Introduction and Rationale
Smallpox, the only infectious disease affecting humans eradicated from the world, wreaked havoc throughout the world for thousands of years. The history of smallpox in America weaves a rich tapestry blending health, war, politics, and freedom. The smallpox pandemic that occurred and impacted the American Revolutionary War offers an opportunity to teach history and health. Having just gone through the COVID-19 pandemic and the recent increase in measles cases makes the study of the eradication of smallpox from the world timely.
The curriculum unit is designed for fourth grade students in Richmond, Virginia and is three weeks long. It will focus on smallpox in the American colonies with a focus on Virginia history. The unit will begin with an overview of smallpox. The history of the methods used to battle smallpox are explored from inoculation (also called variolation) to vaccination. Edward Jenner’s groundbreaking discovery of vaccination changed epidemiology. The unit will examine the simultaneous battles with smallpox and the British during the American Revolutionary War and how the disease affected military strategy and freedom.
The theme of smallpox and freedom runs throughout the unit. Freedom takes on different meanings: independence from Great Britain, the liberty that inoculation offered from smallpox, the right to one’s health, and equality of health.
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