Before covid there were many other epidemics. This article Download This articleis a very handy introduction to them.
Your task is:
produce a compelling storymap that explores one of the diseases (see below). This means it should be about 500-1000 words long (if it was an essay) and use this to show how Max Brooks brings that to bear in WWZ.
use at least 3 different kinds of sources, and make sure you use primary & secondary sources, and place your project on a timeline and use a map to locate what you are discussing.
Make sure all you sources and inspirations are cited (see Chicago Style citation guide)
There are different ways to explore diseases and see how this influences Max Brooks’ discussion of the zombie plage – choose a point of comparison, for example focus on how it spreads, or what the public health policy was, or if some parts of the world were more vulnerable than others, or if there were geopolitical consequences. This will make a very good thesis statement around which you’ll build the rest of your project.
Explanation of the training:
Phalanx in WWZ bears a lot of resemblance to the multiple fake cures or protections against Covid. The information ecosystem that makes this sort of lie exist is broad – and your assignment is to choose one historical disease outbreak (not Covid, since that is not history yet) and explore the historical sources available to us to research it. You should place this epidemic in time and place (the way you did for training 2) and explore what “cures” and “preventions” were part of this misinformation context. You will want to distinguish between straight hoaxes (phalanx) and misguided attempts in an environment where information is scarce (homemade masks)
You will find a variety of primary sources: newspapers, government reports, depending on what area of the world and time period you may find infomation form the World Health Organization, the Red Crescent or the Red Cross – much of which might already be digitized and findable online.
The older the outbreak the more likely you are to find secondary sources about the event – secondary source use primary sources to get a broader perspective and understanding of the event. The library is great place to find those – and your TAs will provide you with tips.
You can choose from ebola, flu (swine flu of 2009 and flu pandemic of 1918), SARS, AIDS, the plague (Black Death), polio, or any other major historical infectious disease outbreak (but definitely not Covid-19 since it is not a historical disease).
You can use the university library’s digital collections and archives, newspapers and government websites like the CDC.gov, and others linked below:
World Health OrganizationLinks to an external site.
https://curiosity.lib.harvard.edu/contagionLinks to an external site. : Contagion: Historical Views of Diseases and Epidemics exhibit was originally created and hosted by Harvard Library’s Open Collections Program (OCP) in 2008.
https://www.archives.gov/exhibits/influenza-epidemic/Links to an external site. : the 1918 flu epidemic with documents from the National Archive
https://microform.digital/boa/collections/125/pandemics-society-and-public-health-1517-1925Links to an external site.: pandemics, society and public health between 1517-1925 with documenst from teh British Onlien Archives
https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/education/resources/from-outbreak-to-archive-tales-of-public-health/Links to an external site. : From Outbreak to Archive’ is a series of films combining puppetry, model-making and animation created by students in July 2020 – the site also contains links to a variety of plagues and epidemics in Britain with documenst from the British National Archives
https://artsandculture.google.com/story/archives-of-the-epidemic-in-mexico-archivo-general-de-la-nacion/mgVRemF2GUDizQ?hl=en-USLinks to an external site. : epidemics in Mexico
Use this ArcGIS StoryMap – I give you my access into – Username: Bgast004/or **************** password: 94Hypatia!
Here’s another instruction powerpoint
