Science Meets Real Life - Truman and Jackson

Truman and Jackson Middle Schools band classes participated in a band competition called "Battle of the Bands," which was held on May 19. (Community Health Department, n.d.) On May 20th and 21st, both schools had an increase in the number of student absences. (Independent School District 12, n.d.) A few of the absent students parents were interviewed by a health worker concerning their absences. The parents from both school reported similar stories concerning their child's sick absence. A couple of the parents reported that their child attended the band competition. The parents who reported that their child was sick on May 20 and 21 all stated that their children had the following symptoms: stomachache, headache, fever, diarrhea, and or vomiting. (Community Health Department, n.d.).

Truman and Jackson Middle School both reported an increase in absences on May 20 and May 21. (Community Health Department, n.d.) All the sick children that were absent on these days reported the same symptoms. The symptoms reported commonly occur in cases of food poisoning and in cases of gastroenteritis sometimes called the "stomach flu." The symptoms for gastroenteritis usually appear within 4 - 48 hours after exposure while the symptoms for food poisoning generally appear within 2 - 6 hours. (National Center for Biotechnology Information, n.d.). Truman and Jackson Middle schools band classes participated in a band competition on May 19. A couple of the parents did report that their children attended the competition. An absence report graph was created to compare the absences in each school within the district along with specific classes such as the art, band, and physical education. The report graph illustrated a spike in absences for both Truman and Jackson, but only in band class and the overall absences for the entire school. The Community Health Department (n.d.) inspected and reported violations regarding two restaurants, Take your Chances Diner and DELIcious. The violations that the Community Health Department reported that could possibly make a person ill were, not wiping down food contact surfaces with sanitized cloths, and food thermometers not being used. (Community Health Department, n.d.)

If you surveyed all the sick band students at Truman and Jackson Middle school about where they ate dinner on May 19, then you may know which restaurant had contaminated food or water.

If you test the food at the restaurants Take Your Chances Diner and DELIous, then you may know that the students had food poisoning.

1. Is the food contaminated at Take Your Chances Diner?

2. Is the food contaminated at DELIous?

3. Did all the sick children who were absent on May 20 and May 21 attend the band competition?

4. Did all the sick children have dinner together on May