Curriculum
Through the Outreach Program, University scientists have worked with local teachers to design curricular modules that make current experiments and technology from our laboratories appropriate for the K-12 classroom. Our modules help teachers meet the required Pennsylvania Department of Education academic standards while allowing students to use the latest technology to tackle some of today’s most challenging questions. Our modules emphasize problem solving and require students to analyze data and form and test hypotheses.
Outbreak! is an exercise in critical analysis and inquiry-based thinking. This experience is a simulation that uses the concept of infectious disease to allow students to analyze data, formulate relevant questions, and test/revise hypotheses. In this scenario, there has been a possible outbreak of an infectious disease with an unknown causative agent. It is not known if the “disease” is contagious or due to environmental factors. Teachers and students play the part of agents representing the Center for Disease Control. It is up to the class to analyze existing facts and data and ask the pertinent questions that will allow investigation to proceed to hypothesis, hypothesis-testing, and diagnosis so that the outbreak can be controlled. During the exercise, students will become acquainted with current science and technology (PCR, electron microscopy, electrophoresis, cell culture), as well as problem solving techniques.
