Synopsis:  Students read a 1981 column about a mysterious ailment (AIDS, before it was called AIDS and before HIV was identified) and identify the descriptive epidemiological clues that led to the formulation of early causal hypotheses.  To further understand the value of descriptive epidemiology, students predict what the descriptive epidemiology of this mysterious ailment would be if it were caused by mosquito bites, sitting on toilet seats, donating blood, or shaking hands.  Students realize that descriptive epidemiology is sometimes useful in determining that certain causal hypotheses do not make sense.

All students will develop problem-solving, decision-making, and inquiry skills, reflected by formulating usable questions and hypotheses, planning experiments, conducting systematic observations, interpreting and analyzing data, drawing conclusions, and communicating results.

All students will develop an understanding of how people of various cultures have contributed to the advancement of science and technology, and how major discoveries and events have advanced science and technology.

All students will learn and apply health promotion concepts and skills to support a healthy, active lifestyle.

All students will use health-enhancing personal, interpersonal, and life skills to support a healthy, active lifestyle.

All students will learn and apply health promotion concepts and skills to support a healthy, active lifestyle.

All students will understand and apply the knowledge of sounds, letters, and words in written English to become independent and fluent readers, and will read a variety of materials and texts with fluency and comprehension.

All students will speak in clear, concise, organized language that varies in content and form for different audiences and purposes.

All students will listen actively to information from a variety of sources in a variety of situations.

All students will acquire an understanding of key economic principles in relation to individuals, institutions, and governments.