Infectious Respiratory Disease

Introduction and Rationale

“Ms. Lopez, how do we know what CVOID even is?” This is a question I was asked a lot in 2020. It inspired me to research and write a unit that would help students understand the complicated answer to this question.

This unit is for high school juniors and seniors; however, it can be used at all high school levels. The unit is meant to elicit critical thinking from students and help them learn about respiratory infectious diseases, specifically COVID-19 and influenza. The unit was inspired by the COVID-19 pandemic and how much false information was being spread through social media and is still being spread about respiratory viruses and other illnesses. What has been learned from this experience is that students need to think about how infection spreads and how it is a societal responsibility that we all must share as a community. This unit is to help them understand how respiratory diseases spread and mutate, and how to prevent infections; how masking is a great way to slow transmission. The unit will also help students understand the human impact of infections and how they affect them on a personal level. The visuals of the unit are meant to keep students in electives engaged and it’s a way for students of all levels to find an “in” to interact with the material.

COVID-19 is a respiratory infectious disease. It is caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus. It spreads through liquid droplets and other small aerosols that can leave and enter the body through the nose and mouth when coughing, sneezing, breathing, speaking, or singing. It spreads through the air and close contact and requires people to cover their mouths and noses when sneezing or coughing to prevent transmission.¹

Influenza (flu), similar to COVID-19, is also a respiratory infectious illness. It can also spread in the air through liquid droplets expelled from people and can infect the nose, throat, and lungs.²

It is important for students to learn about both of these respiratory infectious diseases because it affects them in their daily lives. Often, it’s hard to distinguish which disease we have, COVID-19 or the flu. Learning the science behind COVID-19 and influenza can allow students to understand the importance of prevention. This way when they encounter misinformation on social media, they’ll be able to critically think and research factual information. Learning how viruses work can also help students and families avoid future school shutdowns and it can keep communities and families healthy and safer.

The COVID-19 pandemic was a trying time for many. It led to school shutdowns and virtual learning in many areas of the U.S. that had never had to adapt to at home learning. It was difficult for all involved in the new process to learn how to teach from home, learn from home, and find child care. It was also deadly for many. As of June 22, 2025, 7,097,851 people have died from COVID-19 in the world.³ 

In 2020, there was a lot of misinformation being spread about the virus, which led many to distrust vaccines and mask wearing for prevention. Many teachers had a realization of the need for education on virus transmission and prevention. Education on the science of viruses could lead to people thinking more critically and being able to decipher what information is real and what is not.

This curriculum unit explores the science of respiratory infectious diseases. It will focus on COVID-19 and influenza. The students will start the first half of the unit with lessons on COVID-19 and the flu transmission, symptoms, prevention, testing, and vaccines. The rationale behind this is that students should know where infectious respiratory diseases come from. How they spread and mutate. How long they can infect others through the air or surfaces, and how to prevent the spread of infectious diseases. Students should know the science for their own knowledge and safety, but also to understand the necessary precautions that are needed to prevent or stop outbreaks in the future to protect others.

Knowledge may also help them understand that infectious respiratory diseases should not be a political issue. Knowing the science behind respiratory infectious diseases will help make students critical thinkers. This can lead to students making better decisions for themselves and their communities in any future outbreaks and pandemics. During this part of the unit, there will be clips from the movies Outbreak⁴ and Contagion.⁵The unit will also include episodes and clips from The Last of Us⁶ and Station Eleven⁷ (book by Emily St. John Mandel and TV series). An accompanying text will be The Masque of the Red Death by Edgar Allen Poe.⁸

For the 2nd half of the curriculum unit, the students will think about their own personal experiences with viruses and respiratory infectious diseases. They will begin to write COVID memoirs related to memories they’ve had with colds, flus, and other illnesses, but especially COVID-19. Going through a pandemic like COVID-19 was traumatic, and this could be a way to process the pandemic and to start thinking about how the virus affected their lives in both positive and negative ways. The students will have the option to compile the narratives like a diary, a graphic novel, or a short story. The narratives will be used like a human library project⁹ or like StoryCorps¹⁰ and The Moth¹¹ podcasts. Students will check out “human books” to tell each other their stories. Counselors and the social workers will be on standby should any student need to check in with them.

This part of the unit requires an already established safe community where students feel safe to share their stories with others. During this part of the unit, students will read excerpts from the Following accompanying texts.

Unheard Voices of the Pandemic edited by Dao X. Tran¹²

Narratives of Resistance in Everyday Lives and the Covid Crisis by Molly Andrews¹³

Pandemic and Narration: Covid-19 Narratives in Latin America by Andrea Espinoza Carvajal, Luis A. Medina Cordova¹⁴ These texts will serve as anchor texts and examples of how to write their own stories. The texts will also serve to show students how many people have shared experiences about COVID-19 and other pandemic crises; it will help to humanize and help them think about how infectious disease affects everyone. The goal is for students to understand that statistics aren’t just numbers, they’re human lives that have been altered and lost.