UTPA STEM/CBI Courses/Animal Parasitology/Parasite Distribution

Course Title: BIOL 4407 Animal Parasitology

Lecture Topic: Parasite distributions

Instructor: Brian Fredensborg

Institution: UTPA Department of Biology

Backwards Design
Course Objectives


 * Primary Objectives- By the next class period students will be able to:
 * Understand how parasites are distributed in host populations
 * Understand how parasite distribution affects the transmission of parasites in time and space
 * Understand how to use the knowledge of parasite distribution to fight infectious disease in developing countries


 * Sub Objectives- The objectives will require that students be able to:
 * Understand the factors affecting the production of infective stages
 * Understand the factors affecting the transmission of infective stages to hosts


 * Difficulties- Students may have difficulty:
 * Understanding the concept of mathematical distributions


 * Real-World Contexts- There are many ways that students can use this material in the real-world, such as:
 * The control of infectious disease
 * The use of parasites as bio indicators

Model of Knowledge


 * Concept Map
 * Parasitism
 * Utilization of hosts by parasites
 * How parasites travel from host to host
 * How can parasites increase the chance of transmission?


 * Content Priorities
 * Enduring Understanding
 * Life cycle biology
 * Transmission ecology


 * Important to Do and Know
 * How morphology is connected to transmission


 * Worth Being Familiar with
 * How culture may affect transmission
 * Economics and infectious disease

Assessment of Learning


 * Formative Assessment
 * In Class (groups)
 * Questions directed at students during class time
 * Quizzes during class
 * Homework (individual)
 * Solving exercises handed out in class
 * Lab report on lab experiments
 * Summative Assessment
 * Exams (essay)
 * Lab report

Legacy Cycle
OBJECTIVE

By the next class period, students will be able to:
 * Understand how parasites are distributed in host populations
 * Understand how parasite distribution affects the transmission of parasites in time and space
 * Understand how to use the knowledge of parasite distribution to fight infectious disease in developing countries

THE CHALLENGE

Design cost-effective ways to control the spread of infectious disease GENERATE IDEAS


 * Give lecture on biology of schistosomes
 * Read articles describing disease transmission
 * Group discussions

MULTIPLE PERSPECTIVES

Case study presentations

RESEARCH & REVISE


 * Lecture on parasite distribution
 * Lab experiments on physical factors and transmission success of infective stages

TEST YOUR METTLE


 * Student presentations on selected readings with peer and instructor review
 * Class discussion of laboratory results prior to report writing

GO PUBLIC


 * Exam
 * Submission of project report

Pre-Lesson Quiz

 * 1) Define symbiosis
 * 2) Give examples of different types of symbiosis.
 * 3) What is fitness?
 * 4) How can a parasite affect the fitness of a host?
 * 5) What do parasites use their hosts for?
 * 6) If there is no immune response, how would the number of parasites be related to host age?
 * 7) Which hosts are most important to the transmission of parasites?
 * 8) How does temperature affect metabolism?
 * 9) How do you think temperature would affect parasites?
 * 10) How do you think temperature would affect hosts?

Test Your Mettle Quiz

 * 1) Given that all environmental factors and the target host density is constant, what is the most important determinant of parasite transmission?
 * 2) Name at least three mechanisms in which temperature affects parasite transmission.
 * 3) Give a definition of a complex life cycle.
 * 4) Give an example of a parasite with a complex life cycle.
 * 5) What defines an aggregated distribution?
 * 6) Which factors cause an aggregated distribution?
 * 7) How can knowledge about parasite distributions be used in the control of infectious disease?
 * 8) How may global climate change affect the transmission of infectious disease in the tropics?
 * 9) How may global climate change affect the transmission of infectious disease in the temperate zone?