New epidemiology class engages Butler students
BUTLER TWP — Juniors and seniors at Butler Area School District were given a new option for science classes this year — one that doesn’t involve typical lectures and testing.
Jaime Zager, a science teacher at Butler Senior High School, built a new class around a unique field of study — epidemiology.
It is the study of diseases and how they spread within a population of people. Zager said she was always fascinated by this field of science.
On Dec. 13, with students antsy leading up to winter break, Zager’s epidemiology class was using microscopes and stereoscopes to observe mold growth on various kinds of bread. The students realized that, due to the preservatives, mold was growing faster on fresh bread than store-bought bread.
“The kids are so involved. They’re up, they’re moving around, they’re really fascinated by what we’re doing,” Zager said. “This mold, you would think it was just bread and mold. They’re looking at each other’s, and they’re asking me questions, and it’s fun. They’re involved.”
Zager currently teaches AP biology at Butler, in addition to her epidemiology class. She wanted to include ideas in her epidemiology class that she could not incorporate in her biology class. With existing units and state exams, there is not a lot of wiggle room to include extra class activities.
She had to submit a proposal for the new class around the beginning of last school year. The proposal forms include a detailed layout, such as the name of the class, what standards the students will meet, what will be covered, and an overview of objectives and materials the teacher will go over.
The proposal was split into two separate classes: epidemiology 1 and epidemiology 2.
Zager said the first semester is laid out as an introduction to epidemiology, starting out with history of disease, even before germ theory. Students will do research on what we originally thought caused diseases, as well as treatments and cures. There will be sections on microscopes, microbiology and infectious agents (bacteria, proteus, fungus and viruses). This will lead into learning about preventing diseases, as well as the history of outbreaks and pandemics.
The next semester will be dedicated to case studies involving what students learned in the first semester.
Zager has always been interested in disease, always finding the history of it fascinating. She said biology does not teach a lot about disease, but that course material will talk about things like bacteria and viruses. She thought it would be really cool to teach this class, especially in the aftermath of the pandemic, saying students have something they can relate the class to.
Epidemiology classes are not common at the high school level. Zager’s curriculum was designed with little existing material available.
“I don’t know any high school in the area that even has anything like this. I’m not saying there isn’t one in the United States at all, I don’t know. But I do know that I can’t find a lot of resources, so that does show me there’s not a lot of classes that are offered like this,” Zager said.
The energy is there, so much so that Zager hasn’t lectured in the class one time this semester. In addition to observing molds and fungi under microscopes, activities include a made up lab called “mystery disease,” where she wrote down the history of a disease, students have to research and work with partners to figure out what disease it is. The class revolves around the students.
“One of the problems I was thinking I’d run into was, because I couldn’t find a lot of resources, a lot of the class as I’m making it up, I’m thinking, ‘this is going to be hard to come up with material for a whole school year.’ What I’m finding is the opposite. I’m running out of time this semester and I have so many things I want to do,” Zager said. “And I’d rather have that problem than not have material.”
Students like Makenna Roudybush and Elizabeth Patten, who plan to enter health care-related majors in college, enjoy the hands-on nature of the class. They say this kind of class helps make them more aware “of what is out there.”
The students also said the labs and experiments help them retain information.
“It makes us more aware of what is out there, and how to keep safe from not getting these diseases. I like how it is project-based, and that it is not a typical class where we’re taking notes, we’re doing something every day. We do hands-on experiments and things that make us really comprehend the material,” Amelia McMichael said.
Several students said they heard this class was being offered for this semester from their own classmates. When enrolling, they heard it was completely new and different from constant assignments on paper and listening to lectures.
“I think the labs are really fun. They’re pretty different from other classes, getting to look at the bacteria and fungus,” Carter Blystone said.
