Chapter 28: Postwar America: Cold War Politics, Civil Rights, and the Baby Boom, 1945-1961





The following activities accompany the Legacy for a People and a Nation on "The Eradication of Polio" in Chapter 28. Refer to page 819 of Norton, A People and a Nation, Sixth Edition for the complete text of this Legacy. There are three parts to this web page: Questions to Consider, Investigation, and Further Exploration.




Questions to Consider
1. Were the precautions exercised against catching polio based more on science or on fear?

2. What are some diseases today that might compare to the polio epidemic? Are you optimistic that we can eradicate these diseases?

3. Who are some famous polio survivors? How different might the world be if these individuals had succumbed to this disease?


Investigation
Many Americans seem to believe that with the proper resources, we can eradicate diseases. What resources are needed? What, other than money and science, is important? Take a look at the World Health Organization's map of reported polio cases in the world. Do you find any demographic patterns that might account for the continuation of the disease in these areas? Use the United Nation's interactive Infonation to look for patterns in countries that have existing polio cases. Formulate hypotheses that might account for ongoing polio cases and propose possible methods to resolve the problem.




Further Exploration
1. Read the stories from those who have survived polio in the United States and follow the intense efforts to eradicate the disease worldwide.

2. The World Health Organization has extensive information on diseases worldwide, be sure to explore "health topics" and "information sources."

3. In 1954 efforts were made to reach parents and children about the dangers of polio. Read through a comicbook that plays on the idea of engaging a Superman-like character to eradicate polio. How realistic were the expectations to reach children through this medium?

4. Visit a listing and short biography of individuals who suffered from polio.

5. The National Institutes of Health provides a wealth of information about existing research and knowledge for both diseases and medicines.