A different kind of butterfly effect

A different kind of butterfly effect

A cyclone can affect trees which impact insects and animals spreading diseases to people. Doctors are realizing that individual health is part of an ecosystem. A bat, a flowering tree and a horse against the backdrop of a tornado. (Illustration by News Decoder)  This...

How is having a C-section connected to deforestation? How can a cyclone off the coast of Australia affect the population of fruit bats and horse trainers? Health and science correspondent Maggie Fox dissects the concept of One Health for students in this latest Classroom #Decoder. In the accompanying classroom activity, get students thinking about their own thinking in an exercise in metacognition.

Exercise: With this article, students will engage in The 4 C’s protocol, adapted from Project Zero of the Harvard Graduate School of Education. Students will read the article then answer the 4 C’s. (1) What connections do students draw between the text and their own lives? (2) What ideas or assumptions in the text do they want to challenge or learn more about? (3) What is the text’s key concept or takeaway? (4) How did the text change the way students thought about the topic? Did the text inspire a change in attitude or action? Have students underline or annotate the text in response to each question. Share responses in small groups, then as a larger class.

Decoder Replay: Measles spread. Let’s revisit vaccine myths.

Decoder Replay: Measles spread. Let’s revisit vaccine myths.

Some think there is a global conspiracy to promote harmful vaccines. But doctors and health experts agree: Vaccines are safe and they save lives. Measles vaccine, conceptual image (Photo by: SCIENCE PHOTO via AP Images.) Editor’s note: On 24 January 2024, the...

In recent years, the rise of measles reported by the World Health Organization is cause for concern. It doesn’t help that vaccine misinformation keeps many parents from immunizing their children against the disease. Get the facts straight and debunk vaccine myths in this piece by health and science correspondent Maggie Fox. 

Exercise: After students read the article, divide them into groups of three. Each group should select a vaccine myth presented in the article and create a public service announcement (PSA) debunking the myth. The PSA should be short and catchy, and may be presented through any format of choice: text, images, video, multimedia, etc. The class will vote on the best PSA.

We are giving up on COVID. But has it given up on the world?

We are giving up on COVID. But has it given up on the world?

Most nations have rolled back steps to contain COVID-19. But the virus continues to kill. Many experts are frustrated governments are not doing more. Immunization, conceptual illustration (Photo by: SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY via AP Images) Airlines have stopped requiring...

COVID fatigue is worldwide even though the virus continues to spread. In many places, restrictions have been lifted for masks, travel and testing. Vaccination targets remain largely out of reach. Since the onset of the pandemic, health experts and governments have been at odds about the best approach to beat the virus. Our inability to curb the spread of the virus begs broader questions, including whether we are up to the task of combating climate warming. How could we have better balanced health and the economy, collective responsibility and individual rights to overcome COVID sooner? 

Exercise: Ask students to debate the role of government versus individual responsibility in combating global crises such as COVID and climate change. 

Author: Maggie Fox