The recent resurgence of important infectious diseases has led to a need for K-12 school curricula that create a betterunderstanding of disease transmission dynamics and their biological underpinnings. To produce these curricula, Lymedisease and West Nile encephalitis were selected as models because of their public health significance, because theyprovide a window for understanding broader biological relationships, and, finally, because Yale University is a major researchcenter for these diseases and can provide scientifically authoritative curriculum content. A disease-based curriculum projectwill enable a natural partnership between (1) government and academic research institutions, (2) the Peabody museum andits educational staff, (3) concerned K-12 teachers and (4) school distdcts in need of new teaching tools. In Phase I,investigators from the Yale University School of Medicine and the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station together withPeabody Museum educators will work with a select group of ten science teachers from three urban public school districts.With logistic and materials support from the museum educators, these teachers will design the curriculum resources toinclude inquiry-based lesson plans, teacher reference manual, and student science kits. Researchers will provide expertiseand technical assistance, graduate students dedicated to the project will assist more directly in the development andimplementation phases, and the museum will provide and organize specimens for 'hands-on' activities. Lyme disease andWest Nile encephalitis will serve as model systems for exploring interactions between biodiversity and vector-borne diseaseunder the guiding paradigms provided by national standards for science teaching. The teacher-designed resources willundergo rigorous field testing and refinement before integration into the formal science curriculum in each district. Thisincludes evaluation by professionals in curriculum development and student level impact. In Phase II, the curriculumresources will be disseminated regionally and nationally. Participating classrooms will be connected electronically fordiscussion and comparison of data from research projects via the museum's videoconference facility. Public educationinitiatives will include hands-on learning experiences at the museum, academic symposia, and a traveling exhibit and willfeature the juxtaposition of biodiversity studies and biomedical research on Lyme/West Nile. Project activities are expected toreach 5,850 students dudng Phase I and 11,400 students in Phase II. Museum activities will impact annually 4,000 visitors atthe Peabody Museum; the traveling exhibit will impact an additional 150,000 each year.
