⬆Back to Project

*Note for the Teacher: This calendar with supporting resources is provided as a guide and can be adapted to the needs of you and your students.

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Day 1

Students will view the BLOSSOMS video lesson, “The Surprising World of Complex Systems”, and participate in activities presented in that lesson. Teacher preparation for presenting this lesson can be found in the Video Teacher Guide segment at 18:36.

  • Instructions to download or stream BLOSSOMS videos (PDF format, Word format)
  • Complex Systems Homework (PDF format, Word format)

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Day 2

In a whole class discussion, students will discuss the Complex Systems video lesson they watched: What did they find most interesting? What did they find most surprising? What questions do they still have about complex systems? This short video might be useful in sparking conversation. Following up on the homework assignment, students will be asked to suggest a complex system they are familiar with, to describe why they think it is complex, and to diagram the parts of that system. Also, students should give an example of what they believe to be a non-complex system. 

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Day 3

Students will view and experience the BLOSSOMS video lesson, “Flu Math Games,” participating in the live student infection simulations. Teacher preparation for presenting this lesson can be found in the Video Teacher Guide segment at 25:20. 

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Day 4

In a whole class discussion, students will discuss what they learned in the “Flu Math Games” video and how they think those lessons relate to the Complex Systems video lesson they watched earlier. Guided by the teacher, students will come to understand that viewing an infectious disease as a complex system could make it easier to understand and control. This guided discussion will lead into the Driving Question of this project unit: “If we view Covid-19 or flu as complex systems, how can we analyze them and lessen their impact on our community?”  Read more about the Driving Question here. Overall, it is an anchored question that reminds students about the goal they need to get to. At this point, the teacher will introduce this project unit to the class. Over the next four weeks, they will view an infectious disease like coronavirus or seasonal flu as a complex system, learning to analyze and understand the system of the infection with mathematical models similar to those used in the Complex Systems video lesson. During that time, they will have lessons that will assist them with this analysis. Then working in teams of four, they will research the recent spread of coronavirus or seasonal flu in their own towns, regions or countries and prepare a presentation of their findings, including recommendations for dealing with future infectious outbreaks.

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Day 5

Today it will be time to divide the class into project teams of four. For help on setting up these teams, read about Grouping Teams in the BLOSSOMS PBL Tools resource. Once the teams are established, students will spend time developing new skills that will help them work more successfully in their teams as they prepare to start their projects. We highly suggest using team contracts, which are documents that state what teams will agree to and what will happen if they do not keep to these statements. Have teams start their team contracts for the upcoming project. Also, to help keep students on task and on time, we suggest using a ​ task log, a live task list that makes it easy for teams (and the teacher) to know what has been done, what is in process, and what has just started. You can read more about this useful tool here. Teams should be prepared to decide soon about what data they will study—from their town, their state or their country—in order to have adequate time to obtain that data. Today would be a good time for the class to discuss what community members would be interested in the findings of their projects and should be invited to the Final Event where they will make their presentations.

  • Blank Team Contract (PDF format)
  • Student Task Log (PDF format)

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Days 6-8

Over these three class days, the teacher will present a lesson on Stocks, Flows and Accumulation as they relate to the complex system of an infectious disease. (See Teacher Notes for Lesson One) This video clip can be used to remind students of what they have already learned about the subject. Here it will be important that students fully understand the meaning of these three terms and how a stock flow diagram operates.  It will also be important to make a connection between that knowledge and their experience with the terms “Susceptible, Infected, and Recovered” in the Math Flu games simulations. During these days, guided by the teacher, student team members will work together to answer the three challenges set forth in the lesson. (See Student Team Challenges document)  For the final challenge, teams will utilize data from Italy, developing Stock-Flow diagrams, plotting results and interpreting those results. A short, interpretive report of this will be required from each team, with the format up to the teacher.

