Vaccine Debate
Lesson Abstract
Students will gather information and data about vaccine information. They will use this information to argue whether or not vaccinations should be mandatory, culminating in a summative assessment in the form of a debate and a reflection on the information gathered.
Lesson Themes & Essential Questions
Themes:
- Vaccination
- Herd Immunity
- Civil Liberties
- Collective Good
Essential Question:
Should The government mandate childhood vaccinations? Justify your answer using factual data.
Supporting Questions:
- Do vaccines improve the overall public health?
- What are the risks associated with vaccines and do those risks outweigh the benefits?
- If vaccines are not required, will the public health be endangered?
- What is more important individual rights or the collective good?
- Do parents have the right to refuse vaccination for their children?
- Would you vaccinate your child?
Standards Addressed
STEM Inquiry Standards
- Mathematical Practice #3 - Construct viable arguments and critique the reasoning of others.
- Science Processing Skills #1 -12:4.3 Evaluate the relevance, reliability and adequacy of data and data collection methods.
- Statistics: Inferences and Conclusions #3 -Recognize the purposes of and differences among sample surveys, experiments, and observational studies; explain how randomization relates to each.
- HS-LS2-8. Evaluate the evidence for the role of group behavior on individual and species’ chances to survive and reproduce.
Common Core Anchor Standards
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RST.11-12.1 Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of science and technical texts, attending to important distinctions the author makes and to any gaps or inconsistencies in the account.
Learning Objective
Students will develop and defend their views by using evidence based scientific research and data. They will synthesize the research and data they collect to defend their positions in a debate.
Text Set
Anchor Text:
NOVA: Vaccines - Calling the Shots
URL of Anchor Text:
Supporting Texts:
Build & Organize the Text Set
| Text Sequence for Lesson/Unit | Learning Objectives |
| Lesson 1 Pre learning activity (Graphic Organizer) Have students work on graphic organizer: Vocabulary Graphic Organizer Read PBS Learning Media Background Essay for Nova video: Calling The Shots/Immunity & Vaccines | Gain basic understanding of vocabulary and issues before watching the anchor video”Calling the Shots.”Provide more background for to students before watching the anchor video. |
| Lesson 2 Watch Calling the Shots (0-21 minutes) | Students will have an overall understanding of how vaccines work. Students will also look at the societal impact. |
Answer Discussion questions from PBS Learning Media support materials for video "Calling the shots/Immunity & Vaccines"
| Assess how well students understand how vaccines work and the impact of vaccines |
| Lesson 3 Read “ What is Herd Immunity” Watch Video: Calling the Shots (21- 33) minutes Segment on herd immunity | Give students an overview before having students watchthe next video segment on Herd ImmunityThe video will explain Herd Immunity |
Answer discussion questions from PBS Learning Media support materials for video "Calling the shots/Herd Immunity"
| Assess student’s understanding of herd immunity |
| Lesson 4. Activity: Protecting the Herd Activity: http://pulse.pharmacy.arizona.edu/10th_grade/disease_epidemics/science/protecting_herd.html http://motivate.maths.org/content/DiseaseDynamics/Activities/26CardEpidemic | Give students a more in depth look at how herd immunity works. |
| Game.Activity: Illsville: Fighting the Disease http://www.historyofvaccines.org/content/illsville-fight-disease | Give students an activity to reinforce herd immunity |
| Lesson 5 Read PBS Background Essay on autism Watch Video “ Calling the Shots,” segment on vaccines and autism. (33 to 39 Minutes) Answer Discussion questions from PBS Learning Media support materials for video Calling the shots/Autism
| Students will read background information on autism before watching video segmentAfter watching video segment, assess student’s understanding of the relationship between autism and vaccines. Students will also be assessed why the the Wakefield study is not considered good science. |
| Lesson 6 Tragic Choices: Autism, Measles, and the MMR Vaccine http://www.oercommons.org/courses/tragic-choices-autism-measles-and-the-mmr-vaccine/viewhttp://www.oercommons.org/courses/tragic-choices-autism-measles-and-the-mmr-vaccine/view | Students will read case study and further analyze how “bad science” and bad research” impacts society. The students will analyze adapted data in Table 2 of the Wakefield Study.After answering questions that accompany the case study there will be a class discussion. The exercise will provide another method for student’s to look at a poorly designed scientific study. |
| Lesson 7 Vaccine Ingredients http://www.ovg.ox.ac.uk/vaccine-ingredients http://www.compoundchem.com/2015/02/10/vaccines/ http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/vac-gen/additives.htm | Vaccine ingredients will be studied and discussed including answering the question whether there are harmful ingredients. |
| Activity: Making a vaccine http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/body/making-vaccines.html Activity: Predicting the Flu and Making a vaccine http://www.oercommons.org/courses/predict-the-flu-interactive-game/view | Students will use an interactive activity to create a vaccine and reinforce how vaccines work.The game will further reinforce how vaccines work along with how organizations develop vaccines for various flu strains |
| Lesson 8 http://vaccines.procon.org/ | Prepare for a debate by using the resources we have already consulted and review information in a pro and con format. |
Student Tasks
Discussion questions from PBS Learning Media support materials for video Calling the shots (0 - 21 minutes)
How do you think vaccines have improved public health?
