Mon, Apr 26, 2027Spring (Semester 2) · Week 15Day 50 of 6180-min blockCalendar fit

Message draft

Essential question: How do you communicate a real health risk so that people actually change what they do, without lying to them?Enduring understanding: A message works only when it is aimed at a specific audience, backed by evidence, and ends with an action that person can actually take.

Do now

Draft an evidence-based public health message tailored to a specific audience.

DueTonight, 11:29 PM
Hand in
Public health message draft with named target audience, one-sentence evidence-backed core message, specific call to action, reading-level note, and evidence citation.
Where
Turn this in at the drop folder with your district Microsoft sign-in, or hand it to Mr. Mendoza in class. Both count as submitted. Doing the activity in myPLTW does not.

You get two school days for every day you were absent, so this deadline moves with you.

Where you are · this course
Audience, privacy, usability, evidence-based recommendations, product revision. Message draft ▸ Day 2
Day 50 of 61 this semester11 left before WebXam
🧬 Where you are · PLTW
Biomedical InnovationProblem 5: Combating a Public Health Issue"Activity 5.1.2 Public Health in the News"
Matched to your live myPLTW course (verified June 2026).
Today's driving question

How do you write one sentence about flu shots that a busy John Hay parent will read, believe, and act on before scrolling past?

Today you'll be able to

Draft an evidence-based message tailored to a specific audience.

You've got it when
  • Your message names an audience and an evidence-based action.
  • The reading level and citation are appropriate.
Due today · CER Required message draft with named target audience, one-sentence evidence-backed core message, specific call to action, reading-level note, and evidence citation.
Do-Now · start these with your notes closed
  1. Name one specific group at John Hay or in your neighborhood, and the one health worry that is actually on their mind.
  2. In one sentence with no big words, tell that group one thing they could do about it this week.
Do this · step by step
numbered so we can always find our place
  1. 1Define your target audience and their main concern.
  2. 2Write a one-sentence core message backed by evidence.
  3. 3Add a clear, specific call to action.
  4. 4Check the reading level fits your audience.
  5. 5Cite the evidence behind your recommendation.
Interrupted or lost? Interrupted? You should have your target audience named, a one-sentence evidence-backed core message written, and a specific call to action added. If those exist, move to checking the reading level and citing your evidence.
Optional project open: Microbiology & the Working Lab - solo or group, about 3 to 4 hours total. Due by Fri, May 28, 2027. Great WebXam prep.
The story

What did this day actually feel like?

Message draft

Writing for people who are not in this class. Short, accurate, actionable.

My first draft was accurate and useless. It described the risk and never said what to do.

Turned in: CER → Claim Evidence Reasoning folder

Fiction. There is no such student. The lessons, labs and dates are the real planned course; the student, the classmates and the conversations are invented.

The comic

The same day, drawn.

Drawing, panel 66: Message draft.

Writing for people who are not in this class. Short, accurate, actionable.

Panel 66Message draft · 2027-04-26
Read week 14, 5 panels

Fiction. There is no such student. The lessons, labs and dates are the real planned course; the student, the classmates and the conversations are invented.

🛠 Get unstuck · pick your level

Need a running start
Before writing, just fill in two blanks: 'My audience is ____' and 'The one thing I want them to DO is ____.' Everything you write today has to serve those two answers.
On track
Draft a one-sentence core message backed by real evidence, add a specific call to action, then read it aloud and cut any word your audience would have to look up.
Stuck? Get unstuck
If your message feels wordy, delete every sentence that is not the one fact plus the one action. A strong health message is often just two sentences: what is true, and what to do about it.
Push me further
Write your message twice, once for a teenager and once for a grandparent, and label the exact word or phrase you changed for each. Explain why that swap fits that audience.

🔑 Today's words · 5

audienceprivacyusabilityrecommendationevidence

Tap a word in the lesson for a plain meaning and one example. Recycled into next week's Do-Now.

Today's study notebook
Public-health products and risk communication: reaching a community clearly in a crisis.
Open the notebook
Watch first: today's 1-minute intro
Audio overviewVideo overviewMind mapStudy guideFlashcardsQuizData table
Where this fits
Tested on (Ohio WebXam)
Biotechnology for Health and Disease · 072125 (likely, pending confirmation)
PLTW lesson
BI · Problem 5: Combating a Public Health Issue
WebXam domain
Microbiology Testing and Technology
Evidence to produce
CER
Do the work · 80-minute blockfirst 5 min = hook

💡 Big idea: A message drives action because it is written at the audience's reading level and ends in a specific step, so the person both understands it and knows exactly what to do.

