Pandemic

A Microscopic Malady with Monstrous Implications

Mission Overview

An emergency has erupted at the worst possible time!  Two civilizations, after being separated from each other for hundreds of years, have finally decided to put aside their differences and meet together to discuss opening peaceful diplomatic relations.  Both sides have many great things they can learn from each other, if only they can look past their differences and put their fear and distrust behind them.  Things were looking hopeful at first, but everything broke down when suddenly one of the delegates fell seriously ill!

Doctors are baffled by the mysterious plague, and they have quarantined the delegate before the disease can spread.  Accusations of biological warfare have begun to fly, each side accusing the other of sabotaging the negotiations.  It’s an illusive mystery, but one thing is certain:  if the delegate dies all hope of peaceful relations between the two civilizations will die with him.

Fearing the worst, the delegates have called upon the Infinity Knights—the renowned protectors of peace and justice throughout the universe—for assistance.  Using their advanced technology, the Infinity Knight crew will shrink their vessel to a microscopic size and enter the body of the sick delegate.  They must search the body for the disease, develop a cure, and stop the plague before it can spread.

But that’s not all!  The crew must also unravel the mystery of where the sickness came from.  If they don’t, the fear, suspicion, and distrust between the two civilizations will destroy all hope of peaceful relations forever!

Standards-Based Curriculum

  • Spanish Conquistadors and the Aztec Civilization
  • Anatomy and physiology
  • Immune, circulatory, and lymphatic systems
  • Viruses and viral reproduction
  • Scientific method
  • Prolonged isolation and disease resistance
  • Acidity, temperature, and pressure
  • Cross-cultural understanding

Higher Order Thinking

  • How does prolonged isolation influence culture?
  • How do vastly different cultures interact when they collide?
  • What actions should be taken to maintain genetic diversity?
  • What is the future of nanomedicine?
  • What precautions should be implemented to protect against pandemics?