What can the Black Death teach us about ecosystems?

How did one contaminated water pump change modern medicine?

Why are antibiotic-resistant bacteria one of the biggest threats to global health today?

In this fascinating and slightly macabre biology course, students explore the science of disease through the lens of history’s most dramatic outbreaks.

Meeting twice weekly in a live online classroom, students step into the role of medical investigators, examining real historical cases and uncovering the biological mechanisms behind them. Instead of memorizing isolated facts, students learn how cellular biology, immunology, ecology, and evolution shape the spread of disease.

This course intentionally explores the grittier side of medical history. Students will encounter vivid historical accounts of early surgery, epidemic outbreaks, and the difficult scientific breakthroughs that changed medicine forever. Materials are presented in a scientific context, but professional maturity is expected.

Learning in this course is active and collaborative. Students participate in Socratic discussions in our virtual Operating Theater, conduct home-based biological investigations, and work in teams to investigate real disease systems.

Throughout the year, we connect microbiology to the larger ecosystems that influence disease, exploring how wildlife, climate, human settlement, and environmental change shape outbreaks.

By the end of the course, students will understand that disease is not just a medical issue, it's an ecological, evolutionary, and social phenomenon.

What Students Will Do

• investigate historical epidemics

• conduct safe home biology labs

• analyze real outbreak data

• collaborate on disease investigations

• debate ethical medical dilemmas

• model ecosystems of disease transmission

Course Format

• Live online class twice per week

• Weekly readings

• Collaborative project work

• Hands-on labs

Warning: This Course Is a Bit Gross

We will discuss real diseases, early surgical practices, and the sometimes messy history of medicine. Materials are presented educationally, but some descriptions may be uncomfortable for sensitive students.

If you enjoy fascinating biology, medical mysteries, and the science behind history’s biggest outbreaks then this class is for you!

Certificate & Transcript Support

Students who complete the course will receive:

• A Certificate of Completion

• Final letter grade

• Course description suitable for homeschool transcripts

This course qualifies as a high school biology lab science credit for many homeschool programs.

(Parents should confirm requirements with their local homeschool regulations.)

Cost

$350 per semester

Includes:

• collaborative project guidance

• discussion-based seminars

• lab investigations and simulations

• instructor feedback on projects