How can we deliver life-saving medical supplies to remote hospitals?
Grades 6 – 8
Around the world, nearly two billion people lack access to basic
medicine1
—and even more have trouble obtaining other important
aspects of healthcare. In this lesson, students will explore the problem
of medical supply availability through design activities and a series of
video clips featuring Zipline, a company whose mission is to “provide
every human on Earth with instant access to vital medical supplies.”
To gain empathy and a stronger understanding of the problem,
students will first perform research to deconstruct the causes of
the medical supply problem and the effect it has on citizens and
communities. Students will then use design thinking to brainstorm
how technology could be used to contribute positively to this
widespread problem, and they will consider the potential impact
of their solution. The lesson will culminate as students bring the
problem closer to home and brainstorm realistic actions connected
to the overall problem that they could spearhead to create tangible
change, and they will create a brief plan that details how they could
influence this change and take action in their community