Overview
In today's world, obtaining success can be very competitive. This is especially true, because students increasingly have to compete with peers abroad as well as locally. Moreover, because of the state of the economy around the world, there seems to be more working age individuals than there are jobs. In days past, this wasn't the case; instead graduating from high school, let alone college, would almost guarantee you a way to earn good money in some capacity. Jobs were plentiful, and there was surely less competition. It's troublesome to think that, today, young adults are finding it harder and harder to find their choice of careers, even after earning a college degree. Consequently, it's more important than ever, that we as teachers do what we can to prepare our students for the hypercompetitive world that they will one day encounter.
With that in mind, I've chosen viruses and human evolution to be the topic of my unit. I chose viruses because it is becoming more and more evident that microbes and humans share a very close relationship. Microbes are extraordinarily talented and diverse, often performing multiple tasks while also living in a variety of situations. Furthermore, viruses have had a major impact on human evolution, and many recently published research articles seem to point towards a continued impact on our evolution in the near future. Evolution in itself is always a polarizing topic with my students, since it brings into play people's belief systems and ways of life. In general, people seem to become very passionate when their beliefs or ways of life are challenged, and for my students that idea holds true. I hope to shine a light on this connection and explore with my students the role that viruses played in our evolution and where the viruses might lead us in the future. This will be done with examples of these relationships in the past, present, and future. Science fiction examples will also be included, to help bring levity and creativity to the unit.
Students of today, like microbes, are not lacking in talent and diversity. They are varied in terms of age, prior education, and particularly, motivations. I teach Biology at South Philadelphia High School, in Philadelphia PA. My student population at the school is very diverse culturally; however, with regards to class or social status, they are all about the same. The school is in an urban setting, causing my students to be often exposed to things that a normal teenager would not encounter. Therefore, when teaching my students anything Science related, I make sure to make the information as relevant as possible, by frequently asking them to characterize the lessons in their own words along with identifying how the lesson relates to their own lives. I have experienced success with this method because it allows students to take ownership of what they learn.
In particular, scientists have found that viruses played a crucial role in human evolution, providing us with characteristics derived from virus genes, which help us to survive and reproduce. Despite the lack of focus on these concepts, my unit will align with the following Pennsylvania science standards:
3.1.B.B1 3.1.B.B3 3.1.B.C1 3.1.B.C2 3.1.B.C3
More detailed explanation of the standards can be found in the appendices
While the standards touch on the basic principles of how viruses work, they don't achieve the goal of sparking my student's curiosity. Ultimately, I want my students to be inspired to learn more about the topic of virus and human relationships. Viruses and humans share a story that is steeped with drama. The war has been playing out since the beginning of human existence with both sides relentlessly trying to out duel the other. Understanding this story requires my students to thoroughly investigate the background of virus-human relationships. Accordingly, this will be followed with an analysis of the current day status of the relationship, in addition to a predictive component that encourages students to hypothesize about the future relationships between viruses and humans. In addition, my students will become aware of the many careers that are emerging out of the field of microbiology. Careers in fields such as: Biotechnology, Pharmaceuticals, Science Education, Science Writing, Graphic Design for scientists, or even the possibility of combining their knowledge with Business or Law degrees. These industries and more are now possible because of recent advancements in our understanding of microbes.
In order to successfully engage my students in the unit, they must be able to form an opinion about the topic. To create debate amongst my students, I plan to teach specific skills. Skills like, critically analyzing information, forming an argument, and finding scientific evidence to defend an argument. They will accomplish this by focusing on these following objectives:
- Understanding the general impact and significance of viruses on our planet.
- Identifying the role that humans play in our relationship with viruses.
- Hypothesizing about the relationship between humans and viruses in the future.
These objectives join together to paint the picture, or tell the story of the never ending process of evolution on our planet. More specifically, these objectives attempt to explain the fragile nature of life and the desire of two of the planet's most successful organisms to survive and reproduce. Using the objectives in this way should help reinforce the major concepts of the relationship, and help motivate my students to explore the subject further.
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