  1. 0-5 minWarm-up: who is your target audience and what do they worry about most?
  2. 5-20 minDefine audience and main concern; write your one-sentence core message
  3. 20-40 minDraft a specific call to action and check it is actionable and realistic
  4. 40-55 minAssess reading level; simplify any jargon that the audience would not know
  5. 55-70 minAdd citation for the evidence behind your recommendation
  6. 70-80 min: can your partner identify your audience, message, and action step?
Mr. Mendoza's 5-minute intro
  • Today you write the actual message your product will deliver.
  • We start by defining exactly who will read it and what they already know.
  • A core message in one sentence forces clarity: if you can't say it simply, you don't know it well enough.
  • The call to action is the most important line: it tells people what to do with the information.
Know by the end
  • A call to action must be specific enough that the audience knows exactly what to do.
  • Reading level should match the audience: plain language increases comprehension and action.
  • Citations behind health recommendations show the message is not opinion.
Open this PLTW section today

Audience, privacy, usability, evidence-based recommendations, product revision. · Message draft

Day 2 of this lesson. Open this exact section in myPLTW (find it in Clever, Microsoft sign-in), then do the work below.

Do this: Open Problem 5 in your myPLTW course shell and navigate to the current communication activity, then draft an evidence-based message tailored to a specific audience.

Complete

Attach your message draft to the Problem 5 evidence portfolio.

How far to get

The risk communication debate is done; message drafting is an early communication milestone, so check your activity guide.

Upload as evidence

Message draft with citation submitted as today's evidence.

The official PLTW activity stays inside myPLTW. If myPLTW will not open, use F1 and E1-E3 on this page to complete today's local evidence decision, then make up the official activity when access returns. Turn this in at the drop folder with your district Microsoft sign-in, or hand it to Mr. Mendoza in class. Both count as submitted. Doing the activity in myPLTW does not.

Today's PLTW tracker · fill in and submit

Check things off as you work, then submit. This tells Mr. Mendoza how you're doing so he can help the class. It does not replace turning in your producible through the submission route shown below.

Use the code Mr. Mendoza gave you, not your name. Saved on this device.

Audience, privacy, usability, evidence-based recommendations, product revision.Day 2 of this projectSee the full week plan
Today's PLTW target

Audience, privacy, usability, evidence-based recommendations, product revision. · Message draft

Open Problem 5 in your myPLTW course shell and navigate to the current communication activity, then draft an evidence-based message tailored to a specific audience.

The risk communication debate is done; message drafting is an early communication milestone, so check your activity guide.

This is how Mr. Mendoza sees the class keeping pace with PLTW. Be honest, it only helps if it is accurate.

1 · What you do today

🎯 Draft an evidence-based message tailored to a specific audience.

  • Define your target audience and their main concern.
  • Write a one-sentence core message backed by evidence.
  • Add a clear, specific call to action.
  • Check the reading level fits your audience.
  • Cite the evidence behind your recommendation.
2 · What you turn in

CER: message draft with named target audience, one-sentence evidence-backed core message, specific call to action, reading-level note, and evidence citation.

Turn this in at the drop folder with your district Microsoft sign-in, or hand it to Mr. Mendoza in class. Both count as submitted. Doing the activity in myPLTW does not. Use the checklist just below and upload by 11:29 PM for full credit. Absent with an excused absence? You get two school days for every day you were absent, so this deadline moves with you.

3 · Who's doing what (team)
TaskWho
Define your target audience and their main concern._______
Write a one-sentence core message backed by evidence._______
Add a clear, specific call to action._______
Check the reading level fits your audience._______
Cite the evidence behind your recommendation._______

Working solo? Put your own name in "Who" for every row.

4 · Words I can use correctly
5 · I'm successful today when I can…
  • Your message names an audience and an evidence-based action.
  • The reading level and citation are appropriate.
6 · Reflection & next steps
Where are you today?0/7 checked
Pick your period and code first.
Your 4 steps today
  1. 1
    Do this
    Draft an evidence-based public health message tailored to a specific audience.
  2. 2
  3. 3
    Submit this
    CER: Public health message draft with named target audience, one-sentence evidence-backed core message, specific call to action, reading-level note, and evidence citation.
  4. 4
    Submit it here
    1. 1Open the drop folder.
    2. 2Sign in with your district Microsoft account, not a personal one.
    3. 3Upload the file, named Lastname_Firstname__Assignment Title.
    4. 4Your own upload panel says Uploaded with a green check: that is your receipt.
    Turn this in at the drop folder with your district Microsoft sign-in, or hand it to Mr. Mendoza in class. Both count as submitted. Doing the activity in myPLTW does not. Biotechnology for Health (Biomedical Innovations) › Audience, privacy, usability, evidence-based recommendations, product revision. › CER
    Open the drop folder
Were you absent? Jump to the make-up plan
Learn it · deck, reading, and vocabulary
Socratic teaching slide deck

The deck carries the prior idea forward, lets you inspect an analogy, maps the rule to biology, and ends with the same evidence decision and exit ticket used on this page.

