Medina High School’s Erin Vleugels earns Innovation Award for immersive classroom project
Her AP Human Geography students became 1854 London epidemiologists in “Outbreak! Stop the Spread of a Deadly Disease,” learning data analysis and problem-solving through a hands-on cholera investigation.
Medina High School teacher Erin Vleugels received a Highlighting Innovation Award for her interactive AP Human Geography project that immersed students in solving a simulated 1854 cholera outbreak.Medina City Schools
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Medina High School teacher Erin Vleugels was recently recognized with one of this year’s Highlighting Innovation Awards for her project, "Outbreak! Stop the Spread of a Deadly Disease." The project was part of her AP Human Geography course.
Medina High School teacher Erin Vleugels earned a Highlighting Innovation Award for her hands-on lesson that brought history and science to life through a simulated 1854 cholera outbreak investigation.Medina City Schools
During the project, students entered a classroom transformed into London in 1854, where a mysterious and deadly disease was spreading. Wearing protective gear, they took on the roles of epidemiologists investigating the outbreak.
Given reports of patients suffering from severe dehydration, nausea, vomiting and bluish-tinged skin, students conducted field observations around a model city that included homes, shops, a hospital, four water pumps, a river and railroads.
Using clues and data, they analyzed death locations and patterns, identified outliers and located the outbreak’s center. Their investigation revealed that most victims lived near water pump No. 4, suggesting the disease was spreading through contaminated water.
Through this immersive activity, students made the educated conclusion that the illness was cholera — all while developing real-world skills in critical thinking, geography and scientific reasoning.
