1 Science 7 The Integrated OrganismThe Human Body A story to begin— What do we think we know about living things? What can we learn? What questions will arise from our study? What ideas can we contribute from our investigation and thinking?
2 Njala Komboya, Sierra Leone 1976-78
3 Sierra Leone
4 My student and friends on their farms
5 A brutal decade-long war in the 1990’s Pictures of the National Amputee Football Team in 2008 and children needing/wanting education
6 From 2005-2013 visits to work with teachers to help rebuild education
7 With the help of an AES colleague, we conducted a summer science camp for children and workshop for teachers in July, 2013 (walking through the village; playing with the children)
8 Much of Sierra Leone is rural and remote—A Taxi ride to one village
9 Early in 2014 a viral disease emerged in the rainforest region where the borders of Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone meet
10
11
12 CHARACTERISTICS: Ebola was discovered in 1976 and is a member of the Filoviridae family (previously part of Rhabdoviridae family, which were later given a family of their own based on their genetic structure). It is an elongated filamentous molecule, which can vary between nm in length, and can reach up to14000 nm long (due to concatamerization) with a uniform diameter of 80 nm (2-5). It contains a helical nucleocapsid, (with a central axis) nm in diameter, and is enveloped by a helical capsid, nm in diameter, with 5 nm cross-striations (2-6). The pleomorphic viral fragment may occupy several distinct shapes (e.g., in the shape of a "6", a "U", or a circle), and are contained within a lipid membrane (2, 3). Each virion contains one molecule of single-stranded, non-segmented, negative-sense viral genomic RNA (3, 7).
13 Ebola is thought to be a zoonotic disease; See the Spot-nosed monkey at a market stall in Sierra Leone
14 What you need to know about ebola?https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=TGyFhwdtCMk Why to bats transmit so many viruses like ebola? https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Ao0dqJvH4a0 What are the contexts (social, cultural, environmental, etc.) where ebola emerges? https://www.ids.ac.uk/idsresearch/ebola
15 Hi uncle and Aunty, How are you all doing? Hope fine. I'm in kenema where the Ebola out break is high . Kenema has been quarantined , no one goes in and out of Kenema for 21 days. I want to believe this action will help to minimize the spread of the disease. uncle no need to worry about me, God is in control and I'm also aware of how the disease spread. with all this ,the chance of getting it is zero. My office is still operating cause its a humanitarian organization. How are Nina and Borbor Kombo doing? Hope they are all fine. Extend my love to them. Love, Mary
16 A. What questions do you have about the ebola epidemic?B. What do you think is important to know in order to combat ebola? Consider: 1. The human body; 2. Viruses; 3. Zoonotic diseases; 4. The living environment—including humans, animals, plants, fungi, microorganisms, and viruses; 5. The cultural, social, economic, etc. contexts of the disease. C. What are some ideas you would recommend to stop the epidemic?
17 WHAT IDEAS FROM OUR DISCUSSION OF THE EBOLA CASE RELATE TO THE BIG SCIENCE 7 TOPICS?A.THE INTEGRATED ORGANISM (HUMAN AS EXAMPLE) AND B. BIODIVERSITY / EVOLUTION (INVESTIGATING AND UNDERSTANDING THE DIVERSITY OF LIVING THINGS?)