The Spanish Influenza of 1918
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The concerns about Swine Flu and its global ramifications bring to mind the Spanish Influenza of 1918, another pandemic. Teachers can use the 1918 experience to compare and contrast to the present situation. Below are some resources that can be used to incorporate historical and geographic standards into current events and the comparison. |
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The Great Pandemic: The United States in 1918-1919
From the United States Department of Health and Human Services
“The Influenza Pandemic occurred in three waves in the United States throughout 1918 and 1919. Learn more about the pandemic, along with the Nation’s health and the medical care system and how they were affected. Also, take a glance at some people who fought the Influenza in the United States.” Topics included include Life in 1918, The Pandemic, Your State, Documents & Media, Biographies, and Learn More. |
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The Influenza Panic of 1918
From Stanford University
This site from Stanford includes Graphs of the Influenza Epidemic Impact, The Public Health Response, The Scientific and Medical Response, and a Bibliography. |
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Influenza of 1918, the Worst Epidemic the United States Has Ever Known
From PBS The American Experience
"In the spring of 1918, as the nation mobilized for war, Private Albert Gitchell reported to an Army hospital in Kansas. He was diagnosed with the flu, a disease doctors knew little about. Before the year was out, America would be ravaged by a flu epidemic that killed 675,000--more than in all the wars of this century combined--before disappearing as mysteriously as it began.” Teacher materials are available at this site. |
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Geographic Diffusion of Disease: The Flu Pandemic of 1918-19
Lesson Plans from National Geographic
“This lesson will focus on the spatial diffusion of the influenza (flu) pandemic of 1918-19. Spatial diffusion is the geographic spread of ideas, innovations, or phenomena (such as disease).” |
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Pandemics: The Swine Flu of 1918: Florence Harding: Science, Medicine, Inventions and Tech
Lesson Plans from National First Ladies’ Library
“Students will gain an understanding of pandemics through the investigational research of the 1918 swine flu. Students will apply the information by choosing a current virus and role-playing a member of the Centers of Disease Control (CDC).” |
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Secrets of the Dead
Lesson Plan from PBS
For middle and high school science. “Students learn the story of the 1918 influenza pandemic and about the use of electrophoresis and DNA fingerprinting to identify an unknown, using UPC barcodes to represent the DNA banding patterns.” Students will learn about the history of the 1918 influenza pandemic, describe a virus and how it infects its host, simulate the creation of a DNA fingerprint via a Flash animation, and analyze ‘bar code’ DNA fingerprints to identify a virus. |
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The Deadly Virus – The Influenza Epidemic of 1918
From the National Archives and Records Administration
“World War I claimed an estimated 16 million lives. The influenza epidemic that swept the world in 1918 killed an estimated 50 million people. One fifth of the world's population was attacked by this deadly virus. Within months, it had killed more people than any other illness in recorded history.” Here you can find some outstanding images. |
Illinois and the 1918 Spanish Flu Epidemic
From HEART
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History of Pandemic Influenza
From the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare
"Influenza pandemics have occurred at least during the last four centuries." This site examines the"influenza pandemics in the last 100 years and several ongoing pandemic threats (a very severe pandemic in 1918-1919, two milder pandemics in 1957-1958 and 1968-1969, two pandemic 'threats' in 1976 and 1977, and two ongoing pandemic 'threats' beginning in 1997 and 1999." Also "Native Americans suffered disproportionately from the 1918 influenza pandemic. The Bureau of Indian Affairs was overwhelmed as influenza swept through rural reservations, killing thousands." |
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Howard H. Bailey
Influenza Victim
Drummer Howard H. Bailey of Collinsville, IL, died as a result of Spanish Influenza. |
Bigotry Spreads With New Flu
From Teaching Tolerance
"The spread of H1N1 influenza has unleashed a wave of anti-immigrant and anti-Latino hate speech." Read an article regarding the H1N1 virus and use the excellent class discuss questions to engage higher level thinking. |
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