Defend Your Job

L. Lange & C. Dion Combined modified project 2013-2014

Biological Resistance Project

Current events are filled with evidence of natural selection at work. Newscasters talk about new emerging viruses, including a new strain of the norovirus that cause stomach issues. Other newscasts have discussed the infestation of bedbugs in hotels and homes and how the current pesticides are no longer effective. Hospitals are on alert for MRSA a strain of bacteria that is resistant to antibiotics.

ROLE: The PCHS public relations firm has been hired by the CDC to address the lack of understanding in the public about reasons behind the increase in new strains of viruses, insect infestations and antibiotic resistant bacteria. Your team will compete with the other teams in the firm to create a public service announcement that explains the process of biological resistance and how it is related to the actions of people in Paulding County area (i.e., you will explain the mechanism of evolution for your organism).

AUDIENCE: The residents of Paulding County Georgia.

FORMAT: For this project, everyone must follow the same format.

v Each team will complete a public service announcement or newscast for a type of biological resistance.

v Each team will have the option to present their announcement or newscast to the population of Paulding County (our class) – for up to 10 bonus points.

v Each team will follow the format requirements specified for either the public service announcement or newscast.

TOPIC: Biological Resistance by Viruses, Insects, or Bacteria – you will be assigned one of the following organisms: Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, Norovirus, New Strain of Gonorrhea, German Cockroaches, Bed bugs, HIV, and Necrotizing fasciitis (Flesh- eating bacteria) or any of your choice that has been teacher approved.

REQUIRED COMPONENTS:

v You MUST complete the “Biological Resistance Documentation.”

v You MUST hypothesize how your organism of choice might have evolved over time prior to conducting your research.

v You MUST explain the history of the organism and how it has changed.

v You MUST address how evolution and natural selection has led to the type of resistance that you have chosen and give evidence to support you claims.

v You MUST address the role that humans have had in the evolution process of the organism in question and steps that can be taken to rectify the problem in the future.

v You MUST document all sources of information that are used for your project

Biological Resistance Documentation

SB5. Students will evaluate the role of natural selection in the development of the theory of
evolution.
d. Relate natural selection to changes in organisms.
e. Recognize the role of evolution to biological resistance (pesticide and antibiotic resistance).

STEP 1: Topic and Hypothesis - Choose your topic and create your hypothesis.

Topic: ______
Hypothesis: ______
______
______

STEP 2: Research - find information to help you explain how the pest, bacterium or virus your group was assigned has evolved to become either pesticide resistant, antibiotic resistant or vaccine resistant.

NOTE: Remember to document your sources using the format on the research source document form.

What information do we need?

1. History of organism (i.e., when was it discovered, what do we know about the organism and its mechanism of infection, what environmental factors affect this organism or help it to survive, etc.).

2. Evolutionary path or changes (i.e., what about the organism has changed to help it become resistant to our treatments?)

3. Role of humans in the evolution of the organism (i.e., how do we affect this organism and its changes, or evolution?)

4. What humans can do to slow down or prevent further mutations/changes? (i.e., what actions might we take to slow the process of resistance which we have helped to create – like taking a full course of antibiotics, or researching more extensively the effects of chemicals we are proposing to use, etc.?)

5. What can be done differently? (i.e., how can we be more environmentally aware of the potential negative effects of our actions?)

Research Source Documentation

Directions: Use the format below for documenting your sources used in your project. Remember that you need at least 2 sources. However, we encourage you to explore the topic further and add a third resource of your own.

Websites: You may choose to use to add your own information - http://cdc.gov,

http://evolution.berkeley.edu/ (look under resource tab) and http://www.nih.gov/ (use

search feature).

Sample Source Cards

Entries for electronic sources should contain as many items from the lists below as possible. To locate this information, you will need to scan the Web site (check bottom of page) and click on links entitled “About” or “Contact Us.” Include the URL address.

Entire Web site

L. Lange & C. Dion Combined modified project 2013-2014

* Author’s or Editor’s last name, first name [if given].

* Title of Web site.

* Name of sponsoring institution or organization [if given].

* Last update or original publication date.

* Web.

* Date accessed.

* <URL>.

Article from a Web site

Meyers, Jeffrey. “Beyond Poe’s Imagination.” Edgar Allan Poe on the Web. June 1999. Web. 27 June 2000.

Gould, Stephen, ed. Edgar Allan Poe’s Life. Poe Historical Society. 3 March 2000. Web. 24 June 2000.

<http://www.historicalsoc.com.html>.

* Author’s or Editor’s last name, first name [if given].

* “Article Title.”

* Database Title.

* Copyright date [edition].

* Online Publisher or sponsoring institution.

* Web.

* Date accessed [no period]

* Author’s or Editor’s last name, first name [if given].

* “Title of Article.”

* Title of Web site.

* Date of last update or original publication date.

* Web.

* Date accessed [no period]

Online Database Article

“Beyond Poe’s Imagination.” Britannica Online. May 2000. Encyclopedia Britannica. Web. 27 June 2000

L. Lange & C. Dion Combined modified project 2013-2014

Biological Resistance Newscast Project

Purpose: The purpose of this project is for you to present pertinent information on the how the organism in question has evolved to become pesticide resistant, antibiotic resistant or vaccine resistant due to evolution.

Role: Reporter for a local or national news station located in any city in the world.

Audience: General public

Format: Newscast Script (Video of newscast is optional)

Topic: Antibiotic Resistance , Pesticide Resistance or Vaccine Resistance based on the organism that
you are investigating.

Directions: Your newscast must include the 5 W’s and 1 H of reporting which can be addressed in any way
that you choose.

