Lesson Topic
The lesson is centered around “The Parasitologist’s Dilemma”. A dilemma facing researchers and health care providers in developing countries is the balance between overpopulation and disease. When an effective treatment for a disease is found, it invariably leads to an increase in population, which in turn decreases the quality of life for that population, and a decrease in environmental quality. The alternative is to let nature run its course and keep populations in check through disease and starvation.
Students are bombarded with messages from 5th grade about how humans have a negative impact on the environment. By the time they reach college and we lecture to them on the topic again, you can literally see their brains shut off. Students in the US are also isolated from many environmental and health issues that are current problems in much of the world. This can lead to the perception that overpopulation is not a problem because nothing bad has happened yet.
Learning Goals
· We want students to discover for themselves that human population and consumption growth have a negative impact on the environment, human health and quality of life.
· Most of the damage to the environment can be traced directly to human overpopulation and overconsumption. We want the students to collect and discuss data relevant to this issue and draw their own conclusions.
· We want students to be able describe how human population levels and consumption impact the environment.
Long-term Qualities
· We want students to be able to collect, analyze and interpret population data.
· We want students to predict how changes in population parameters will influence population pyramids and growth rates.
· We want students to be able to realize that both population and consumption contribute to environmental impact.
Contact: Scott Cooper
Previous Log: Step 1
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