This lesson considers the spread of disease from animals to humans. Students will read a National Geographic News article that discusses one such incident, and then explore the frequency, occurrence, and possible prevention of such crossover illnesses.

Geography, current events, biology

Standard 3: "How to analyze the spatial organization of people, places, and environments on Earth's surface"
Standard 8: "The characteristics and spatial distribution of ecosystems on the Earth's surface"
Standard 9: "The characteristics, distribution, and migration of human population on Earth's surface"
Standard 14: "How human actions modify the physical environment"
Standard 18: "How to apply geography to interpret the present and plan for the future"

Two to three hours

• Computer with Internet access
• Paper
• Pens

Students will

• locate a news story on ducks and the flu at the National Geographic News site;
• search the Internet for other stories about animal-to-human transmission of illness;
• identify ways in which diseases can be transmitted, and whether there are ways human behavior can influence this cross-over;
• assess the impact of the information on the relationship between humans and animals; and
• describe the impact on the human societies where such transfer has taken place.

Explain to students that this lesson is designed to help them develop investigational skills. Ask them first to read the National Geographic News story, "Superflu" a Threat as Ducks Emerge as Stealth Carriers about the transmission of illness from animals to humans. Ask them to consider how they would find more information about this topic.

Working in small groups, have students conduct Internet searches to find information about incidences of animal-to-human infection, beginning with the National Geographic News site. In addition to articles found there, students may also use some of the articles below, but they should be expected to find others by conducting their own research:

Brigham Young University: The Black Death—Bubonic Plague
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: All About Hantaviruses
U.S. Food and Drug Administration: Mad Cow Disease (BSE)
Organic Consumers Organization: Mad Cow Disease–Mad Deer Disease
State of Michigan: Animal/Human Diseases–West Nile Virus and Rabies

Have students make a list of the different ways that diseases can "cross over" from animals to humans. See if they can determine if any human behavior has increased the risk of contagion from animals. If so, ask them to consider how this risk might be minimized.

Have students work individually or in small groups to select one illness that has been transmitted from animals to humans and research it further. In what countries have incidents occurred? What have affected countries done to lessen the impact? What have other countries done to prevent the spread of the illness? What has the social and/or economic burden been on countries where a large-scale spread of animal-to-human illness has occurred?

Have students make brief oral presentations to one another, and then lead the class in a short discussion to summarize the main concepts presented.

Have students see if they can find incidents of human-to-animal infection.

Brigham Young University: The Black Death—Bubonic Plague
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
National Geographic News
National Geographic News: "Superflu" a Threat as Ducks Emerge as Stealth Carriers
Organic Consumers Organization: Mad Cow Disease–Mad Deer Disease
The State of Michigan: Animal/Human Disease–West Nile Virus and Rabies
U.S. Food and Drug Administration: Mad Cow Disease (BSE)
World Health Organization