Note: These are suggested questions to answer for the 5W’s and 1 H:

1) Who?

· Who does this impact? (Need to make relevant to your audience; i.e., why should the consumer reading the PSA or watching the newscast watch; how might they be affected)

· Who needs to be concerned about the organism? (Need to make relevant; why should your audience care – think about the implications of this organism, disease, death, etc.)

· Who (what organism) is the newscast about?

· Who is responsible for the problem? (i.e., is the resistance natural or do we as human have a role in its change?)

2) What?

· What happened? (i.e., what caused the change, or resistance)

· What is next? (i.e., what steps)

· What can the public do about the problem? (i.e., how might we interact to reduce or change the problem?)

· What is the impact of the organism? (i.e., the effects)

· What are the symptoms? What is the mortality rate?

3) Where?

· Where does it exist (location)?

· Where is the most risk found? (i.e., what population is at most risk and why)

· Where is the resistance headed? (i.e., if nothing is done what might the outcome be, death, etc.)

4) When?

· When did the organism change (evolve)? (i.e., looking at history when did it occur, why)

· When will there be a way to control the organism? (i.e., our actions, research, etc.)

· When will it be safe again? (i.e., what will it take, a new antibiotic, more research, natural evolution?)

5) Why?

· Why did it happen? (i.e., was it natural, did humans cause, and how)

· Why is it important to the public? (i.e., how will it directly affect those watching)

6) How?

· How did it happen? (relate to evolution and natural selection)

· How do we prevent future resistance?

· How many people and/or communities are affected? (i.e., small population, epidemic, pandemic)

· How contagious is the disease? (i.e., not very, bodily fluid exchange required, or you need to be quarantined if you contract it)

· How frequently is the disease diagnosed? (i.e., 1 out of 400, 5000 cases per year, etc.)

· How does the organism infect individuals? (i.e., transmission – airborne, sexually, etc.)

Newscast Format: How will you present the information?

· News Opener: This is your “hook” and introduction of the anchorperson/reporters

· Note: If this is an individual project, this will be a one “man” show. The anchorperson/reporter
will discuss the information that the public needs to know. Create a document that
includes what you will be talking about during the newscast.

· Note: If this is a team project, create a script and assign roles to each person(if you are

videotaping). One person will be the anchorperson who asks questions to the reporter.
The other person will be the reporter who will answer the questions.

· There must be a conclusion/summary of the newscast at the end. One or two sentences to wrap up the broadcast.

Sample Newscast Script:

NEWS OPENER : Today on Fox 5 News: Mary Ellen and John Boy will be discussing …….

Mary Ellen: Asks a question

John Boy: Answers a question

Mary Ellen: Summary

Biological Resistance Public Service Announcement

SB5. Students will evaluate the role of natural selection in the development of the theory of
evolution.
d. Relate natural selection to changes in organisms.
e. Recognize the role of evolution to biological resistance (pesticide and antibiotic resistance).

Role: You are the public relations director of the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) in Atlanta and
have been asked to discuss the outbreak of a current organism that is pesticide resistant,
antibiotic resistant or vaccine resistant due to evolution.

Audience: General public

Format: Public Service Announcement (PSA) poster or script for a video (Actual videotaping of PSA is
optional).

Topic: Antibiotic Resistance, Pesticide Resistance or Vaccine Resistance based on the organism that
you are investigating.

Directions: Use the suggested steps to create a PSA poster. Turn in all of the preplanning documents.

Step 1: Title

· Consider giving your PSA a clever title that will make it memorable to viewers. The more engaging the opening the more likely people will listen to the topic. (Example: What is black and red and killing all over?)

Step 2: What is the main idea that must be communicated in the PSA?

· In one sentence summarize your topic’s main idea that will be communicated in your PSA:

· This step will help you when thinking of how to communicate the purpose of the PSA and how to go about engaging the public in its urgency.

Step 3: Planning your Catchphrase

· This component is crucial to your success.

· This statement should engage and hook your reader.

· Example: (Do not use a chart in your PSA)

Main Idea / Emotions to Convey / Catchphrase Options
Biological resistance is an issue we should all care about. / Shock, amazement, concern / · Are you okay with that?
· Biological resistance is real. You can be affected.
· Someone might be dying.

Step 4: What emotion do you want to convey in the PSA?

· Why is this emotion important? (this is what will grad your audience)

· How does the emotion pertain to your PSA? (why your audience should be concerned)

· The intent of every PSA is to persuade the viewers to take action because the topic is important to them.

Step 5: Research (see examples for these questions in the descriptions on the newscast format)

· When researching remember to collect facts, statistics, and to look for cause-and-effect statements or comparisons to illustrate your point.

· Use the following questions as a guide to gather information

1. Who?

· Who does this impact? (Need to make relevant to your audience)

· Who needs to be concerned about the organism? (Need to make relevant)

· Who (what organism) is the newscast about?

· Who is responsible for the problem?

2. What?

· What happened?

· What is next?

· What can the public do about the problem?

· What is the impact of the organism?

· What are the symptoms? What is the fatality rate?

3. Where?

· Where does it exist (location)?

· Where is the most risk found?

· Where is the resistance headed?

4. When?

· When did the organism change (evolve)?

· When will there be a way to control the organism?

· When will it be safe again?

5. Why?

· Why did it happen?

· Why is it important to the public?

6. How?

· How did it happen? (relate to evolution and natural selection)

· How do we prevent future resistance?

· How many people and/or communities are affected?

· How contagious is the disease?

· How frequently is the disease diagnosed?

· How does the organism infect individuals?

Step 6: Place your research into subcategories based on your topic: