Vaccine skepticism can be difficult to address in a contemporary, ideology-laden context. This narrative takes students back to the early 1700s, when Lady Mary Wortley Montagu encountered the practice of smallpox variolation in Turkey. She later brought the practice back to England. At several stages, students must assess the nature of the evidence and the credibility of testimony, and decide how to act accordingly. Emotions and issues of gender and cultural bias can all be addressed more effectively from our modern vantage point. Students are then invited to consider the lessons for today.

Download   PPT  ||  PDF  ||  Online HTML

---

Instructor's Narrative:

Allchin, D. 2024. Transforming history into science inquiry. American Biology Teacher, 86(9).