It's hard not to be thinking about the spread of Coronavirus. This is a very real, scary, and important topic. Today's task invites us to take a critical and curious eye to the spread of Corona virus across the globe.
Specifically, as I've read and watched the news, I've noticed that many comparisons are being drawn between the spread of Coronavirus in Italy and South Korea. This comparison seems to be one that we in the U.S. can learn from - both to better understand our own growth trajectory, and to mitigate that trajectory - to "flatten the curve".
So, lets take a closer look and think deeply about the spread of Coronvirus in these three places.
***A HUGE shout out and credit to https://ourworldindata.org/coronavirus, which hosts a number of interactive tools with data from the WHO.
Part A: Analyzing the Spread
Take a look at this graph, which charts the growth of Coronavirus Italy, South Korea, and the U.S.
What do you notice about this chart? What do you wonder? What can you conclude?
Take some time to look at the chart - ideally with a friend/partner! Note what stands out to you, and think about what it means (and what it doesn't). Articulate your top ideas in a format that makes sense to you - you might want write a few sentences, e-mail a friend/teacher, or create a chart of your own. High schoolers, you might want to challenge yourselves to develop descriptive equations for each country!).
Now, take a look at this data table:
What do you notice and wonder about THIS second data source?
Specifically, does this data confirm and/or challenge the ideas you developed above? What new ideas does it spark? (High schoolers - can you use the doubling rate to create a descriptive exponential equation for growth by country, and how well does it align to the equations you created above?).
Part B: Research!!!
For Part B of today's task, let's think deeply beyond the numbers. We can see that the the growth in Italy looks very different from the growth in South Korea. What's going on here? What can we learn.
Take to the internet! Research Italy's management of the Coronavirus vs. South Korea's. You may also want to look at other contextual factors. What's making the difference? What the differentiating actions and variable?
Now, do some online research on how the U.S. has been managing the crisis. How does our national approach and circumstance compare to Italy's and South Korea's? What does this suggest/predict for us?
A graphic organizer like this may help you to organize your thoughts: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1zmzQhoDR1yqA0XcTigYwKzcBpkBU0f7BBbdVJ5VOTNM/edit?usp=sharing
To conclude your research, develop a list of recommendations for the United States - and for other countries! - to minimize the global growth rate. What actions can countries and individuals make to flatten the curve?
Extension
Complete the above tasks not only for Italy and South Korea, but for an additional country (or two!) of your choice. The https://ourworldindata.org/coronavirus website will provide the data you need as a starting point.
Think Deeply & Share Broadly!
--Mr. Malone