Unit 3.1 Outbreak Evidence: Line lists, maps, epidemic curves, infectious-agent identification lab or simulation.
Your PLTW coursework: Principles of Biomedical Science ▸ Unit 3: Outbreaks and Emergencies ▸ Lesson 3.1 Nosocomial Nightmare ▸ "Activity 3.1.3 Modes of Transmission", "Activity 3.1.4 Evidence Evaluation", "Project 3.1.7 Transmit the Tale"
What to do if absent- 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.
Week overview - Outbreak Evidence: line lists, epidemic curves, and identifying the agent
Build an from a and use case data and a lab simulation to identify the of an outbreak.
- 1Read the and define incidence, prevalence, and period from the data.
- 2Sort the cases by date of onset and tally how many fell ill each day.
- 3Plot the daily case counts to build an and describe its shape.
- 4Run the agent-identification simulation or lab and record your test results carefully.
- 5Match the pattern and lab results to a single most-likely .
- 6Write one sentence naming the agent and the strongest evidence that points to it.
- • You will be able to read a and build an from it.
- • You will be able to use and lab evidence to identify a .
- • You will be able to record and properly during an identification lab.
Daily lessons this week
Open any day for its full lesson, the work due that day, and guided notes.
One-sentence statement of the strongest opposing argument encountered during the outbreak privacy debate.
Annotated notes with worked incidence/prevalence examples, shape sketches labeled by type, and a spot-map interpretation note.
Completed with line-list summary, plotted (labeled with type), spot-map cluster description, agent-ID results, and one stated measurement error.
CER naming the likely outbreak source and infectious agent, citing , spot map, and agent-ID evidence, including an attack rate or incidence value, and stating assumptions and limitations.
Updated project tracker with outbreak-unit status, confidence rating, and one reflective note, linked to the submitted five-artifact evidence package.
Quick intro to the week
- Hook: an outbreak is a mystery hidden in a spreadsheet, and epidemiologists are the detectives who crack it.
- Today's goal: turn a raw into an and name the agent behind the cases.
- Monday bioethics debate ties in: how much patient data may health officials share to stop an outbreak?
- Reminder: your graded and agent-identification report are submitted on the class site.
Your PLTW coursework this week
Do this: Advance your PLTW PBS epidemiology benchmark by completing the outbreak data analysis and agent-identification report in the online course shell.
- • A records each case so patterns in an outbreak can be analyzed.
- • An plots cases over time and hints at the source and spread.
- • Incidence and prevalence describe new and total cases in a population.
- • Build an from raw case data.
- • Use and lab evidence to identify a .
📋 PLTW evidence due: the completed and agent-identification lab report in the course shell.
All PLTW activities are completed inside the PLTW course environment: this page only gives direction.
This week's PLTW tracker
Your week at a glance. Check off each deliverable as you finish it, then submit so Mr. Mendoza can see how the class is pacing.
Use the code Mr. Mendoza gave you, not your name. Saved on this device.
| Day | Date | Focus | Key deliverable |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monday | Mon, Nov 16 | Outbreak privacy debate | One-sentence statement of the strongest opposing argument encountered during the outbreak privacy debate. |
| Wednesday | Wed, Nov 18 | Epidemiology tools notes | Annotated notes with worked incidence/prevalence examples, epidemic curve shape sketches labeled by transmission type, and a spot-map interpretation note. |
| Thursday | Thu, Nov 19 | Outbreak data and agent ID lab | Completed data table with line-list summary, plotted epidemic curve (labeled with transmission type), spot-map cluster description, agent-ID results, and one stated measurement error. |
| Thursday | - | Source and agent CER | CER naming the likely outbreak source and infectious agent, citing epidemic curve, spot map, and agent-ID evidence, including an attack rate or incidence value, and stating assumptions and limitations. |
| Friday | - | Submit tracker and evidence | Updated project tracker with outbreak-unit status, confidence rating, and one reflective note, linked to the submitted five-artifact evidence package. |
- M: Philosophy for Kids / John Carroll bioethical debate
- T: teacher background notes + PLTW launch task
- W: lab / data or model work
- Th: analysis / CER or design revision
- F: submit tracker + weekly evidence
Due by week's end: Outbreak line list, map, and curve.
4 panels from the illustrated semester.
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.
Lab day: what to bring & watch
This explainer accompanies the PLTW lab protocol: watch it before lab.
What to do when absent
Most days, this class is your PLTW coursework: and PLTW is online and individual. So being out usually just means doing exactly what we did in class, from home.
Open Clever, then myPLTWHow 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.
You can't do those from home: do this instead: Teacher-posted data/model packet, same objective. Supplemental: CDC: epidemiology basics; HHMI bacterial identification virtual lab if used.
Class still runs. A substitute will post today's plan: complete the online activity above; it's built to be self-guided. Need the concept taught without a teacher? Use this authoritative explainer:
CDC: principles of epidemiology and outbreak investigationVocabulary
Resources & readings
Hand-picked readings and interactives for this lesson, from authoritative open organizations and PLTW's own public course outline.