DISEASES WEBQUEST

Teacher: Vanessa L. Moore

www.colegioslaude.com
 INTRODUCTION

 In Deeville, Oregon, people are getting sick.  Hospitals

are filling up with patients who all have very similar
symptoms.  They are experiencing high fever,
stomachaches, and heat exhaustion.  Other patients
exhibit these symptoms, but also have abdominal pain,
cough, and have difficulty breathing.  Physicians are
confused; some of these patients are family members
and others are complete strangers.  The symptoms
seem as if they are connected but a pattern is not
immediately seen.  If this is an epidemic, though, the
doctors need to know what it is and how to treat it
immediately.... otherwise, it could mean the end of
Deeville.

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 TASK

 It is your team's job as Epidemic Intelligence Service

Officers to investigate and identify this "outbreak",
determine the causes of the epidemic and how it is
transmitted, and design a presentation to give to the
physicians regarding the history of this particular
disease.  The presentation should also include
preventative measures for the general public and the
treatment options available for these patients.  After a
group decision on the identity of this disease, each
team member will have one specialized role in addition
to the final group presentation.

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 1. As a registered nurse (R.N.) with a Master's degree
in Public Health, you will determine the causes of the
epidemic.  What is the culprit behind the disease?  Is it
a bacteria? A virus? A fungus? A parasite?  What does it
look like?  Give support for why it is likely that the
disease is caused by your findings

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 2.  Your job as the Veterinarian (DVM) is to investigate
how the disease is transmitted, or infects other
people.  Is it air-borne or blood-borne?  Are animals
involved or does the disease move person-to-person? 
Does it require a certain temperature?  How close do
the people have to be to become infected?  Give
support.

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 3.   Epidemiology, the study of diseases, has always
been an interest of yours through doctoral school.  That
is why you got your PhD in it!  It is your job as the
disease historian to study how the disease has
progressed through the years.  When was it first
recognized?  How did they treat it then?  Are there
pictures or documents from the past that can help find
a cure or treatment today?

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 4.  Since preventative measures and treatment are
your strong suit as a M.D., you will discover how the
disease is treated now and if there is a cure.  Is there
anything people can do to ensure that they do not
become infected?  Are there medications to take or
surgery to have done?  Your findings are crucial to the
future of this disease and to the public.

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 The final group presentation will be in a PowerPoint
presentation. Each presentation will be given in front of
the class as a group and every person is responsible for
knowing each of its parts.  One paper will be turned in
for every group as a printed form of their presentation.

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 PROCESS

 1.  You will be assigned to an investigative team of 4

students.
 2.  After numbering off in class, each number will be assigned
a role on the team.  The roles are 1) R.N. with Masters degree
in Public Health; 2) DVM; 3) PhD; 4) MD.

 3.  We will discuss what each of these roles requires you to

research and investigate.

 4.  After review of the WebQuest assignments, your team will

have a meeting to talk about what the symptoms and
description of the case could reveal about this mystery
disease.

 5.  As a team, decide what disease you believe may be taking

its toll on Deeville.

 6.  After disease identification, your team will begin work on

your individual roles.

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 7.  Use research tools on the Web, in journals, and in books.
 RNs:   Virtual Museum of Bacteria
          Hidden Killers: deadly viruses
          Fungal Infection
          Parasites of Public Health Concern

 DVMs: use the RN and MD websites for information on transmission

PhDs:   A Brief History of Infectious Disease  check the article titles on the left of the
page!
            Disease in History
            History of Vaccination
            Old Medical Terminology Dictionary  
MDs:    Web MD
            Healthfinder
            World Health Organization

 8.  Regroup as an investigative team and discuss your findings.

 9.  Determine your presentation format

 10.  ASK FOR HELP IF YOU NEED IT!

 11.  As a group, work on your presentation and final paper.  Each person is
responsible for writing their own section, but every team member is responsible for
knowing the information found by their teammates.

 12.  Have a FANTASTIC mock medical conference and HAVE FUN!

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 EVALUATION

 The final group presentation will be in a

PowerPoint presentation.
 Each presentation will be given in front of the
class as a group and every person is
responsible for knowing each of its parts. 
 A copy of the final presentation should be
given to the teacher.

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 CONCLUSION

 Through this WebQuest, library research, and group

presentation, you have been exposed to the different
levels of disease research, prevention/treatment, and
societal impact of diseases.  Each of these steps are
necessary to understand how microscopic entities can
affect our lives.  You have also learned to search for
information on the internet and in the library and
connect to websites that are specifically concerned with
public health.  The individual roles in the lesson also
allowed you to investigate the many careers you may
pursue that would be very useful in the fields of
medicine and epidemiology

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