Generated from this lesson's canonical data with a red-team citation check.

Carry forward

A health message's tone changes behavior because fear only moves people when paired with a clear action, so tone and next-step together decide whether anyone acts and whether they keep trusting you.

Daily take-home

A message drives action because it is written at the audience's reading level and ends in a specific step, so the person both understands it and knows exactly what to do.

Inspect the analogy

A detective board holds observations, possible explanations, and one next question.

  1. Which notes are direct observations?
  2. Which notes are explanations?
  3. What new evidence would separate the explanations?
Rule

Keep observations separate from explanations, then collect the evidence that can distinguish the options.

Where it breaks

Biomedical investigations use controlled procedures and validated measurements, not intuition alone.

Map the analogy to biology
  • Board notes map to E1-E3.
  • Possible explanations map to the decision options.
  • The next question maps to the evidence-based action.
Read this first

Driving question: How do you write one sentence about flu shots that a busy John Hay parent will read, believe, and act on before scrolling past?

What you already know: A health message's tone changes behavior because fear only moves people when paired with a clear action, so tone and next-step together decide whether anyone acts and whether they keep trusting you.

New idea: A message drives action because it is written at the audience's reading level and ends in a specific step, so the person both understands it and knows exactly what to do.

Visual or model: F1. F1. A lesson illustration or teaching diagram for Message draft. Use it with E1-E3; it is a model or context image, not experimental or patient data. What to notice: Trace the labeled system, test, or design relationship and identify which evidence should trigger revision.

  1. Observe or measure the relevant feature in Message draft.
  2. Organize the observation with a stable evidence ID.
  3. Apply this rule: Keep observations separate from explanations, then collect the evidence that can distinguish the options.
  4. Choose the option the evidence supports and state the limit of the conclusion.

Real biomedical example: How do you write one sentence about flu shots that a busy John Hay parent will read, believe, and act on before scrolling past?

What the evidence supports: E1-E3 and F1 support the daily take-home when the response meets the stated success criteria.

What it cannot prove: The package does not support claims beyond this lesson's or any real patient diagnosis.

Vocabulary:
  • audience: The specific group of people a product, message, or design is created for, whose needs and abilities shape every design choice.
  • privacy: A person's right to control who can access their personal or health information and how that information is shared.
  • usability: How easy, efficient, and satisfying a product is for its intended users to learn and use to reach their goals.
  • recommendation: A clear, evidence-based suggestion for what action to take, drawn from analyzing data, results, or a patient's situation.
  • evidence: The facts, data, and cases that carry your claim. Opinions are free; evidence costs homework.

Use it now: Choose one decision option. Cite E1 and E3, then explain how the rule connects the evidence to your choice.

Go further, optional: The source links below are optional enrichment. Every fact required for today's local evidence decision appears in this lesson package.

Evidence set and decision
E1 · Observation

A call to action must be specific enough that the audience knows exactly what to do.

Limit: E1 supplies context or an observation; it does not by itself establish the explanation.

E2 · Mechanism

A message drives action because it is written at the audience's reading level and ends in a specific step, so the person both understands it and knows exactly what to do.

Limit: E2 is a teaching statement or comparison and must be checked against the task evidence.

E3 · Result

Your message names an audience and an evidence-based action.

Limit: E3 supports only the result or product criterion named here; it cannot justify a broader clinical or causal claim.

PLTW-BFH-2027-04-26 · Simulated classroom evidence scenario

Your role: biomedical design team member

Decision: Your team must decide what the evidence from Message draft supports before submitting the claim-evidence-reasoning response named on the lesson page.

  • Choose the strongest supported explanation.
  • Choose the next evidence to collect.
  • Hold the decision because the evidence is insufficient.

Response: State one choice, cite at least two evidence IDs, explain the rule that connects them, and add one limitation. Submit it as the claim-evidence-reasoning response.

