Epidemiology Lesson Plan: High School Outbreak Investigation

This free epidemiology lesson plan places students in the role of investigators responding to a mysterious disease outbreak. Students analyze information sources, reconstruct transmission patterns, and propose public health responses using real scientific reasoning.

Overview

Students examine how infectious diseases spread and how scientists track outbreaks. Over multiple class sessions they collect evidence, evaluate reliable versus unreliable information, construct a transmission timeline, and present recommendations to contain the disease. The lesson combines biology concepts with real-world decision-making and communication skills.

Subject Connections

Science is central as students apply biology concepts and use evidence to explain disease transmission. Technology skills are used when students evaluate online information sources and organize data digitally. English Language Arts skills appear through written justifications, presentations, and clear public-facing communication.

Learning Goals

• Explain how infectious diseases spread through populations
• Distinguish reliable from unreliable scientific information
• Identify cause and effect relationships in a health crisis
• Interpret epidemiological data to determine transmission patterns
• Propose and justify public health responses

Materials

• Student notebooks or digital documents
• Internet access or printed articles
• Large chart paper or whiteboard space
• Markers or pens
• Sticky notes or index cards
• Presentation software or poster supplies

Preparation

• Prepare a fictional outbreak scenario (symptoms, location, timeline of cases)
• Gather mixed reliability sources (credible health articles and misleading sources)
• Create a case data set showing patient interactions
• Set up a shared class display area for tracking cases

Teaching Procedure

Each session fits a standard class period of 45–50 minutes. The outbreak investigation unfolds across one school week.

Session 1 – Launching the Outbreak

1. The teacher introduces a sudden illness affecting several people in a community and provides a short case description. Students record symptoms and initial observations.
2. Activity: Students interview classmates using patient cards and a classroom map, then mark contacts and build a shared diagram of possible transmission paths.
3. Students write one hypothesis about the cause and one question they still have.

Session 2 – Investigating Information Sources

1. Students review multiple articles and websites, some credible and some misleading, using criteria such as author, evidence, and date.
2. Activity: Students highlight evidence, mark unsupported claims, label each source “reliable” or “questionable,” and write a short justification.
3. Students revise hypotheses using only information supported by reliable sources.

Session 3 – Mapping Transmission

1. Students build a case timeline using confirmed dates and contact information.
2. Students create a cause-and-effect diagram linking interactions to spread.
3. Students identify a likely index case and justify the conclusion using evidence from the timeline.

Session 4 – Public Health Response

1. Students learn about quarantine, vaccination, sanitation, and other measures, discussing benefits and trade-offs.
2. Activity: Teams create an emergency response plan with at least three actions and produce a poster explaining what the public should do and why.
3. Teams present and receive peer feedback.

Session 5 – Presenting Findings

1. Students prepare a presentation explaining cause, transmission pathway, and recommended interventions.
2. Presentations are delivered while peers record evidence of reasoning.
3. Students write a concluding reflection on why epidemiology matters.

Assessment

• Accuracy of transmission timeline
• Evaluation of source reliability
• Public health response justification
• Clarity and evidence used in final presentation
• Written reflection demonstrating understanding of epidemiology

Differentiation

• Provide simplified data sets or partially completed timelines
• Allow verbal instead of written explanations
• Offer graphic organizers for cause-and-effect relationships
• Allow presentation via video, poster, or slides

Grade Adaptation

This lesson is designed for Grade 10 students, who can manage multi-step investigations, evaluate source credibility, and justify public health decisions with evidence. Grade 9 students may use fewer cases and a more guided timeline, while Grades 11–12 students can extend the analysis with basic rate calculations, deeper critique of study quality, and more detailed policy trade-offs.

Extension Ideas

• Students compare historical pandemics and modern outbreaks
• Invite a local health professional for a virtual Q&A
• Have students design an informational infographic for the community
• Analyze how misinformation affects public health decisions