- What is the relationship between vaccination rates and disease rates?
- Describe methods that were used to protect against smallpox in the past.
- How did vaccination become a widespread practice?
- Describe some concerns that people raised about the smallpox vaccine. Do you think people have similar concerns about vaccines now? Explain.
How do you think vaccines have improved public health?
- What is the relationship between vaccination rates and disease rates?
- Describe methods that were used to protect against smallpox in the past.
- How did vaccination become a widespread practice?
- Describe some concerns that people raised about the smallpox vaccine. Do you think people have similar concerns about vaccines now? Explain.
Discussion questions from PBS Learning Media support materials for video Calling the shots(21-33 minutes)
- How does herd immunity protect unvaccinated people?
- What factors determine whether someone will catch a virus?
- Explain how a decreased rate of vaccination compromises herd immunity?
Discussion questions from PBS Learning Media support materials for video: Calling the Shots (33 -39 minutes)
- Why do some people suspect a possible connection between vaccinations and autism?
- Explain the research replication process that occurred after Andrew Wakefield’s study was published.
- Describe what is known about the genetic components of autism. Why do you think that?
- Some people still believe in a link between autism and vaccines despite scientific studies that show no such connection exists?
Develop Your Culminating Learning Experience[a]
Develop your summative tasks with your team, and answer: How will the culminating tasks provide for summative assessment of the standards targeted and the skills and knowledge developed during the lesson? Enter your summative assessment(s) below.
Should The government mandate childhood vaccinations? Justify your answer using factual data.
Use the questions below to help formulate your argument:
- Do vaccines improve the overall public health?
-
What are the risks associated with vaccines and do those risks outweigh the benefits?
- If vaccines are not required, will the public health be endangered?
- What is more important individual rights or the collective good?
- Do parents have the right to refuse vaccination for their children?
- Would you vaccinate your child?
Related Resources
Graphic Organizer Assessment Rubric
ASCD Common Core: Assessment Shifts
Selecting Texts for Teaching and Assessing
Pre-Requisite Learning
Understand what a vaccine is and why people get vaccinated. Use graphic organizer and background essay.
Organized Instructional Activities
Pre-assessment
- Students will complete vocabulary graphic organizer. They can work in groups of two or three students. ( 20 Minutes)
- Go over and discuss vocabulary terms with students. ( 30 minutes)
- Read first background essay:Calling the Shots/Immunity and Vaccines (20 minutes)
- Watch Nova video: Calling the Shots (21 minutes)
- Formative assessment questions (30 minutes)
- Read background essay: Calling the Shots/Herd Immunity (20 minutes)
- Watch Nova video: Calling the Shots (12 minutes)
- Formative assessment questions ( 20 minutes)
- Read background essay: Calling the Shots/Autism and Vaccines
- Watch Nova video: Calling the Shots (7 Minutes)
- Formative assessment questions (20 minutes)
- Read case study Tragic Choices: Autism, Measles, and the MMR Vaccines and answer the accompanying questions. ( 40 minutes)
- Discuss the case study. (20 minutes)
- Interactive activity for making a vaccine (40 minutes)
- Game to predict the flu (30 minutes)
- Look at Pro/Con website and prepare for debate (90 Minutes)
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Teaching Strategies
StartSOLE
StartSOLE is a simple inquiry-based approach that can be implemented in a single class period with minimal constraints and serves as an excellent addition or supplement to this lesson. If you'd like to use one of these suggested questions to encourage students to dig deeper or help prepare them for this activity click on a link below to setup your StartSOLE lesson: