Health Module

Unit 2: A Healthy Community

Lesson 1: Who is responsible for a healthy community

Materials Needed: 

• Flipchart/newsprint paper or large board and markers

• Computers with Internet access

• website: www.co.fairfax.va.us/living/healthhuman/health.htm

• Handouts: 1, 2, 3

Word Bank:

Introductory Activity: Whole group discussion

• Today we are going to read a story today called “TB Tests for Everyone.”  What do you think this story might be about?  What ideas does the title give you?

• The story talks about local government and how it takes care of public health.  How do you think the local government protects public health?

Activity 1:  The ESOL Class Goes to the Chest Clinic

Distribute Handout 1, "TB Tests for Everyone." 

• Now let’s read the story.  After you finish, we can discuss any vocabulary you didn’t understand.

Students can read independently or aloud in groups, whichever best suits the needs of your particular group.

• Was there anything you didn’t understand in the story?  (Discuss items as they arise.)

• Now I’ll ask you all some questions to see how well you understand the story. (Read questions below to class.):

Comprehension Questions (answers in italics):

If preferable, these questions could be put on a handout or written on the board and answered in small groups.

Students may bring up a confusing issue around TB testing that they or someone they know has experienced.  People test positive to TB if they have had a TB vaccination previously, which is common in many other countries.
Doctors still have to follow protocol and give the TB test, even if the patient tells the doctor that they had an inoculation that will give them a positive result for the skin test.

1.  What did the teacher announce to the class at the beginning of the story?  That one student had TB and wasn't coming to class anymore.

2.  Why couldn’t the teacher name the student who had TB?  Because the information is confidential for people who have TB

3.  Why did the local government require people to take the TB tests, according to the teacher?  To protect the community (from the spread of TB), and to give the students medicine if they needed it.

4.  Why were some students worried when they were at the Chest Clinic?  Some were worried because they didn't have insurance (but it was ok, because the test and medicine were free).  Others worried because they were afraid the Health Department would tell Immigration about them (but the Health Department doesn't give information to Immigration).

5.  Why did one woman refuse to take the test? 

She was pregnant and afraid the test would hurt her baby.  She said the government should not force her to take the test.

6.  What happened to that woman?  She dropped out of class.

7.  What was the test procedure like?  It was a needle prick to the skin.  They also answered the doctor's  questions about their health.

8.  What happened next for people who had a positive reaction to the test?  They had to have a chest x-ray and take medicine for a few months.

9.  If you have TB in your body, does it mean that you are sick?  No.  You might feel fine.

10.  What can cause TB to become active?  It can become active if you get very tired and run down.
 

Activity 2:  Small Group Discussion

Distribute Handout 2, Group Discussion Questions.  After students have discussed the questions in the small groups, each group can choose a representative who will report the group's opinions to the whole class.
 

Activity 3: Your Local Government and Public Health

Groups of 3 or 4 are suggested for sufficient individual participation.

• Now we are going to look at examples of what Fairfax County government does to protect public health.

Distribute Handout 3, which contains instructions for navigating the site in addition to scavenger hunt questions.  When most are finished, debrief answers as a whole group.  Be sure to discuss other points of interest that the learners found/explored.
 

Activity 4:  Writing Expansion

An activity to walk learners through the process of setting up email accounts is provided in the Internet Premodule.

Compose an e-mail to a friend in another country who is coming to the United States soon.  Tell the friend in this letter what she or he can expect from the government in terms of healthcare.  Compare it to what she or he receives in her or his own country.  Mail the message to your teacher's address.

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