Solve the Outbreak – High School Level Sample Lesson Plan Page 1
Common Core Aligned Lesson Plan High
School Level
Lesson Element:
The activities included in this lesson plan can be done within two 45 minute or one 90 minute class period.
1. Common Core Learning Standards Addressed:
The activities included in this lesson plan address the following Common Core Learning Standards
• Planning and Carrying Out Investigations.
• Asking Questions and Defining Problems.
• Cause and Effect.
• Obtaining, Evaluating, and Communicating Information.
• Scientific Knowledge is Open to Revision in Light of New Evidence.
2. Learning Targets:
After completing this lesson plan, students should be able to
• Understand how outbreak investigations are carried out.
• Know how to work through an outbreak investigation to solve a problem.
• Explore the steps used to answer science-based questions.
• Identify factors that can influence the quality of data.
• Explore the cause and effect of an outbreak on communities.
3. Resources/Materials:
• CDC’s Excite website: http://www.cdc.gov/EXCITE/
• Solve the Outbreak on -
o Android tablets - https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=gov.cdc.sto&hl=en
o Apple iPad - https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/solve-the-outbreak/id592485067?mt=8
o CDC website - http://www.cdc.gov/mobile/applications/sto/web-app.html
• Additional Resource of Case Studies: http://www.cdc.gov/eis/casestudies/casestudy-list.htm
• MMWR reports: http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/mmwr_wk.html
• Steps in an outbreak investigation http://www.cdc.gov/ophss/csels/dsepd/ss1978/lesson6/section2.html.
• Rent or Purchase the movie Contagion.
• Rent or Purchase the movie Outbreak.
4. Activities/Tasks:
• Complete one the Solve the Outbreak scenarios - Deadlier than War, The Queens Killer, and/or Case of the
Conference Blues.
• Watch the What is Epidemiology video: http://www.cdc.gov/EXCITE/epidemiology.html.
