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Influenza Lesson Plans

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First Nations, Métis, and Inuit and the Spanish Flu

In this lesson students will create a bio-poem for one of the First Nations, Métis, or Inuit people they meet during this lesson.

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Inuit Communities in Labrador

Learning about and commemorating the impact of the Spanish influenza on Inuit communities in Labrador, 1918–1920, using primary source photographs and oral histories; creating “living” memorials and monuments using tableaux and other drama strategies.

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The Global Demographic Footprint of the Spanish Flu

The Spanish flu pandemic of 1918/1919 produced a large global demographic footprint. Using the geographic inquiry process, students will research the casualty statistics of theSpanish flu from countries around the world and synthesize them into a map to communicate the pattern of the pandemic.

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The Geography of the Spanish Flu

Past to present, demography – students will compare the past to present demographic patterns of Canada, and use Spanish flu casualty statistics to project the demographic impact of this event today.

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Spanish Flu Case Study

This lesson will explore the impact of the Spanish flu pandemic on the development of a public health system integrated across all three levels of government in Canada through a civics-based inquiry model, with a particular focus on the concepts of political thinking: political significance, objectives and results, stability and change, and political perspective.

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Does Disease Discriminate?

This lesson will explore the impact of the Spanish flu pandemic on marginalized groups in Canada through the examination of statistical data.

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Studying the Pandemic

Links to the Ontario Science Curriculum

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Public Health Review

Using the knowledge and skills developed regarding the spread of viruses, development and use of vaccines to prevent the spread of disease, and the role of public health, develop a social media campaign that could be used by public health in the lead-up to the next flu season.

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Public Health

Using a comparative approach, examine the role that public health plays in our daily life today when it comes to disease outbreak and control.

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FluWatch

Using data published by FluWatch, the Public Health Agency’s weekly reporting on the state of influenza in Canada, students will analyze and interpret the data, looking for trends and influences on the spread of influenza in Canada. Students will also use critical thinking skills to consider the value and use in public health compiling and releasing data like this to the public.

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Don’t Worry, Keep Your Feet Warm: The Spanish Flu in Ontario

With this plan, developed by the Archives of Ontario, students will study how information about the Spanish flu pandemic was created, shared, and understood by Ontarians from 1918 to 1921, focusing on themes of communication, media literacy, and crisis narratives.

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The ABCs of Spanish Influenza

Creating a digital or print alphabet book or classroom display to recognize Canadian people, places, things, and events connected with the spread of the flu across the country between 1918 and 1920.

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Plagues in History

Students research diseases, epidemics and pandemics (epidemics that occur over a large geographic area) and connect these to types of diseases, causes, and impact. It concludes with a prediction of how First Nations and Inuit might be affected by contact with Europeans and their diseases and hypothesizes reasons for such effects which can lead to a specific lesson in Indigenous history.

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Flus in the News

Students do a clipping thesis in which they analyze how the media reports on diseases. To get used to generating their own questions rather than using the suggestions, you can use the Snowball task (see Appendix). The Clipping Thesis can serve as an opening for a deeper inquiry into the role of diseases in history (see lesson that explores this), the Spanish flu, or within a study of the Spanish flu when looking at media reportage.