Claim ceiling: The supplied lesson evidence can support an observation, pattern, classroom mechanism, or next-step decision about Message draft. It cannot by itself prove causation, establish a real clinical diagnosis, or justify action outside this classroom task.

Math moment
Formula or setup

Mean = sum of values / number of values. Median = middle ordered value. Range = maximum - minimum.

Worked parallel example

For 2, 4, 4, and 10: mean = 20 / 4 = 5, median = 4, and range = 10 - 2 = 8.

Units and reasonableness

Mean, median, and range keep the measurement unit. Order the values before finding the median.

Try it with today's data

Calculate the requested summary for today's supplied values, then write what it reveals and what it hides.

Design record
Criteria
  • The solution must address the stated need in Message draft.
  • The decision must be supported by E1-E3.
  • The final product must make the success criteria visible.
Constraints
  • Complete the work inside the 80-minute block.
  • Use only supplied or teacher-approved materials and evidence.
  • Do not trade , accessibility, or privacy for speed.
Tradeoff weights
  • and evidence quality: must pass before scoring other criteria.
  • User need and effectiveness: highest scored criterion.
  • Time, cost, and ease of use: compare only after and effectiveness pass.

Test evidence: For each option, record the E1-E3 result that supports or fails each criterion. Do not assign a score without a named observation.

Iteration log
  1. Version or option tested
  2. Criterion met or missed
  3. Evidence ID and result
  4. Revision made
  5. Reason for the revision
Decision record
  1. Need and user
  2. Criteria and constraints
  3. Chosen option and evidence
  4. Test result
  5. Revision and reason
Watch the trap

Students often think Students think a health message sounds more credible and convincing when it uses formal, scientific vocabulary.. The trap: Big words shrink your audience: if people cannot read the message easily, they cannot act on it, no matter how correct it is. Plain language is not dumbing down; it is the difference between a message that gets acted on and one that gets scrolled past.

Worked example · a parallel case (guides, does not reveal)
Worked message draft on a parallel case
Completes: Worked CER on a parallel case: models the message-draft step (named audience, one evidence-backed core message, a specific call to action, a reading-level note, and a citation) on a different public health topic so you can copy the format, not the answer.

Audience and concern: Renters and homeowners in older houses near the lake, who have heard of carbon monoxide but do not know whether their home actually needs a detector.\nCore message (one sentence): A working carbon monoxide alarm on each floor warns you before an invisible gas leak from a furnace or water heater can make your family sick, and it costs about the price of a fast-food meal.\nCall to action: This weekend, put one carbon monoxide alarm on each level of your home, especially near sleeping areas, and press the test button to make sure it beeps.\nReading-level note: I aimed for about a 6th-grade reading level. I used short sentences and everyday words ('alarm' and 'beeps' instead of 'detection device'), and I named exactly where to place it so no one has to guess.\nEvidence citation: CDC, 'Carbon Monoxide Poisoning: Prevention Guidelines,' cdc.gov/carbon-monoxide (reports that CO alarms give early warning and that CO poisoning sends thousands to the emergency room each year).

Why this matters

This model shows the level of evidence and organization needed to complete: Worked CER on a parallel case: models the message-draft step (named audience, one evidence-backed core message, a specific call to action, a reading-level note, and a citation) on a different public health topic so you can copy the format, not the answer.

Build yours step by step
  1. Write one defensible claim.
  2. Choose specific evidence that supports the claim.
  3. Explain the scientific rule that connects the evidence to the claim.
Change it for a new task

Keep the structure. Replace the question, facts, measurements, and evidence. Then recheck units, vocabulary, and whether the conclusion goes beyond the evidence.

Also due today: Submit your message draft on the class site today.

See the full worked example
Portal terms
CER:
Claim, Evidence, Reasoning: make a claim, back it with evidence, explain your reasoning.
SOP:
Standard Operating Procedure, the exact steps to follow (especially in a lab).
Tracker:
Your PLTW progress log where you record completed evidence.
myPLTW:
The PLTW course site where you do the online activities. Find it in Clever with your Microsoft sign-in, right next to Schoology.
This unit's vocabulary

Tap the speaker to hear a term. Add two of these to your notebook glossary with a definition and an example in your own words.

Build your vocabulary · optional, for extra credit

Pick just 2 or 3 words from today and make them yours: write what each one means in your own words, name the context clue or evidence that helped, then give one example from what you actually did in Message draft. Try your own words first; the glossary is there if you get stuck. This is voluntary and counts as extra credit, so keep it short.

audience
privacy
usability
recommendation
evidence

Saved on this device. Show Mr. Mendoza or add these to your notebook glossary to claim the extra credit.

