SUSIE & TYLER’S CURRENT EVENTS September 30, 2014 THE BASICS Topic: Ebola
http://www.cagle.com/2014/09/ebola/#.VBivqs1BlZU
Background • •
Key Facts (World Health Organization) Map (Centers for Disease Control)
Articles •
“Close to Home: First Case of Ebola Diagnosed in U.S., CDC Confirms” (NBC News)
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“Immediate global action can solve Ebola crisis: MSF” (CTV News)
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“US Troops Battling Ebola Get Off to a Slow Start in Africa” (Wall Street Journal)
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“Doctor treats Ebola with HIV drug in Liberia – seemingly successfully” (CNN)
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“Cuban medical team heading for Sierra Leone” (World Health Organization)
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“At least eight Ebola workers reportedly killed ‘in cold blood’ by villagers in Guinea” (Fox News)
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“Chasing a rolling snowball: The world is still acting too slowly to stop Ebola” (Economist)
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“100 tons of supplies to fight Ebola sent to West Africa” (USA Today) “Experts advise against Ebola travel ban” (Aljazeera)
Questions to Consider Basics • What is Ebola disease? • How is Ebola spread? • What losses are associated with Ebola? Health crises including shortage of medical personnel and drugs, economic issues including tourist travel, political unrest, separation from family members? • “What You Need to Know About the Ebola Outbreak” (NY Times) Treatment/Care • Is there a cure for Ebola disease? What is the medical response? • What role does the federal government play in encouraging research for medical solutions to diseases? • Is lack of money the reason why no vaccine and antidote exists? Who decides how much money is spent in the health community? • What are the results of isolating Ebola patients? How is the concept of “outlaw” related to the quarantine of Ebola patients and their families? How dos the separation of Ebola patients from their loved ones add to the cruelty of this disease? • Is health care a “right” or a privilege? The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, which Sierra Leone has ratified, requires that states take steps to guarantee the “right to health”, including measures for the prevention, treatment and control of epidemics. • What is the role of government in providing help to those who need assistance? How does lack of transparency impede the response to Ebola? • Are measures such as a national lockdown in Sierra Leone legal or appropriate to the Ebola emergency? International Impact/Response • How serious is the threat of Ebola in Africa? Is Ebola a security issue as well as a medical issue? An African issue? An international issue? A moral issue? • What obligation do the US and other countries have to help countries where Ebola is a serious medical threat? • What is the Constitutional authority required for the President to send troops and other aid to West Africa? What is the role of Congress in providing funding for our efforts to help fight Ebola? • How has the World Health Organization responded to Ebola? How is funding a prime mover in response to catastrophic illness? When does the international community declare a health emergency? How do global politics play a role? Why is it urgent to deal with Ebola immediately? • What was the reaction to previous “plagues”? Black Death, H1N1, AIDS, Polio, SARS? How do previous reactions inform our response in 2014?
THE EXTRAS Pre-teaching, Extensions & Further Reading • • • •
“Ebola Crisis: Five ways to break the epidemic” (BBC) “What We’re Afraid to Say About Ebola” (opinion) (NY Times) “Rutgers Community Comes Together to Help Fight the Spread of the Ebola Virus in West Africa” (Rutgers) “African healthcare laid bare by Ebola epidemic” (Amnesty International)
Lesson Plans • “How can we help fight the Ebola epidemic?” (PBS Newshour) • “Ebola – The Plague Fighters” (NOVA Teachers)
What’s the connection? Constitution • The Universal Declaration of Human Rights • Joint Hearing on Ebola in West Africa: A Global Challenge and Public Health Threat Students • “In Africa, Ebola Epidemic Taking Toll on Teachers, Students” (EdWeek) • “Ebola has Devastating Impact on Children in Liberia” (Voice of America) Oregon • “Salem Ebola Doctor Debbie Eisenhut Returns From Liberia” (OPB)
Oregon State Social Science Standards/CCSS HS.28. Evaluate how governments interact at local, state, tribal, national, and global levels. HS.31. Describe United States foreign policy and evaluate its impact on the United States and other countries. HS.33. Explain the role of government in various current events. HS.35. Examine the pluralistic realities of society (e.g., race, poverty, gender, and age), recognizing issues of equity, and evaluating need for change. CCSS Anchor Standards 2. Determine central ideas or themes of a text and analyze their development; summarize the key supporting details and ideas. 4. Interpret words and phrases as they are used in a text, including determine technical, connotative, and figurative meanings, and analyze how specific word choices shape meaning or tone. 9. Analyze how two or more texts address similar themes or topics in order to build knowledge or to compare the approaches the authors take.
We the People Lesson Connections Middle School, Level 2 • Unit 6, Lesson 28: What is the relationship of the United States to other nations in the world? High School, Level 3 • Unit 6, Lesson 38: What are the challenges of the participation of the United States in world affairs?
