Project Title: ZZ-Paff!

Page 1 of 2
Author(s): Isabel Storch

1. Essential Standards
2. Key Facts From
Problem
3. Possible Solutions 4. Learning Outcomes

These are the standards your
problem will address. A PBL
can address and integrate one
or multiple essential standards.

Bio.2.1.3. Explain various ways
organisms interact with each other
(including predation, competition,
parasitism, mutualism) and with
their environments resulting in
stability within ecosystems.

Bio.2.2 1. Infer how human
activities (including population
growth, pollution, global
warming, burning of fossil fuels,
habitat destruction and
introduction of nonnative
species) may impact the
environment.

8.L.1
Understand the hazards caused
by agents of diseases that effect
living organisms.

8. L.2
Understand how biotechnology is
used to affect living organisms.




This refers to the major facts
from your problem. What are
the major ideas students
should pull from your
problem.

During the seasons of Spring
and Summer, Winston Salem is
plagued with mosquitos.

Besides the nuisance, mosquitos
pose a health risk, as they
transmit illness as the West Nile
Virus and the chikungunya.

There are different ways to
control this pest, depending of
the species: Physical, Chemical,
Biological.

The different options available
have different levels of efficacy
and risks for human health and
the environment.


This is a guess for what you hope
students will discover as a solution
to the problem.

Establish a system (action plan) for
the pest control of mosquitos in your
ecosystem (household and school)

Know the most common products
used as mosquito repellents and
insecticides in their community, and
decide which one they would prefer to
use (more suitable for them and their
household).

Reduce the impact of the problem by
elimination of the sources for
mosquito breeding (still water).

Though there are several companies
that offer spraying as a method for
pest control, due to its ecological
impact on fish and invertebrates, this
option should be used as a last
resource, and only for cases when
other available options are not
working.

It is possible to control the problem
and make your environment mosquito
free, without making a negative impact
on the environment.

These are the facts you hope
students will learn through the PBL
process. These differ from
standards, as they are specific to
what you hope students will be able
to do and understand.

Students will understand the
different options for control:
killing mosquitos (insecticides)
and preventing bites
(repellents).

Students will be aware of the
difference regarding efficacy
and health and environmental
risks posed by the different
options to deal with the
problem.

Students will Understand the
life cycle of mosquitos, and how
the insecticides and repellent
works (the mechanism involved
in breaking the life cycle).
Also, understand the wide
variety of species and their
distribution.

Students will understand the
ecological impact of the use of
the different options available
(bio, chemical and physical)


Project Title: ZZ-Paff! Page 2 of 2
Author(s): Isabel Storch

5. Problem/Scenario
6. General Notes and
Driving Questions
7. Resources for Learning
8. Final Products and
Assessment Tools
This is the actual problem or scenario
you will present to students. It should
be detailed and realistic.

Its mosquito season in
Winston Salem!
From early May to the
beginning of October, they are
here to eat us alive. Apart from
the nuisance these hateful
parasites represent, they also
pose severe risks for human
heath, as they are vehicles in
the transmission of other
diseases, as the West Nile
Virus.

As a matter of fact, my friend
Tess, who arrived yesterday
from the Caribbean Islands is
sick at home with a mosquito
transmitted disease: the
chikungunya.

Nowadays, with all the
information and products
available, there are ways to
keep this awful pest at bay.
Can we develop a system for
the prevention and control of
these hateful animals?

General notes about the problem
that might be pertinent to
understanding the problem.

How can we protect
ourselves from mosquito
bites?

Which products are most
commonly used as mosquito
insecticides? And as
repellents? Why, How do
they work?

(Most common repellants:
DEET, Picaridin, , eucalyptus
lemon oil)

What are the differences
among those products?
How toxic are they? For
humans? For the
environment?

How many different species
of mosquitos are in this area?
Where do they live? When do
they attack? Why do they bite
us?

What resources will you supply students
with for learning and discovery?

http://www.mosquito.org/control

http://www.cdc.gov/chikungunya/
prevention/index.html

http://www.mosquito.org/links

World Health Organization
http://www.who.int

WHOPES-recommended
compounds and formulations for
control of mosquito larvae

The City of Winston Salem has a
pest control department, where
they have specific programs for the
control of mosquitos. Find pest
control specialist (Ryan), from the
Sanitation department.
This is the end goal of the PBL. How
will students product be evaluated?

Summative Assessment

Students will come up with
an action plan for mosquito
prevention and control, for
the school and the household.
They will prepare a
presentation to explain their
system to the school, and
their family.

The presentation should
include data that supports
the effectiveness of the
system and its impact in the
environment and human
health.

Besides the summative
formal assessment, students
will be also informally
assessed during the progress
of the projects with questions
for understanding of the
concepts about ecological
impact of human activity and
parasite life cycle and control.