Sars may be a frightening and serious threat to our community, but it is also a learning opportunity. The issues it raises embrace virtually all academic subjects. These are some teaching ideas. Biology Students can explore the differences between bacteria and viruses and find out what a coronavirus is. This leads to the question of how genetic mutations occur and to find other examples in history. How do researchers work towards a cure? When does a disease outbreak 'peak'? Are face masks effective and which ones work best? What experiments can you devise to answer this question? Maths Students can use all manner of graphs: comparing mortality rates of different diseases, comparing cases to deaths; districts in Hong Kong; age-patterns of victims; timelines of daily infections. Geography and history Ask what an 'epidemic' is. Does Sars qualify? Look at famous epidemics in history. Explore the links between migration and disease. Plot cases day by day on a world map. How has Sars affected shopping, recreation and travel? Economics and public affairs Which sectors of the domestic and international economy are affected? What responsibilities do government departments have? How is a hospital administered? How is a health campaign conducted and financed? Who are 'health workers'? What 'emergency powers' does the government have? What rights do the public have - to safety, to information? Sociology How has Sars affected social life and social contacts? How does a mask change the nature of communication? 'Urban legends' and rumours - why and how do they arise and spread? Why does 'panic buying' take place? Why have some areas and people been shunned? Deviance - why do some people heed warnings and others not? English as a second language Collect newspaper articles and graphics as well as government pamphlets in English and Chinese - discuss, summarise, rewrite, translate and use as exercises. List acronyms, such as Sars and WHO. Look at adjectives such as acute and severe. Explore words such as syndrome, quarantine, index case, outbreak, symptoms. Phonics: look at the the sound, 'n' spelt 'pn' as in pneumonia and do a dictionary search for other pn-words. Roots: explore the meaning of the 'pneu' prefix. Look at other prefixes: a-typical, un-hygienic, dis-infect, pre-cautions. Make advisory signs in English. Mother-tongue languages There are creative writing opportunities galore, such as letters and diary entries by and to patients and health workers; drama, poetry and interviews. Web resources World Health Organisation: www.who.int/en Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: www.cdc.gov/ BBC: http://news.bbc.co.uk/ 2/hi/asia-pacific/default.stm Pauline Bunce teaches humanities at Hong Kong International School