THE MATHEMATICAL MODELING OF AN EPIDEMIC AND THE IMPORTANCE OF NON-PHARMACEUTICAL INTERVENTIONS (MIDDLE SCHOOL)
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GENERAL INFORMATION
Title
The mathematical modeling of an epidemic and the importance of non-pharmaceutical interventions (Middle School)
Description
This educational scenario focuses on the mathematical modeling of an epidemic - the SIR modeling in particular - and the importance of non-pharmaceutical interventions for the promotion of public health. After examining cases of epidemics and pandemics, and actively handling SIR simulations to investigate how non-pharmaceutical interventions affect on an epidemic, students go on making decision for an epidemic management, promoting informative material for public health, and examining the precision of scientific models. The extended version of the scenario lasts for 12 teaching hours, whereas a shortened version lasts for 6 teaching hours. Several of the scenario activities can be done independantly from the genaral contextualization of the scenario. The scenario aims, mainly, to middle school grades.
Notes on pedagogical utilization
The scenario is organized according to the inquiry- and project- based instruction model. Students work collaboratively in small groups with the aid of PCs or other devices (e.g. tablets). They study recent cases of endemics, epidemics, and pandemics in interactive maps. Then, they carry out experiments with 3 or 2 SIR models successively, each one of ascending difficulty, by testing the effect of various parameters (disease features, sociability, non-pharmaceutical interventions) on the epidemic, and evaluate the results in terms of real life. The student project includes the use of the SIR models in order to develop a management plan of an epidemic, to examine the precision of models according to authentic epidemiological data, orto organize a launching campaigne about the importance of non-pharmaceutical interventions. The learning techniques adopted in the scenario include structured inquiry, problem solving, case studies, parameters handling (experimentation), and argumentation on socio-scientific topics. The use of scientific models and mathematics in health sciences, and the role of personal choices for public health are examined extensively during the scenario
REFERENCE URL
https://photodentro.pafse.eu/handle/8586/266
LEARNER CHARACTERISTICS
Intended end user
teacher
Educational level
lower secondary
Τypical age range
From 13 To 16
Language level
B2-good knowledge
FUNDING INFORMATION
LEARNING OBJECT
program / project: PAFSE project
PAFSE project
METADATA
program / project: PAFSE project
PAFSE project
CLASSIFICATION
Subject / Topic / Concept
Public Health > Health emergencies > Outbreaks Mathematics > Statistics & Probability > Graphical representation of data Public Health > Health systems > Health systems response to Communicable diseases Public Health > Health emergencies > Health systems for emergencies
Learning resource type
educational scenario - lesson plan
APPEARS IN COLLECTIONS
Educational Scenarios
CONTRIBUTION
CONTRIBUTORS
Pedagogical coordinator: Dimitris Chalkidis (University of Ioannina)
Scientific coordinator: Tassos A. Mikropoulos (University of Ioannina)
METADATA CONTRIBUTORS
Metadata author: Dimitris Chalkidis (University of Ioannina), Tassos A. Mikropoulos (University of Ioannina)
LEARNING OBJECT / METADATA LICENSING & PUBLISHING
Licensor: Educational Approaches to Virtual Realities Laboratory (EARTH lab), University of Ioannina, Greece
Publisher: Educational Approaches to Virtual Realities Laboratory (EARTH lab), University of Ioannina, Greece
TECHNICAL INFORMATION
Format
application/pdf (1.15 MB)
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Language
english
Version
Final version (final)
IDENTIFIER
PHOTODENTRO
8586/266
LICENSE
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Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)
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