UtSTA 2024: Out-Of-This-World Science Teaching

Come learn about a hands-on opportunity for your students to participate in a real-world disease outbreak simulation! The Utah Valley University Operation Outbreak Embassy is excited to invite all high school science teachers to engage their students in data collection and collaboration with local college students. We would love to involve your students in research. Operation Outbreak is appropriate for students of all ages but is especially applicable to AP and CE students.

We will begin by introducing Operation Outbreak. Operation Outbreak simulations are simulated outbreaks of pandemics for the purpose of teaching students about disease along with data collection on disease spread and human behavior. Students engage in real world modeling and provide data for epidemiologists on how people behave during outbreaks and how diseases spread through populations. We will discuss how the simulations work as well as the benefits for students. We will also talk about research opportunities for high school students and how to reinforce their science identity and bring the university into their classrooms.

These are the SEED standards that Operation Outbreak simulations and associated lessons address:
Bio 1.1, Bio 1.2, Bio 1.4, Bio 4.2, Bio 4.4, Ess 2.6, Ess 4.2, Ess 4.4.

In addition to discussing the benefits of running Operation Outbreak simulations we will discuss the resources available for teaching Outbreak science in the classroom as well as how to use the data. Operation Outbreak is a collaborative and cross-curricular activity that covers multiple content areas including social science, history, math, health, and journalism in addition to Biology. We will discuss the collaborative nature of the simulation and how to involve the entire school in a full simulation.