Empowering Global Citizens

4. Students will compile, evaluate, and present information on a par—
ticular advancement in public health that is of interest to them.

5. Students will examine the cultural norms and expectations around
public health issues.

Overview

In this unit, students will begin with a historical exploration of public
health. They will examine John Snow’s cholera map in order to make the
connection between information, access to information, and advances in
public health. They will explore historical and modern perspectives on pub—
lic health issues as well as the cultural aspects of public health issues.

Activity SPH2.1

What Is Public about Public Health?

Show students an image of John Snow’s Cholera map (http://www.ph.ucla.
edu/epi/snow/snowmap 1__1 854_lge.htm), making sure that no map keys are
visible. Ask the students to guess the purposes of this map. Students should
note that there are bar graphs along the city’s streets. Once the students real—
ize that the map documents deaths, reveal that it documents cholera deaths.
Ask the students to make observations about the concentration of deaths
and the areas from which cholera deaths are absent. (The deaths are clus—
tered around a town pump and are absent from the area near the brewery.)
Ask students to guess how the map was used to advance the knowledge of
the spread of disease.

Students should independently review the activities on the following
website, which features interactive maps and images: http: //www.
makingthemodernworld.org. uk/learning__modules/geography/O5.
TU.01/?section=2.

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