Pandemic Perspectives Curriculum Kit

bring pandemic perspectives to your classroom

The Pandemic Perspectives exhibit is a great tool for teaching about pandemic and public health history in your classroom.  It utilizes the field of Narrative Medicine to compare the experiences of tuberculosis and Covid-19 pandemics and can be adapted to fit the subjects of history, english, creative writing and more. This curriculum kit can be used online with the digital file below or in person with our traveling exhibit.  Please note the traveling exhibit and classroom files are the original installation of Pandemic Perspectives. They differ from the public online exhibit and the 2022 exhibit installation at the Saranac Laboratory .
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Below are suggested resources and materials. Contact Mahala Nyberg with questions or to schedule the traveling exhibit. The materials below are a suggested curriculum. We are happy to work with you to shape this curriculum to fit your students. 

Students at Saranac Lake High School view the Pandemic Perspectives traveling exhibit.
Download the Traveling Exhibit Digital File

Pandemic perspectives Program Series 2022

Historic Saranac Lake is hosting four “Pandemic Perspectives” talks in 2021 and 2022, supported by Humanities New York
 

TALK #1: Introduction to Narrative Medicine with Dr. Arden Hegele, Columbia University Narrative Medicine Program. 
​Dr. Hegele consulted on the exhibit and provided resources from her course Epidemic Fictions.  In this video she explains why fiction and literature are useful tools for studying pandemics, using “The Birds” by Daphne Du Maurier as a case study. 

Historic Saranac Lake is a not-for-profit 501(c)3 organization. Dues and other contributions are tax deductible as provided by law. You will receive a donation acknowledgement letter in the mail.
 
View Dr. Hegele's Presentation
Read "The Birds"
TALK #2: Exploring Vaccine Resistance Past and Present with Deborah Brown, Trudeau Institute
View Deborah Brown's Presentation
Vaccine Resistance Resource List
TALK #3: The Sanatorium in Context, A Book Talk by Tegan Kehoe
 
View Tegan Kehoe's talk
TALK #4: Letters from the Porch, Revisted — a discussion with Amy Catania in consultation with humanities scholar Mary Hotaling
 
View Letters from the Porch
The Pandemic Perspectives exhibit panels were redesigned for installation in the John Black Room in the winter of 2021.
View the redesigned panels
 Our thanks to Humanities NY for supporting the exhibit and public programs.