Infectious Disease: Superbugs, Science and Society

Effectively treating infectious disease requires more than just an understanding of science. While biology may dictate how the human body responds to infection, it doesn’t do justice to the larger victim of disease: society. The fabric of economy, ethics, politics, and culture that compose our world determine how diseases are spread, who gets treated – and why. Throughout this course, we hope to emphasize that disease is as much a social phenomenon as a biological one with ramifications for both the individual and their family, neighbors, and fellow citizens. Through this larger perspective, we hope to illuminate disease in a way that relates directly to student’s lives, showing them that biology operates both under a microscope and in their daily interactions with the world.

Superbugs is an elective course in high school biology was developed by faculty and students at Duke RISE. It has 6 modules that cover HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, Avian Flu, Drug Resistant Malaria, Anthrax/Small Pox, and Prions. Each module integrates biology with chemistry, math, history, literature, political science, and economics.

Download the PDF version of the course here: Superbugs _Biology _Course