The Outbreak
Students run a county task force, interpret epidemiological evidence during an outbreak, and make public-health recommendations without complete certainty.
Students have enough evidence to decide, but not enough to be certain.
The Outbreak is a 15-day epidemiology simulation. Your students run a county task force during an outbreak.
Students identify what matters, separate evidence from assumption, and commit to a defensible course of action before the next release arrives.
Because later developments remain teacher-controlled, students cannot work backward from an answer. Their reasoning has to stand on the evidence available at the moment.
The Outbreak: judgment practice through Biology.
Students take on a meaningful role, work within visible constraints, and create an evidence trail before they commit. Additional information creates feedback rather than an answer key. Students then explain what held up, what changed, and why.
| Grade level | Grades 9-12 |
| Course | Biology |
| Duration | 15 days |
| Format | Group format |
| Learning focus | Discernment, judgment, resolve, evidence use, and reflection |
The simulations are the practice. The capacities are the tools.
Students practice the eight PATIENCE capacities inside the work, while the three durable outcomes remain clear: discernment, judgment, and resolve.
| Outcome | What students practice |
|---|---|
| Discernment | Identify what mattersDistinguish evidence from assumption, signal from noise, and relevance from urgency. |
| Judgment | Make the decisionChoose a defensible course of action when the information is incomplete and the tradeoffs are real. |
| Resolve | Stand behind or revise itExplain the evidence, accept feedback, and change course when the record requires it. |
A sequenced experience without a published answer path.
The public page explains the method without disclosing the scenario's future events, consequences, or reveal. Those materials stay under teacher control.
| Phase | What students do | What stays teacher-controlled |
|---|---|---|
| Enter the uncertainty | Learn the role, constraints, and evidence available at launch. | Later events and confidential guidance |
| Discern what matters | Question sources, test assumptions, and record an evidence-based position. | Consequences and additional evidence |
| Exercise judgment | Make and justify a consequential decision before knowing what follows. | The outcome sequence and debrief |
| Reflect and revise | Compare reasoning with feedback, then explain what should hold or change. | Assessment guidance and confidential notes |
Standards alignment built into the materials.
The Outbreak includes a simulation-specific alignment showing where students use Biology knowledge and practices. The materials connect academic content to evidence analysis, explanation, revision, and decision-making under uncertainty, with documentation teachers can adapt to local curriculum requirements.
Everything you need to guide the experience.
- Day by Day Teacher Playbook. Clear preparation, pacing, release, collection, and next-day directions for each session.
- Teacher-confidential release materials. Later evidence, consequences, answers, and debrief guidance remain under teacher control.
- Student launch and decision files. Launch-safe materials introduce the role, evidence, constraints, and first decision without exposing what follows.
- Editable classroom tools. Word and Excel or Google Docs and Sheets versions support digital use and paper fallback.
- Reasoning-centered assessment. Students are graded on evidence, explanation, revision, and reflection, not on selecting a hidden preferred outcome.
- Classroom supports. Scaffolds, accessibility options, absence recovery, and practical facilitation guidance are included.
Bring The Outbreak to your classroom.
Give students a structured place to practice discernment, judgment, and resolve through Biology.
Get this simulationInstant download · Word & Excel or Google Docs & Sheets · Yours foreverReview the simulation overview, included materials, and classroom fit before you purchase.