after watching half of the documentary gives students the opportunity to decide how Mary’s case should have been handled before
finding out the verdict. In this way, they must consider Mary’s social
and cultural standing as an Irish female immigrant trained as a
household servant for the wealthy. The historical reenactment also
gives students the opportunity to consider the position of scientists
trying to protect society from further spread of the disease.
The design of this lesson plan is motivated by Next Generation
Science Standards with particular attention to the nature of science
as well as Project 2061, both acting as guides in helping design curriculum to further engage students in scientific literacy, which is a key
aspect of the multifaceted nature of science. Please refer to Table 1,
which outlines the specific learning objectives and how the lesson
intends to meet each particular objective.
Historical Basis: The Story of Mary
Mallon
Typhoid fever is an enteric disease characterized by the onset of high
fever, headache, and severe diarrhea (Tortora et al., 2010). This par-
ticular disease has been endemic within the human population for
centuries. Initially, it was believed that typhoid fever was spread by
contaminated food and water. It wasn’t until the work of the English
doctor William Budd in the mid-nineteenth century that it was
understood that the disease could also be spread person-to-person.
Budd’s observations and vigilant study of enteric diseases led him
to conclude not only that typhoid fever was spread due to poor san-
itation, but also that it could also be spread by individuals who were
stricken with the disease (Moorhead, 2002).
It was not until 1880 that Budd’s hypothesis was confirmed
through the work of Karl Joseph Eberth (and later verified by Rob-
ert Koch1), who first isolated and cultured in a laboratory setting
the microorganism responsible for typhoid fever (Marineli et al.,
2013). The microbe responsible for causing typhoid fever was iden-
tified as Salmonella typhii. The historical narrative of Mary Mallon, a
woman who infected over fifty people with typhoid fever but never
contracted the illness herself, is often used to introduce students
both to how microbes are transmitted and to the concept of some-
one being a “carrier” for a disease without showing symptoms.
In 1906, the Warner family hired Mary Mallon as their head
cook while they were on summer holiday in a portion of Long
Island known as Oyster Bay. During this time, six out of ten mem-
bers of the household became ill with typhoid fever. Not long after
this incident, Mary changed jobs. To determine the source of the
outbreak, George Soper, a civil engineer who worked in sanitation
Table 1.
NGSS understandings most closely associated with
Crosscutting Concepts
The Lesson Plan
Science is a human endeavor: Scientists’ backgrounds,
theoretical commitments, and fields of endeavor
influence the nature of their findings.
• Students will watch the documentary and take notes. When the
film is paused, students will answer questions on Handout 2 and
discuss in small groups to deepen their understanding.
Science addresses questions about the natural and
material world: Science knowledge indicates what can
happen in natural systems—not what should happen.
The latter relies on social and cultural contexts to
resolve issues, which involves ethics, values, and human
decisions about the use of knowledge.
• Students will watch the documentary and take notes. When the
film is paused, students will be divided into groups for the court
case reenactment.
• Following the reenactment, students will answer questions on
Handout 2 and then discuss in small groups to deepen their
understanding.
• Following this the film will then be resumed. When the film is over,
students will answer questions on Handout 3 and discuss in small
groups.
NGSS Understandings about the nature of science
mostly closely associated with Practices
The Lesson Plan
Scientific knowledge is based on empirical evidence:
Science includes the process of coordinating patterns
of evidence with current theory
• Students will participate in the Handshaking Glo Germ activity to
gain the experience that epidemiologists use in the field.
• Students will watch the documentary and take notes. When the
film is paused, students will answer questions on Handout 1 and
discuss in small groups.
Project 2061, Nature of Science The Lesson Plan
The Scientific Enterprise: “Scientists can bring
information, insights, and analytical skills to bear on
matters of public concern. Acting in their areas of
expertise, scientists can help people understand the
likely causes of events and estimate their possible
effects. 1C/H6ab”
• Students will watch the documentary. At various points the film
will be paused and students will answer questions on the
designated handout (1, 2, or 3), as well as participate in the court
case reenactment.
• Small group discussions with peers will take place to discuss
opinions and deepen understanding.
