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Teacher(s) Asheka Tenzin Subject group and discipline Sciences
Unit title Microorganisms and diseases MYP year 3 Unit duration (hrs)
Inquiry: Establishing the purpose of the unit
Key concept Related concept(s) Global context
Relationships [Any change in relationship brings Form- The features of microbes can be observed, Scientific and technical innovation- explore the
consequences-some of which may occur on a described, classified and categorized. impact of scientific and technological advances on
small scale, while others may be far reaching, communities and environments [how vaccines and
affecting large networks and systems like human Interaction- The effect organisms have on one antibiotics help]
societies and the planetary ecosystem] another [effect of harmful microbes on humans]
Statement of inquiry
Scientific and technical innovation is often driven by societal needs.
Inquiry questions
Factual—
1. How do microbes impact our lives?
2. What changes occur in foods due to the action
of microorganisms?
3. How are diseases transmitted?
4. What steps should be taken personally and as
a society to prevent the spread of disease?
Conceptual—
How does societal needs influence scientific and
technical innovation?
Debatable— How safe are vaccines? Microbes are
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necessary evil. Discuss.
Objectives Summative assessment
Outline of summative assessment task(s) including Relationship between summative assessment task(s)
assessment criteria: and statement of inquiry:
Criteria B- all strands
Criteria B: Investigating factors affecting the Criteria B: Students will design an experiment to
growth of yeast. allow them to study factors affecting the growth of
Criteria D- all strands yeast and relate this to ways in which humans can
control the growth of microorganisms in their
Criteria D: What steps should be taken personally environment
and as a society to prevent the spread of disease?
Criteria D: Students will produce an essay or
What are some factors that influence the
audio-visual presentation justifying “How safe are
development and use of science and technology?
vaccines?”
How safe are vaccines?
Approaches to learning (ATL)
Communication and Thinking
Criterion (D): Reflecting the impacts of
science (year 3)
In order for a student to (strand)
i. explain the ways in which science is applied
and used to address a specific problem or
issue
iii. apply scientific language effectively
students must (skill indicator)
Read critically and for comprehension
Make inferences and draw conclusions
In order for a student to (strand)
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iv. document the work of others and sources
of information used.
students must (skill indicator) Create references
and citations, use footnotes/endnotes and
construct a bibliography according to recognized
conventions
ATL category: Communication Skill cluster
Communication - Reading, writing and using
language to gather and communicate
information
In order for a student to (strand)
ii. discuss and evaluate the various implications of
the use of science and its application in solving a
specific problem or issue
students must (skill indicator)
interpret data
Evaluate evidence and arguments
ATL category: Thinking Skill cluster Critical
thinking
Assessment task
Criteria D: Reflecting the impacts of science
Killer Flu - Update to upd8 – Feb 2007
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Flu can be lethal. The 1918 pandemic killed 50 million people. The virus responsible has now been isolated. Scientists are studying what
made it so deadly. But what if it escaped? Could we be protected?
The virus that caused the 1918 flu pandemic has escaped from a lab. You need to help the Health Protection Agency assess the
problem. They must learn how a virus spreads and make predictions about death rates with and without mass vaccination. Below is the
data needed for the making the assessment.
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Weeks from the start Number infected Number of Number of Total deaths
of the epidemic this week new flu cases new deaths during epidemic
0 50 10, 1 1
1 500 100 10 11
2 5,000 1,000 100 111
3 50,000 10,000 1,000 1,111
4 500,000 100,000 10,000 11,111
5 5,000,000 1,000,000 100,000 111,111
With everyone vaccinated the following figures are obtained.
Weeks from the start Number infected Number of Number of Total deaths
of the epidemic this week new flu cases new deaths during epidemic
0 50 5 - -
1 250 25 - -
2 1,250 125 1 1
3 6,250 625 6 7
4 31,250 3,125 31 38
5 156,000 15,600 156 194
The above figures can only be used to make short-term predictions. Eventually there are no new contacts left in a population. Most
people who come into contact with a carrier have immunity already, so the spread of the disease will eventually stop.
Write a report to-
-Discuss the problems flu pandemic would cause.
-Disposal of so many bodies could be a problem. When BSE hit British farms, the corpses of infected cows were burned in open fires to
destroy the virus. Would this be an appropriate way of disposing of infected human corpses?
-Does immunization give total protection from the virus?
-What steps should be taken personally and as a society to prevent the spread of disease?
-What are some factors [economic, social, ethical] that influence the development and use of science and technology to control such
pandemics?
-How safe are vaccines?
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Web links
1918 killer flu secrets revealed
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/3455873.stm
How flu works.
http://health.howstuffworks.com/flu.htm
WHO Influenza Pandemic Preparedness plan
http://www.who.int/csr/disease/influenza/pandemic/en/
http://uk.news.yahoo.com/06022007/325/bird-flu-turkey-cull-completed.html
http://uk.news.yahoo.com/05022007/140/deadly-bird-flu-claims-egyptian-girl.html
Science Assessment Criteria Based on Year 3 Objectives
Level Criteria D- Reflecting on the impacts of science Task specific indicator
0 The student does not reach a standard identified by any of the The student does not reach a standard
descriptors below. described by any of the descriptors below.
The student is able to: The student has
1-2 i. state the ways in which science is used to address a specific ● fulfilled few of the requirements of the
problem or issue report
ii. state the implications of the use of science to solve a specific ● few of the questions in the worksheet are
problem or issue, interacting with a factor answered, details are missing
iii. apply scientific language to communicate understanding but does ● use of scientific language is limited
so with limited success ● few sources are documented with limited
iv. document sources, with limited success. success
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The student is able to: The student has
3-4 i. outline the ways in which science is used to address a specific ● fulfilled some of the requirements of the
problem or issue report
ii. outline the implications of using science to solve a specific ● some of the questions are answered in
problem or issue, interacting with a factor detail
iii. sometimes apply scientific language to communicate ● scientific language is sometimes clear
understanding ● all sources are documented but format
iv. sometimes document sources correctly. needs to improve
The student is able to: The student has
i. summarize the ways in which science is applied and used to ● fulfilled most of the requirements of the
5-6 address a specific problem or issue report
ii. describe the implications of using science and its application to ● most of the questions are answered in
solve a specific problem or issue, interacting with a factor detail
iii. usually apply scientific language to communicate understanding ● scientific language is usually clear and
clearly and precisely precise
iv. usually document sources correctly. ● most of the sources are documented
correctly using the MLA format
The student is able to: The student has
i. describe the ways in which science is applied and used to address ● fulfilled all the requirements of the report
7-8 a specific problem or issue ● all questions are answered in detail
ii. discuss and analyse the implications of using science and its ● scientific language is consistently clear
application to solve a specific problem or issue, interacting with and precise
a factor ● all sources are documented using the
iii. consistently apply scientific language MLA format
to communicate understanding clearly and precisely
iv. document sources completely.
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