Viruses are microscopic, primitive structures that cause disease in animals and humans. Recently, scientists have been concerned about a bird flu virus that has crossed over to infect people, as well. In this unit, you will gain an understanding of how viruses work and what can be done to control their spread.
Activity Directions
1. Watch the video "Understanding: Viruses" from United Streaming, introducing the topic of viruses and their history. The entire video can be viewed, or selected segments. 2. Explore the PBS web site "Influenza 1918" and complete a scavenger hunt. 3. Conduct a Google search and read current stories of the Avian (bird) flu virus. 4. Access the World Health Organization web site to get the latest data for the number of people contracting the Avian flu and the number of related deaths. 5. Create a spreadsheet in Excel by copying and pasting the data, then make a column graph depicting the total number of deaths/year from the virus. Make predictions for the continued spread of the virus and identify measures that can be taken to control the spread of the virus.
