For these lessons, middle school teachers chose the topic Ticks: How Climate Change Affects My Health and were developed by graduate students and our partners at the Montshire Museum.

Unit 1: Humans and Disease

Big Questions: What is the mystery disease? How is disease transmitted? How does Lyme disease spread?
Students will watch a news report of a 'mystery disease' outlining body responses to sickness. Effective hand washing hygiene and healthy food prep. practices are explored in hands-on experiments. Students will uncover the source of the disease by analyzing case studies.

Unit 2: Ticks

Big Questions: What are ticks? How are they specially adapted for their lifestyle? Does tick activity vary with temperature?
Ticks are explored in this unit in terms of their role in the food web and students are introduced to mapping and close observation of tick behavior, asking the question: why are ticks so successful?

Unit 3: Climate Change

Big Questions: What is the difference between weather and climate? How is climate changing? How are changes to climate affecting ticks? How are changes to climate affecting humans?
In this unit, students will examine the difference between climate and weather and will measure the effect of CO2 on warming rates in an experiment they conduct and also from existing climate data. Changing weather patterns will be explored as a possible reason for increases in the incidence of Lyme disease.