The Mosquito Menace

1. Set Focus
Pose this essential question to guide discussion: How can technology help us fight the spread of a disease?

2. List Vocabulary
Share with students some of the challenging vocabulary words in this article. Encourage them to use context to infer meanings as they read.

• ingenious (p. 13)
• pathogen (p. 14)
• elude (p. 14)
• derived (p. 14)
• deterrent (p. 14)
• spatial (p. 15)

3. Engage
Have students review what they know about how communicable diseases are spread. Ask: How might a mosquito spread a disease? Have students revisit the question after they read the article to determine whether their explanations were accurate.

4. Read 
Have students read the article, marking the text to note key ideas or questions.

5. Discuss
Distribute or project Up Close: The Mosquito Menace, a close-reading activity for students to work on in small groups. (Note: The questions on the PDF also appear on the following page of this lesson, with possible responses.) Follow up with a class discussion. If you’re short on time, have each group tackle one or two of the questions. Collect students’ work or have each group report its findings to the class.

• What is the central problem described by the article? What possible solutions are described? (Problem & solution) (The central problem described in the article is the rise of mosquito-borne infections in Africa, the Middle East, and in other places around the world. Some solutions described include mosquito-proofing houses and distributing spatial repellents.)

• According to the section “The Biggest Killer,” why have deaths from mosquito-borne infections risen? (Cause & effect) (Mosquito-borne infections have risen for a variety of reasons. The first is that climate change has caused mosquitoes to move to new locations, including a species that has led to more urban infections. In addition, mosquitoes have adapted their behavior and have begun biting during the day instead of at night. Finally, mosquitoes have developed resistances to commonly used insecticides.)

• What ideas are introduced in the sidebar “Keeping Invaders Out”? How does this sidebar expand upon the ideas introduced in the text? (Analyze text features, integrate information) (By listing the different ways Joram Kalalu has “mosquito-proofed” his home, the sidebar “Keeping Invaders Out” introduces the idea that this is a possible solution. It also lists the cost of each improvement, which demonstrates how much people may be willing to pay to protect themselves from malaria, and also notes that the cost is out of reach for most others in his town. The sidebar expands upon the idea that solving the problem of mosquito-borne infections is challenging, and it also proposes a possible solution that could work if funding were available.)

• Using details from the text, summarize how mosquito-borne infections are affecting people’s lives. (Cite text details, summarize) (In the first section, the article notes the deadly fevers that can be caused by mosquito-borne infections. The section “The Biggest Killer” states that 620,000 people died from infections in 2021. The sidebar “Keeping Invaders Out” shows the financial strain caused by infection protections. In the final section, the article says that “repeated bouts of malaria keep children out of school and adults from working,” and that people, such as Mary Oketeti, must “[suspend her] life” to care for a sick family member for a few days every month.) 

• What is the purpose of the data provided in “Malaria By the Numbers” and “Where the Bugs Are”? What can you infer by looking at these text features side-by-side? (Analyze visuals, draw conclusions)(The purpose of “Malaria By the Numbers” is to show how many people caught malaria in 2022 and how many died from it. The purpose of “Where the Bugs Are” is to show the places where the greatest number of malaria-transmitting mosquitoes were found. From these text features, the reader can infer where the most cases of malaria, and therefore the highest number of malaria deaths, most likely occurred.) 

• Which do you think is the better solution to the problem: spatial repellents or mosquito-proofing homes? Support your opinion using evidence from the text. (Compare & contrast, evaluate)(Students’ responses will vary, but they should support their ideas with evidence from the text. They may note that mosquito-proofing homes is a better solution because mosquitoes may adapt to spatial repellents. They may say that spatial repellents are better because they can be quickly distributed to more people.)

6. Writing Prompt
Pretend you are starting a crowdfunding campaign to help people mosquito-proof their homes. Write one to three persuasive paragraphs to convince others to donate to your campaign.

7. Video
Watch the video about mosquitoes. What does it add to your understanding?

8. Classroom Debate
Should a pesticide that fights disease be used even if it damages the environment?

9. Quiz & Skills
Use the quiz to assess comprehension and Be the Editor to review grammar skills.