Presenting Evidence
The term epidemiology is now widely applied not only to infectious diseases like cholera, but to disease in general. In fact, many non-disease health-related conditions also fall under its umbrella.
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Did Environmental Exposure Cause a Disease Cluster?
Connections to Common Core State Standards for Literacy in Science and Technical Subjects: Craft and Structure.
Epidemiologists explore whether something in the environment might be the cause of a disease in an unexpectedly high number of people in a neighborhood or other defined population. However, determining a link between environmental factors and a particular disease is difficult, especially when you take genetics into account. In fact, research on the factors that influence disease and on genetic susceptibility for disease is so complex it can sometimes take decades.
In this video, you’ll learn about one woman’s struggle with a rare disease called scleroderma. As you watch this video, look for evidence of an environmental factor causing scleroderma. Consider whether you think the facts presented in the video count as evidence. Also think about what questions still remain. Click on the left to watch the video, then answer the question below.
The Common Core Standards ask students to “analyze the author’s purpose in providing an explanation, describing a procedure, or…identifying important issues that remain unresolved.” How might students analyze a resource such as this video, in which the video's producer is the "author," to perform such a task?