  • Teacher Notes for Lesson One (PDF format, Word format)
  • Lesson 1: Student Team Challenges (PDF format, Word format)
  • Italy Data for Teacher (Excel format)
  • Challenge #3: Italy Data for Students (Excel format)

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Days 9-11

On the first of these three days, the teacher will present Lesson Two - introducing the class to R0 , the Basic Reproductive Number, and developing the formula relating R0  to behavior and disease characteristics. It will be important to make sure that students understand what is meant by the term “exponential growth,” and this site could be a helpful resource. After this lesson is presented in class, students will be assigned to read the article listed below for homework. Following up on this homework assignment the next day, the teacher will call upon teams to describe what they have learned about R0 and Herd immunity and how that might apply to them and to the wider society. They will also be asked to discuss and describe how R0 could be depicted in a Stock-Flow diagram. On the third day of this lesson, team members will be asked to use the formula provided by the teacher to estimate their own personal R0 value, both individually and the team average, and to come up with ways to reduce it. Guided by the teacher, student team members will work together to answer the three challenges set forth in this lesson and be prepared to discuss their answers with the whole class. (See Student Team Challenge document) Each team will submit a one-page report on what they have learned in Lesson Two. The YouTube video listed below should be assigned as homework to prepare students for what they will be learning in Lesson 3.

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Days 12-15

Over the next few days, students will learn about the infection feedback loop and about the SIR model used by scientists and epidemiologists to study infectious diseases.  Employing a simple color-coded figure, the lesson allows students to follow the population of a town from patient zero and observe how the disease spreads over time. Students can use the Charting Disease Spread Handout to follow along with the lesson. Students will also learn more about feedback loops and the role they play in the behavior of the spread of an infectious disease.  They will be able to identify the multiple feedback loops of an infectious disease and understand what is meant by the terms "reinforcing feedback loop" and "balancing feedback loop."  Guided by the teacher, they will work on the lesson challenges with their teams and then come together for a whole class discussion of their answers and the reasoning behind them. After this lesson, you may want to assign the students to watch and analyze some of the six animated flu simulations listed here on the BLOSSOMS website.

  • Teacher notes for Lesson Three (PDF format, Word format)
  • Charting Disease Spread handout (PDF format, Word format)
  • Lesson 3: Student Team Challenges Teacher Notes (PDF format, Word format)
  • Lesson 3: Student Team Challenges (PDF format, Word format)

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Day 16

Today marks the transition to the next phase of this project. It will be important for the teacher to briefly review all that students have studied leading up to this point, preparing them for the work that comes next. Then referring back to the Driving Question of this project—“If we view Covid-19 or flu as complex systems, how can we analyze them and lessen their impact on our community?"—it will be time to discuss what the teams will be doing over the coming days and what will be required of them in their final presentations. The student teams should receive the document for them below, read it as a team and then come together as a class for further discussion and questions. Notes for the teacher are also below. Homework will be for team members to bring in their ideas for the topic(s) of their final essay and Lightning Talk presentations.

  • Teacher notes for Complex Systems Final Project (PDF format, Word format)
  • Topic Ideas for Projects – Notes to Students (PDF format, Word format)

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Day 17

Student teams will meet today to discuss their ideas on which topic or topics from complex systems they will select to feature in their essays and Lightning Talks. Each team should meet with the teacher as they work to make a selection, and they should reach a consensus decision by the end of class. This would be a good time for teams to revisit their team contracts and to begin making assignments for each member in their task logs. Teams should also receive copies of the Complex Systems PBL Unit Goals and Project Rubric to insure they know what is expected of them. The teacher can discuss these requirements with each team.

  • Complex Systems PBL Unit Goals (PDF format, Word format)
  • Complex Systems Rubric (PDF format, Word format)
  • Information on Rubrics for Teachers (PDF format, Word format)

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Days 18-21

Over the next five days, teams will research their selected topic or topics, organize their approach to developing the required project products and assign members their roles in getting the work done. Here it will be important that team members use their task logs. Each team should have receved their requested data by now and they will need to decide if their topic requires them to interview local experts as part of their research. During these days, the teacher will guide students in their work, and teams will have the opportunity to meet with their teacher for feedback, direction, and suggestions on how best to meet project requirements.

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Days 22-24

Guided by their teacher, student teams continue to work on their presentations, following closely the requirements provided in the Goals and Rubrics documents. By day 24, research is wrapped up, essay is written, slide show is completed, Lightning Talk script is edited and in final form, presentation is rehearsed and bibliography is prepared.

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Day 25

Final Event: Typically the final presentation day of PBL work is a celebration. This Final Event is hosted ideally during a longer period than one class, such as after school where parents, stakeholders, the community, and other school officials are present. This is where students get to showcase their work. If such a time frame is not possible, then hold this public event during normal class times, but try to make sure that relevant community members are present during the class event. It is imperative to have outside connections as part of the audience, watching students present. Or if that is not possible, invite administration and other adults that are part of the school.

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