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Be the Change: Global Health

Unit of 3 lessons

9th-12th Grade

Subjects:

Arts, Health and PE, Language Arts, Library / Technology, Philanthropy, Science and Social Studies

Key Words/Concepts click to view

Lesson 1 :	ELA:	Analyze/Interpret; Communicate; Persuasive Techniques; Research; Social/Cultural Issues
	PHIL:	Advocacy; Needs Assessment; Problem Solving; Pro-Social Behavior
	SCI:	Health
	SOC:	Be the Change; Civic Responsibility/Virtue; Common Good; Contemporary Issues
Lesson 2 :	ART:	Visual Arts
	ELA:	Communicate; Electronic Text; Poetry; Presentations; Reflection; Research
	PHIL:	Advocacy; Service
	SOC:	Be the Change; Cause/Effect; Geography; Global Issues
Lesson 3 :	ELA:	Communication; Interview; Personal Response
	PHIL:	Poverty; Service; Social Action
	SCI:	Health; Malaria
	SOC:	Be the Change; Civic Responsibility/Virtue; Global Issues

Unit Purpose:

In this unit that provides examples of philanthropic opportunities to help others for the common good, students learn about three global health issues and take local action to address the issues. Each lesson may stand alone to focus on a single issue: Sexually Transmitted Diseases, Hunger, or Malaria. In Lesson One, students research the names, causes, and symptoms of common sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). They identify resources someone can turn to for help with STDs and propose and carry out a plan to teach others about STDs. In Lesson Two, students define hunger and explore the myths and facts about the issue of global hunger. They brainstorm actions they can take to reduce the effects of hunger on others in their community and around the world. Students write poems to represent their thinking about the problem of hunger. In Lesson Three, students learn facts about the global threat of malaria and methods for fighting its spread. Students learn one way they can take action against malaria through fundraising to purchase insecticide-treated bed nets.

Unit Duration:

Four to Six 50-Minute Class Periods, plus time to carry out a service-learning project

Unit Objectives:

The learners will:

name common sexually transmitted diseases and research their symptoms and prevention.
identify resources for information and help, if needed.
propose a plan to help teens reduce their exposure to STDs.

define and give examples of wants and needs.
define vocabulary words relating to hunger.
identify the causes and the effects of hunger related to nutrition.
analyze myths and facts about global hunger.
generate questions about local or global hunger and find the answers through research.
utilize online resources to create a visual map of hunger resources in their neighborhood, state, country or world.
present findings to the class verbally and with visuals.
respond to text of first-person accounts of hunger.
brainstorm and plan action youth can take to address the issue of hunger.
write a reflective poem.

explain the urgency of addressing the issue of malaria in Africa.
identify the causes, effects, prevention, and cure of malaria.
take action to address the issue of malaria through fundraising.

Service Experience:

Although lessons in this unit contain service project examples, decisions about service plans and implementation should be made by students, as age appropriate.

In Lesson One, students plan and carry out a campaign to educate others about sexually transmitted diseases, with a goal of reducing the number of cases of STDs in the teen community.

In Lesson Two, students generate a plan of action based on the research and discussion around hunger. They may organize a canned food drive or work in a local soup kitchen/pantry, or come up with another plan to address hunger locally, nationally, or globally.

In Lesson Three, students participate in the Sweat for Nets program. Students "get active" in the fight against malaria. Ask the school to dedicate one athletic event (or more) to fighting malaria. The school or organization can donate all ticket proceeds to Sweat for Nets, and the students can inform and educate the audience about the need.

Students design a malaria awareness presentation, slideshow, or public service announcement to present at a special Sweat for Nets-sponsored athletic event, such as a tennis match or a basketball, soccer, hockey, baseball or lacrosse game.
Use the pre-game period or halftime break as an opportunity to talk to the audience about malaria and to present information about the issue to everyone in attendance. If the school or organization is donating the ticket proceeds to Sweat for Nets, let the audience know where the money is going and what it is being used for.

Unit Assessment:

Lesson Three: Have students form groups of three or four. Within these groups, ask students to pretend they have been hired by the government of a country with a high incidence of malaria, such as Ghana. The government has asked the group to prepare a report that explains how they can reduce the incidence of malaria in the country. Each group should prepare an oral and visual presentation (e.g., posters and charts) that discusses its recommendations, taking information from the websites they have visited.