You Make Me Sick!

No...not really! :) But...

You’re sick!  For a few class periods in the computer lab, you will research an infectious disease (find a list of either bacterial or viral diseases HERE), and by the end of this project, you will know everything there is to know about your disease: how is it spread, how contagious is it, is it acute or chronic, is it fatal, and many more important and interesting facts! Let's try to choose all different diseases in our class!

In this project you have some different choices. You must choose and complete 2 of the following choices. You will need to turn in both (but you will have to present your favorite to the class). This grade is LARGE...spend some time on this! 

1.      1. Business Letter (With Bibliography)

You must also write a business letter to an organization that researches your disease or supports victims of your disease.  You should ask for current statistics concerning your disease as well as prevention and treatment information. (Your letter must be typed, 12-point font, 1-inch margins, at least 3 paragraphs)

Your bibliography is a typed list of all your sources, using APA format.  You must consult at least 5 sources.

2.       2. Basic Information Fact Sheet

You must use at least 5 sources (and write a bibliography for this one too) to gather the basic facts of your disease.  You will be graded on the quality of your answers and the variety of sources used.

Prepare a fact sheet providing answers to the following questions.  You can do this on powerpoint...or try out a program like Prezi! (Click on this link and scroll down almost all the way...and watch one of the "Prezis we like...")

 

·         What does the name of the disease mean?  Who named /discovered it?

·         What causes the disease?

·         Do any other organisms carry it or suffer from it?

·         Is it associated with a particular region of the world? Why?

·         How many people have been affected by this disease?

·         Is everyone equally vulnerable, or does it target certain people?  Why?

·         Is it chronic or acute?

·         Is it infectious, and if so, how easily does it spread?

·         What are the symptoms?

·         How is it diagnosed?

·         How does the virus, bacteria, bad gene, etc. interfere with the body to cause the symptoms?

·         How has the disease impacted the course of history? Give an example.

·         Is there a cure or vaccine?  If there isn’t, what progress has been made toward a cure or vaccine?

·         Add two of your own questions here and answer them.

3.       3. First Person Disease/Patient Narratives

You have a choice on this assignment.  Please choose only A or only B. This must be typed, 12-point font, double spaced, 1-inch margins.

A.      Write a 2 to 3 page story, using first person, as someone who has your disease.  Describe the progress of your disease.  Describe how and when you first knew something was wrong.  Describe the progress of your symptoms.  Tell how the disease has affected your daily life, including how your family and friends have responded.  Describe your hopes and fears for the future.  If your disease has an easy cure today (like the plague). Write your story as an historical character or a third world citizen for whom no cure is available.  You will be graded on accuracy and completeness as well as the quality of writing, creativity and emotion.

B.      Write a 2 to 3 page story from the point of view of the germ, virus, or whatever causes your disease.  What does the source of the disease hope to accomplish by infesting the body?  What is its experience inside the body?  How did it get there?  Does it mean to inflict the body?  This will be graded on accuracy and creativity.

4.       4. Time Line

Leprosy is discussed in the Old Testament.  The Plague significantly reduced the world’s population.  Hemophilia has had a huge impact on European royalty.  How has your disease influenced the course of history?  Construct an illustrated time line which includes all of the important events in the history of your disease.  It should include maps and graphs, as well as several other illustrations.  It should also include:

·         Earliest known sufferers

·         Documentation of the spread of the disease between regions of the world

·         Famous works of art or literature that mention the disease

·         Major outbreaks

·         Role in human migration and wars

·         First scientific study of the disease

·         Discovery of a cure or vaccine

·         Present day status

5.       5. The Song

Write a song describing the causes, effects, and/or symptoms of your disease.  Your song must be Karaoke-style original composition-you can use music that was written by someone else, but your words must be original.  It will be performed in class, and you should wear an appropriate costume.  Before your performance you must briefly explain any elements of the song that may be hard to understand.  Grading will be based on scientific and historical content, creativity, and listener appeal. You must hand in a copy of your lyrics one day prior to your performance (if you decide to present this one).

6.       6. The Debate

The World Health Organization is going to divide $180 million dollars between 6 diseases.  You want your disease to get its fair share!  Prepare a 3 minute persuasive speech explaining why your disease deserves the most money.  Your arguments can include the number of sufferers, the severity of the disease, the threat to the people of the world, and/or how close researchers are to finding a cure.  The Organization (class members) will decide how much of the $180 million dollars they'd like to give to you!

7.         7. ART!

Here is where you really get to be creative! In your own way, show anatomy and physiology, disease process, prognosis and treatments, medical terminology associated with disease, etc. Be CREATIVE. Try out a cool program like Wordle to help you?