ASSIST Lesson Plan

Title

Introduction to One Health: Middle School

Introduction

Students will be introduced to the One Health Initiative. Students will discuss the
interconnectedness of humans, animals, and the environment. Students will be
introduced to the concept of zoonotic infections and comparative medicine. Students
will hypothesize the future ramifications of human, animal, and environmental
interactions. Students will analyze different relationships between these three
categories as they partake in the Interconnectedness of Our World activity with the
activity cards.

Curriculum
Alignment

This section contains the curriculum alignment of the lesson to the North Carolina NC
Essential Standards of Science or Math, and the Next Generation Science Standards
(NGSS) or Common Core Math.

June 23, 2015

Content
Area
Tech Ed

Grade
Level
6-8

Tech Ed

6-8

Science

Science

Science

Science

Science

Content
Area

Grade
Level

NC Essential Standards
6.RP1- Apply a research process for collaborative or individual
research
7.TT.1.2- Use appropriate technology tools and other resources
to organize information
7.E.1.6 Conclude that the good health of humans requires:
monitoring the atmosphere, maintaining air quality and
stewardship
8.P.2.2 Explain the implications of the depletion of renewable
and nonrenewable energy resources and the importance of
conservation
8.E.1.4 Conclude that the good health of humans requires:
Monitoring of the hydrosphere Water quality standards
Methods of water treatment Maintaining safe water quality
Stewardship
8.L.1.1 Summarize the basic characteristics of viruses, bacteria,
fungi and parasites relating to the spread, treatment and
prevention of disease.
8.L.3.1 Explain how factors such as food, water, shelter and
space affect populations in an ecosystem
NGSS / Common Core Math

ASSIST Lesson Plan

Real Life
Science
Applications

Learning
Outcomes

Time
Required
and Location
Materials
Needed

Science

6-8

Science

6-8

Science

6-8

MS-LS2-2 Construct an explanation that predicts patterns

of interactions among organisms across multiple ecosystems.
MS-LS2-5 Evaluate competing design solutions
for maintaining biodiversity and ecosystem services.
MS-ESS3-4 Construct an argument supported by evidence for
how increases in human population and per-capita consumption
of natural resources impact Earth's systems.

The One Health Initiative is a collaboration between doctors, industry, veterinarians,

researchers, and professors to study the interconnectedness between humans, animals,
and the environment and their effects on one another. Students can easily relate to this
concept as they can discuss their relationship with their pets or animals they have
interacted with in their lives. Students can also make correlations between how their
surrounding environment has implications for their own health and the health of their
families.
Students will discuss the overall concepts of the One Health Initiative
Students will analyze how interactions between humans, animals, and the
environment impact health through the Interconnectedness of our world
activity
Students will debate future implications for these connections and formulate
opinions on how these connections can be altered to benefit all involved
45 minutes (could easily be extended for an 85 or 90 minute class to go more in depth
with these topics)
-Interconnectedness cards printed out, cut out, and preferably laminated
-Projector & speakers to show video clip

Safety

There are no safety concerns with this lesson

Student
Prior
Knowledge

Students do not have to have any prior knowledge of One Health concepts to complete
this lesson. This lesson is meant as an introduction to the topic. Some students might
not know what some of the diseases listed on the activity cards are (for example Lyme
disease), so those concepts might need to be discussed prior to the start of the activity
or as the questions arise.

Teacher
Preparations
June 23, 2015

The teacher should research the One Health Initiative (found at

http://www.onehealthinitiative.com/about.php) before conducting the lesson.

ASSIST Lesson Plan

Activities

The teacher needs to print out and cut out the activity cards to hand out to the students.
The cards should be grouped correctly and paperclipped together. You should print out
two sets of cards. Each set has the following cards paperclipped together by type.
- 2 tick cards
- 3 deer cards
- 3 chicken cards
- 3 dog cards
- 3 weather cards
- 2 water cards
- 1 vet card
- 1 consumer card
- 3 farmer cards
- 1 homeowner card
Warm-up (written on the board when students arrive)
Write an example for each of the following things:
-An animal to human interaction
-An animal to the environment interaction
-A human to the environment interaction
Then, in one sentence write how you think humans, animals, and the environment are
connected to one another
Once students have completed their warm-ups ask people to give their examples. Most
of the examples given will be along the lines of a human has a pet dog and the dog
makes the human happy, but you want to push them further. Ask probing questions
like so if the dog makes the human happy how can a dog living with a human affect
the humans health? Continue this discussion to lead into the introduction video.
Say: Today we are going to be looking at the One Health Initiative, which is basically
the concepts we just talked about. We will watch this short video clip and then work on
an activity that simulates the interconnectedness of humans, animals, and the
environment, which is the focus of One Health.
Watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TG0pduAYESA as an introduction to the
One Health Concept.
Say: I am now going to pass out a card to each of you. You will either be a human, an
animal or insect, or something in the environment. Each card explains a bit about what
you are and your situation. Each card will also explain who/what you will be affecting.
You will have two minutes to read over your card. There will be three rounds of
movement. Your card will tell you what to do for each round. Some of you will be
staying still during a round and others will be told to go and sit back down. Follow the

June 23, 2015

ASSIST Lesson Plan

instructions carefully. Once you have read over your card, you will follow the
instructions at the bottom of your card once I tell you to move. Some of you will have
one card, some two, and some three, depending on who you are affecting. For example
if you are a tick you might be affecting a deer, a human, and a dog. If your first host is a
deer you find the deer, figure out where you go next, and give one of your tick cards
to the deer. *You might want to demonstrate this action to the class, you being the tick
and giving someone else the deer card. Read the tick card to the class. Go to the deer.
Give the deer one of your tick cards. Wait with the deer until round 2 is called. * Hand
out cards to the students and have them begin. This activity will take around 10
minutes.
Once students complete the activity have everyone go over who has what card and why
they have it. As a class discuss how different animals affected different humans and
vice versa, how humans affected the environment, and the environment affected both
animals and humans.
*Here is the list of who should have what at the end of the activity
-Weather: no cards left
-Water: 1 weather card, 1 water card
-Tick: no cards left
-Deer: 1 deer card, 1 tick card
-Dog: 1 dog card, 1 tick card
-Chicken: no cards left
-Homeowner: 1 dog card, 1 deer card, 1 weather card, 1 water card, 1 homeowner card
-Vet: 1 dog card, 1 chicken card, 1 vet card
-Farmer: 1 deer card, 1 chicken card, 1 water card, 1 farmer card
-Consumer: 1 chicken card, 1 farmer card, 1 consumer card
Assessment

Critical
Vocabulary
Modifications

June 23, 2015

On the same sheet of paper that students wrote their warm-up, have students answer the
questions from the warm-up applying what they just learned. Then have them write 2-3
sentences describing what the One Health Initiative is and their perspective on the
interconnectedness of humans, animals, and the environment.
-Interconnectedness
-Avian flu
-Lyme disease
Students who need extra help can be paired with the teacher or another student for the
activity to help them follow the relationship between the humans, animals and the
environment. Pictures are included on each card. English language learners can use a
dictionary if necessary.

ASSIST Lesson Plan

References

Author
Information

http://www.onehealthinitiative.com/about.php
http://phenomena.nationalgeographic.com/2015/05/07/bird-flu-1/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TG0pduAYESA
Hannah Elliott teaches Technology, Design and Innovation A & B and Technological
Systems at Ligon Middle School in Raleigh, North Carolina. Hannah has worked the
past two years with the North Carolina State University ASSIST Center to help develop
lessons based around wearable devices, energy harvesting and One Health.
helliott@wcpss.net

June 23, 2015