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National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. (2020). "Novel Coronavirus SARS-CoV-2"
COVID-19 curriculum helps students cope with, understand pandemic
Instructional materials can be incorporated across subjects, analyzing the crisis through
Naaz Modan
April 29, 2020
As the coronavirus pandemic unfolds, flexible educators have been able
to give some students the opportunity to learn about it in real time as
part of remote classes.
"We wanted them to understand and help educate them [about] what’s
going on," said Patricia Friedrichsen, professor of science education
at the University of Missouri in the Department of Learning, Teaching
and Curriculum. She is part of a team that co-designed COVID-19
instructional materials being piloted in five Missouri high schools.
"We thought that we could help them cope better."
The instructional materials are incorporated in different subject areas
including biology and English, and analyze the pandemic through
scientific, economic, cultural and historical lenses. Activities
explore viral transmission and exponential growth, simulate the impact
of social distancing on infection rates, contextualize the pandemic
alongside socioeconomic and policy issues, and even include a media
literacy component to help students understand misinformation and
identify trustworthy news sources.
Is now the time to teach about COVID-19?
Prior to implementation, teachers had reservations about the materials.
"Some of the teachers were concerned when we broached this idea, saying
this was a very stressful time," Friedrichsen explained. So the team
brought on a pediatric psychiatrist.
"We learned that education is the best way to go. Avoiding the situation rarely improves it," she said.
Rhiannon McKee, a teacher at Jefferson City High School in Missouri who
co-teaches a 10th grade biology and literature course, only dove into
the curriculum after putting out a survey to "dip a toe in the water"
about how students were feeling.
The curriculum is also coupled with weekly one-on-one check-ins where
students can express if they are feeling overwhelmed and need
alternative assignments, McKee said. For the most part, her students
haven't pushed back and "wanted to understand [the virus] out of fear
and excitement."
But as the curriculum continues, she's keeping an eye out for fatigue.
Teaching COVID-19 as a socio-scientific issue
The approach adopted by Friedrichsen and her team is also applied to a
broader range of topics classified as socio-scientific issues, or
topics that "can’t be solved by the science alone" and must be put into
broader context as they relate to other subject areas. Other topics
that fit into the SSI model and are used to frame units include
sometimes controversial issues like climate change, vaping and
antibiotic resistance.
The units typically tie back to the issue at hand and ask students to formulate and defend an opinion or policy position.
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