who want the vaccine now obtain it?

3. Call students’ attention to the section of the article in which the author describes the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s plan to send approximately 150,000 education CD-ROM’s to doctors. Ask students what kinds of questions they would be likely to ask their doctors before considering getting the smallpox vaccine themselves. List these questions on the board. Student questions might include:
--Who should be vaccinated, and why?
--Who should not be vaccinated, and why not?
--What are the side effects of the vaccine? How common are these side effects?
--How is smallpox transmitted, and what are its symptoms?
--How does the vaccine work?

Explain:

Then, explain to students they will be creating an outline of the information that should be included in the CD-ROM distributed to health care professionals. They should plan to provide the information that will answer these questions in their outline. Divide students into pairs or small groups, and allow them to research the answers to the research questions generated on the board using all available resources. All students should take notes on the findings.

Students should complete their research, if necessary. Then, each student should create an outline of the information that should be included in the CD-ROM. The outline should include section headings, along with an outline of the information that would be presented in each section. The outline should also include an annotated list of Web sites that doctors can use to get more information on various topics related to smallpox and the smallpox vaccine. Finally, students should propose specific ways in which animation, sound, video and other multimedia techniques could be utilized in the CD-ROM to present the information in a more interesting way. Alternately, randomly assign different individual students or groups to various types of people who might want to access the information on the CD-ROM (such as citizens of different ages, teachers, government workers, emergency response teams and school nurses) and “develop” specific sections of the CD-ROM or related materials geared to their special needs and circumstances.

Elaboration:
--Should the government allow private doctors to distribute the smallpox vaccine? Why or why not?
--What responsibility does the government have to educate the public about the risks of the smallpox vaccine, and what is the best way to do this?
--What do you think were some of the lessons learned following the anthrax epidemic in 2001?

Evaluation :
Students will be evaluated based on initial journal entries, participation in class and group discussions, thoughtful participation in group research, and individual outlines.