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Share the Curriculum Overview and FAQs page to help increase awareness of the CDC NERD Academy curriculum and answer frequently asked questions (FAQs).

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• CDC NERD Academy includes an 8-module, standards-based STEM curriculum that uses engaging videos and STEM classroom activities centered around a fictional novel emerging respiratory disease (or NERD for short). Each module includes English and Spanish language STEM lesson plans and career posters, with the following videos in English only: an educational video for students, an activity demonstration video for teachers, and a career spotlight video . Modules can be downloaded and used sequentially in a comprehensive series, reordered, or used as standalone lessons.
• Designed as a collaboration between STEM teachers and CDC public health experts, the CDC NERD Academy curriculum modules are age-appropriate and use relatable scenarios. The curriculum can enrich classroom engagement and help empower your students to make informed public health decisions for themselves and their communities and to see themselves in public health careers.
• Public health is an innovative way to teach STEM knowledge and skills. Each module has been carefully aligned with the National Health Education Standards and Next Generation Science Standards practices and cross-cutting educational concepts to fit into most classroom curricula. The modules use real-world examples that build upon student curiosity in public health issues while teaching them foundational science, math, and critical thinking skills.
• STEM teachers and other educators are the key to inspiring middle and high school students to pursue STEM careers, including those in public health. To support these efforts, the CDC NERD Academy curriculum brings to life diverse characters, each highlighting specific jobs in public health, using videos and scenario-based STEM activities that middle and high school students can relate to.
• The career spotlights, offered in video and poster formats, introduce students to diverse public health STEM professionals who serve critical roles in outbreak investigation. Downloadable posters provide an overview of each career within the curriculum, and corresponding videos feature real CDC experts explaining what it’s like to work in public health. These career spotlights help students see themselves in a future public health STEM career.

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Looking for a STEM curriculum that helps English- and Spanish-speaking students answer critical public health questions like, “What exactly is a pandemic?”, “How does disease spread?”, “Who is at risk?”, or “Why do laboratory testing?” The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the CDC Foundation present CDC NERD Academy—a middle and high school public health curriculum that covers eight basic concepts in public health and epidemiology using a fictional novel emerging respiratory disease, or NERD for short. While NERD is fictional, it is based on real, scientific data collected during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Designed as a collaboration between STEM teachers and CDC public health experts, the curriculum modules are age-appropriate and use relatable scenarios that will keep students engaged while learning about public health and its many career opportunities. Each module has been carefully aligned with the National Health Education Standards and Next Generation Science Standards practices and cross-cutting educational concepts to fit into most classroom curricula. The modules use real-world examples that build upon student curiosity while teaching them foundational science and math skills. If teachers do not have enough room to teach all eight topics, they can choose any of the standalone modules to complement existing curriculum.

The CDC NERD Academy curriculum features:

• English and Spanish language STEM lesson plans for teachers including detailed instructions and student handouts with answer keys.
• Educational videos for students to present the science content necessary to answer each question while activating student learning using a whiteboard animation style.
• Activity demonstration videos for teachers to illustrate how to prepare for and teach the activities in the classroom.
• Career spotlight videos and posters that bring public health careers to life by highlighting specific roles, such as an epidemiologist, public health nurse, health communication specialist, and more. Posters are offered in English and Spanish.

This curriculum empowers your students to make informed public health decisions and to see themselves in public health careers!

To learn more about CDC NERD Academy and to start using it today, visit www.cdc.gov/scienceambassador/nerdacademy.

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