Lesson 4
We will explore and review current issues and questions in ethics, public health, and the use of vaccines to prevent infectious diseases by investigating relevant websites: the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention resources and the College of Physicians of Philadelphia History of Vaccines site. We will work in teams to explore one of these resources, then report what we have discovered. As a class, we will develop a list of current healthcare issues and questions that need to be considered in relation to both the common good and personal liberty, and that might be studied through various ethical approaches in this unit.
Lesson Goals
Can I gather and write down questions, ideas, and information through a collaborative exploration of an online information source about public health and infectious diseases?
Texts
Core
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- “Ethical Issues and Vaccines,” The College of Physicians of Philadelphia, The College of Physicians of Philadelphia
Materials
Tools
Reference Guides
Question Sets
Editable Google Docs
Activity 1: Read – Discuss – Write
Based on the Website we initially explored for homework, we will join a research team to further investigate the site and the information it presents about current issues, questions, and controversies in the realm of public health decision-making, particularly in relation to the prevention of infectious diseases.
Based on the website you explored for homework, join an expert research team to share and compare the information you have discovered and the questions you have formed.
Together, navigate the website, noting the pages, media, and links it provides. Explore topics and pages that interest you. Make notes about what you find that can be shared with other students.
Together, formulate one or more questions about major ethical issues in public health suggested by your exploration of the website. Frame your questions as a "should question” for which there might be more than one perspective and answer, for example, "Should vaccination be mandated to prevent the spreading of infectious diseases?"
Activity 2: Discuss – Write
As a research team, we will prepare a website summary or demo that can be presented to students who have researched a different website.
With your research team, decide what you might share with the rest of the class. Think about how to provide an overview of your site, suggestions for how to navigate it successfully, and new information you have identified by searching the site.
Prepare a website summary with a website navigation demo you can present to other students in 5-10 minutes. Think about how each member of your team can be involved in presenting and demoing the site.
Review and refine your questions about current public health issues and prepare to add them to a class list.
Activity 3: Discuss – Present
We will share and compare what we have learned about current public healthcare issues, questions, and controversies.
Depending on the size of your class and your access to computers, choose the following:
Join with another team that has researched a different website to execute your team presentation.
For a discussion, join a group with members who have each explored one of the assigned sites to present your team’s presentation.
As a team, present your website summary and navigation demo to the class.
Activity 4: Read
Individually explore other relevant websites related to the ethics of public healthcare decisions, such as the Markkula Center’s Ethics Resources site.
Use or expand the team research model from the previous learning activities to explore other websites, particularly those that focus both on ethical approaches and current public health issues, such as the Markkula Center Ethics Resources site.
Activity 5: Discuss
As a class, we will develop a list of current healthcare issues and questions that should be considered in relation to both the common good and personal liberty, and that might be studied through various ethical approaches in this unit.
In a class discussion, volunteer and add questions you have generated in your expert research teams regarding important current issues and questions in the public health sector, especially those connected with the prevention of infectious diseases.
Discuss the questions on the list, and determine through consensus-building or voting the three to five questions that seem most relevant and compelling.
As a class, think about how to frame and express those selected questions in the best way possible, so that they are "should questions” with many possible responses.
Review the four subtopic question options from the Culminating Task Checklist. Consider if you will replace or modify Questions 2-3 or add new questions in light of more pressing current questions identified by the class.
Activity 6: Read – Write
For homework, we will do a first reading of an article from the Philadelphia college of physicians website, “Ethical Issues and Vaccines.” We will complete a copy of the Analyzing Relationships Tool to connect the article to videos and texts we have studied about ethical decision-making.
For homework, access "Ethical Issues and Vaccines" on the College of Physicians of Philadelphia’s History of Vaccines website that you explored earlier. Do a first reading of the entire article. Note the four subheadings and how they relate to the subtopic question areas for the Culminating Task that you just reviewed and potentially modified.
Use a copy of the Analyzing Relationships Tool to closely read one of the four subsections of the article that address the key ethical debates related to vaccine regulation, development, and use:
US Vaccine Mandates and Objections
Vaccine Research and Testing
Informed Consent
Access issues
Use the following text-specific question to help you identify and analyze relevant details and make a text-based observation from them:
In what ways does the area for ethical debate involve the balancing of the common good with individual rights or personal liberty?
Write new or interesting words you encounter in your Vocabulary Journal.