Teacher-posted resources

Classroom documents for this lesson are posted in Schoology. Open Clever, then Schoology, and find each one by the name shown on its card.

Use during lessonFor: Everyone
BI Problem 5A Mission File (Botulism)
worksheet/handoutPosted in Schoology
Open in Schoology

Open this when the class reaches this activity and use it to complete the required lesson artifact.

Placement rationale

Matched product and grant proposal by path:Biomedical-Innovations/Problem-5_Public-Health-Issue/00_Problem-Overview; keywords:public health. Score 138. Visibility: student-schoology (student-facing resource; link through Schoology rather than local path).

Use during lessonFor: Everyone
BI Problem 5B Mission File (High Fever)
worksheet/handoutPosted in Schoology
Open in Schoology

Open this when the class reaches this activity and use it to complete the required lesson artifact.

Placement rationale

Matched product and grant proposal by path:Biomedical-Innovations/Problem-5_Public-Health-Issue/00_Problem-Overview; keywords:public health. Score 138. Visibility: student-schoology (student-facing resource; link through Schoology rather than local path).

Extension / challengeFor: Ready to go deeper
BI 5.1.2 Public Health Article Organizer
reading/referencePosted in Schoology
Open in Schoology

Use this after the required lesson work when you are ready for a harder application or a deeper connection.

Placement rationale

Matched product and grant proposal by path:Biomedical-Innovations/Problem-5_Public-Health-Issue/5.1_Public-Health-Issue; keywords:public health. Score 134. Visibility: student-schoology (student-facing resource; link through Schoology rather than local path).

How to get there: open Clever and sign in with your Microsoft (district) account. Both myPLTW and Schoology are in Clever. Do the activity in myPLTW. Turn the work in on this site or hand it to Mr. Mendoza, because that is the step that counts as submitted. Schoology only shows your report-card grade later.

Check yourself · commit, then reveal

Claim ceiling for this check: The supplied lesson evidence can support an observation, pattern, classroom mechanism, or next-step decision about Message draft. It cannot by itself prove causation, establish a real clinical diagnosis, or justify action outside this classroom task.

Quick self-check · commit, then reveal

Rewrite this so a busy parent reads and acts on it: 'Individuals are encouraged to obtain seasonal immunization to mitigate influenza transmission risk.' Keep it accurate and add a specific action.

How sure are you?

Write an answer and pick a confidence to unlock the key.

Cumulative WebXam review · flash practice

Fast retrieval with instant answers, not the commit-then-reveal check above. Try each from memory first: write what you remember about the earlier units, then check yourself here.

Tap an answer to check it · nothing is recorded or graded
[Review: Environmental Exposure: pathways, dose, and public-health risk] When assessing the risk of a pollutant to a community, which two factors must be considered together?
[Review: Reading the Data: graphs, trends, outliers, and correlation vs causation] Why should error bars be included on a graph of repeated environmental measurements?
[Review: Investigating an Outbreak: line lists, incidence, and intervention design] Which pair of terms correctly describes the difference between morbidity and mortality?
A team is designing a public health flyer about flu prevention for elementary school children. What is the most important design consideration?
Go further and get help
Where this leads: careers
What to do if you were absent
If YOU are absent

Today is individual work you can do from home: complete the same target above, then submit your CER.

Open the drop folder

Turn this in at the drop folder with your district Microsoft sign-in, or hand it to Mr. Mendoza in class. Both count as submitted. Doing the activity in myPLTW does not.

If MR. MENDOZA is absent

Class still runs. Complete the online activity above (it's self-guided). Need the concept taught without a teacher? Use this authoritative explainer:

CDC Health Communication
Optional extra credit (async)

You've passed Unit 2, so the optional extra-credit track is open. Complete reserved-unit work from home, including virtual labs, for extra credit. Each item shows its correct submission route.

Open the extra-credit track
How this is graded
For: CER: Public health message draft with named target audience, one-sentence evidence-backed core message, specific call to action, reading-level note, and evidence citation.
  • Complete
    Every required part of the artifact is present, nothing left blank.
  • Accurate
    The science and the data are correct and match the evidence.
  • Scientific reasoning
    You explain your claim with evidence and reasoning (CER), not just an answer.
  • Professional communication
    Clear, organized, labeled, and written the way a clinician or scientist would.
  • Submitted
    Turned in the right way, on the class site or handed to Mr. Mendoza in class, and confirmed. Not in Schoology: that is where the report-card grade appears later.