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National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. (2020). "Novel Coronavirus SARS-CoV-2"
Education Dive
COVID-19 data adds real-world impact to curriculum, but sensitivity is a must
Lauren Barack
July 29, 2020
Dive Brief:
Emma Chiappetta, a math teacher at Wasatch Academy in Central Utah,
details for Edutopia how she used data points from the impact of
COVID-19 in her statistics curriculum, giving students a way to process
and document the pandemic from an academic point of view.
Chiappetta notes other educators have also used information around
coronavirus in the classroom, from talking about social distancing
requirements to personal protective gear, with one teacher assigning
students a challenge to create their own solutions. Results included
gloves made from wax paper and a hair straightener.
Emotions also came up, she wrote, as the impact of COVID-19 has
affected students differently. But she encouraged educators to give
pupils a chance to opt-out of assignments, and to direct students to
professionals who can help guide them through concerns.
Dive Insight:
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, educators can look at a variety of
ways to weave related news and data into curriculum. For example, data
about growing cases or even the R0 factor, or infection rate, could be
woven into math and science. The National Council of Teachers of
Mathematics has a number of resources that tap into the way COVID-19
data could be used in lessons, including one that has students look at
how viruses spread.
Social studies classes could also examine COVID-19 from a historic
point of view. The National Council for the Social Studies posts
teaching resources, including webinars, on its site that educators can
use to compare and contrast the current crisis to other historic
pandemics, from the Black Death bubonic plague to the influenza
pandemic of 1918.
Educators may also want to consider how talking about the coronavirus
pandemic could affect students who may be experiencing trauma from the
death of a loved one, changes in their home situations, the impact of
the economy on their family, or the loss of people within their school
community. There are a number of tools educators can adopt to help
students who may be experiencing a range of these feelings.
One includes using social-emotional learning (SEL) tools, particularly
when school restarts in the fall. This could include time for check-ins
with students, or setting aside time for meditation, which has shown to
benefit both student behavior and learning when woven into curriculum.
Mindfulness training, too, has show to be effective in helping reduce
anxiety and boost SEL skills like compassion and empathy.
These tools can help give students and staff alike the support they
need as emotions arise throughout lessons around the pandemic.
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