I’ve previously shared about Ed Zaccaro’s book The 10 Things All Future Mathematicians and Scientists Should Know (But Are Rarely Taught), and how I introduced and reinforced the BIG IDEAS in these lessons over a two-year span with my 4th and 5th grade GT students. You can read the first post I shared HERE.
In this post, I’ll explain how I introduced Chapter 1: Math and Science Will Tell You the Truth, beginning with the third lesson: “How Dr. Snow Used Statistics to Stop a Cholera Epidemic.”
This was always the very first lesson I did with fifth graders. In fact, we did it on the very first day of GT class. There were a few reasons for this: (1) I wanted to set the tone for the year. I wanted students to know we’d be engaged in applying math and science the way it’s done in the “real world;” and (2) I knew students would enjoy the fun and challenge of the simulation that I chose to follow the lesson, a great first-day activity.
Before presenting the chapter BIG IDEA or introducing this lesson, you might like to ask students a philosophical question: WHICH HAS MORE IMPACT ON THE WORLD- MATH or SCIENCE? It’s a bit of a trick question, actually since math is often thought of as a science, and science uses mathematical tools and language to gather data, communicate, and test theories. But it’s interesting to hear what students come up with. HERE are some possible responses concerning how what we typically think of as “math” and “science” impact our daily lives.
The story about Dr. Snow in the Ten Things book is very short, and I would read JUST up to the sentence in which it says he plotted the cholera deaths on a map. You can also show this video and STOP THE VIDEO at 2:58. Or share both!
INTERPRETING THE MAPS
This lesson from National Geographic which includes this PDF is the perfect next activity. Have students either write or discuss their responses to the questions with a partner, then share in a class discussion. Students should be able to ascertain that the Broad Street pump was the culprit. Be sure to get their thoughts about why some people living far from this area were getting sick. At that point, you can read the remainder of the story in the book or continue the video above. A replica of the Broad street pump stands on the same street in London today.
THE SPREADING OF A VIRUS ~ A Simulation
Although cholera is not a viral epidemic, I always followed this story with a simulation of the spreading of a virus, explained in great detail HERE. It involves gathering and analyzing data in a slightly different way and is another great reinforcement of how math (statistics and data gathering) can be used to solve problems in the world and have a huge impact on our lives.
If you have other resources and ideas to share about using Ed Zaccaro’s books, please leave a comment below or share in our Facebook group.