College/University
These lesson plans and teaching resources are suitable for undergraduate level classes, but can be modified as necessary to suit graduate classes or other uses.
Sociology Lesson Plan, Ellen Idler, Director, Religion and Public Health Collaborative, and Professor, Departments of Sociology and Epidemiology, Emory University
Sociology Lesson Plan - Ellen Idler
This assignment outline, developed by Ellen Idler at Emory University, would be best suited to an undergraduate sociology course. In particular, it looks at the influence of religion in burial practices in West Africa.
Religion is a major driving force in West Africa, and, as such, burial practices are of great importance in Western African societies. In this regard, then, the actions undertaken during the burial preparation process may have contributed to the spread of Ebola, given the close contact required to dress and prepare the body.
Finally, students are advised to summarize and reflect upon the actions of religious leaders in stemming the transmission of Ebola virus.
Communication Lesson Plan, Adrienne King, Clinical Assistant Professor, School of Public Health, Georgia State University.
Health Communication Lesson Plan - Adrienne King
Health communication is an essential part of emergency response. Disseminiation of information about signs, symptoms, and methods of transmission — and accurate information, at that — can prove vital to those involved in the care and treatment of the ill and the dying. Like other epidemics, the case of health communication in the 2014-16 involved a wide variety of tools and strategies, and also required a knowledge of audience response and reaction.
This teaching resource, created by Adrienne King at Georgia State University, examines the interplay between the two, and leads students to develop their own health communication methods.
History Lesson Plan, Leslie Leighton, Visiting Lecturer, Georgia State University.
History Lesson Plan - Leslie Leighton
The history of pandemics and epidemics is a long one. Learning from the history of former outbreaks allows researchers and historians to apply these lessons moving forward. In particular, the lessons learned, whether implemented or not, from the Ebola epidemic in West Africa during the 2010s may affect the actions of current and future epidemics and pandemics.
As formulated by Leslie Leighton from Georgia State University, this lesson plan examines the beginnings of the Ebola epidemic and the subsequent global response. It then proceeds to compare and contrast it to the Coronavirus 2019 pandemic.
Global Health Lesson Plan, Elizabeth Armstrong-Mensah, Clinical Assistant Professor, School of Public Health, Georgia State University.
Global Health - Elizabeth Armstrong-Mensah
Cultural factors can play a major role in determining health communication, health education, and disease prevention. In particular, cultural beliefs and practices may accelerate the transmission of disease, while health education messages need to be tailored to encompass cultural sensitivity and cultural humility.
Developed by Elizabeth Armstrong-Mensah, from Georgia State University, this lesson plan investigates the cultural factors that were at play during the Ebola outbreak. It also critically examines the health education and health communication messages that were used at the time — and invites students to consider the role that anthropology could play in an epidemic.
Determinants of Infectious Disease Lesson Plan, Sarah McCool, Clinical Associate Professor, School of Public Health, Georgia State University.
Determinants of Infectious Disease - Sarah McCool
The determinants of infectious disease refer to those conditions that allow for the spread of disease (or, conversely, slow such a spread). These determinants can be social, political, environmental, or otherwise — but they all contribute in some way or another to the transmission of the disease, whether positively or negatively.
Contributed by Sarah McCool from Georgia State University, the teaching plan here examines the determinants of infectious disease — first during the Western African epidemic of Ebola, and then during the Coronavirus 2019 pandemic.
Religious Lesson Plan, John Blevins, Research Associate Professor, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University.
Religion Lesson Plan - John Blevins
Thorughout the Western African Ebola outbreak, the influence of religion could not be denied: traditional healers saw Ebola patients, and faith-based organizations also provided care; while the precepts of Islam and Christianity often guided the burial rituals of those deceased from Ebola. Though it would seem that these traditions would be diametrically opposed to the public health response to the outbreak, the two forces united to save lives and eradicate Ebola.
The following lesson plan, created by John Blevins from Emory University, examines the influence and the effect of religion in the effort against Ebola, as well as the work of faith-based organizations and collaboration that occurred between the scientific responders and the religious leaders.