Lesson of the Day: ‘Masks Work. Really. We’ll Show You How.’ - The New York Times

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Students in U.S. high schools can get free digital access to The New York Times until Sept. 1, 2021.

Lesson Overview

Featured Article: “Masks Work. Really. We’ll Show You How” by Or Fleisher, Gabriel Gianordoli, Yuliya Parshina-Kottas, Karthik Patanjali, Miles Peyton and Bedel Saget

Have you ever wondered how masks really work to protect us from the coronavirus? Today’s featured article and graphics provide a visual journey through the microscopic world of the virus to show how masks provide an important defense against transmission.

In this lesson, you will learn the science behind masks and how a swath of fabric can be effective in fighting the pandemic. In a Going Further activity, you will create a poster to inform others how to use masks to protect themselves.

Warm Up

Do you wear a mask when you are outside your house? Do you believe they are effective? Should everyone in the United States be required to wear them?

Take a moment to study the graph of restrictions and mask mandates in all 50 states below. Then respond to the following questions:

What do you notice?
What do you wonder?

What story does this graph tell about mask mandates in the United States? Write a catchy headline that captures its main idea. If your headline makes a claim, tell us what you noticed that supports your claim.

Mask mandates by state as of Nov. 17, 2020. <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/us/states-reopen-map-coronavirus.html">Related Article</a>

Questions for Writing and Discussion

Read the article, then answer the following questions:

1. What are the benefits of wearing a mask in public, according to Joseph G. Allen, director of the Healthy Buildings program at Harvard?

2. How do masks generally work? Give a one or two sentence explanation of the process of filtration that a third grader would understand.

3. In your own words, explain how filtration works on the microscopic level. Include a description of how small-, medium- and large-size particles each travel through the “dense forest” of cotton fibers. Why are medium-size particles the hardest to trap and filter?

4. How do the shape and fit of a mask affect its filtration efficiency? What is the danger of loosefitting masks? How can you tell if a mask is too loose?

5. Why are N95 masks more effective than cotton ones? Why, however, do the authors say, “don’t worry if you can’t get your hands on one.” How do the authors demonstrate the idea that if everyone wears a mask, even cotton ones, the “combined filtration efficiency increases”?

6. What is your reaction to the article? What quotation, or visual stood out and why? Does this information change your perspective on masks and their effectiveness?

Bonus Question:

Scroll to the bottom of the article and scan the QR code to try the augmented-reality experience that lets you stand inside the magnified fibers of an N95 respirator to see how it filters aerosols. You will need the Instagram app to gain access to this experience.

What was most fun or fascinating about your augmented-reality experience? How did it deepen your understanding of how masks filter aerosols? How was it different from reading about masks? Do you hope The Times includes more A.R. options in the future? Why or why not?

Going Further

Option 1: Share Your Thoughts.

What’s your relationship with masks during the pandemic? Do you wear them when you go outside — or inside — public buildings? Do your family members wear masks outside the house? Do the people in your community? What about your friends?
When and where do you wear masks? What rules do you follow, whether they are guidelines from health organizations or your own? For example, do you opt not to wear a mask while taking a walk but put it on when you see another person approaching? Do you ever feel tension around your or other people’s decisions about wearing or not wearing masks?
Do you have a favorite mask? Does the science presented here make you want to change the type of masks you wear? Will reading the article affect your mask-wearing behavior? If yes, how and why?
The Times reports:

As cases have exploded in the United States, governors have undertaken a flurry of actions to try to slow the spread of the virus. Last week, Utah and Ohio, both states led by Republican governors, have mandated masks statewide. In Iowa, the governor, Kim Reynolds, has long resisted a mask mandate, but this week she ordered that masks be worn at large gatherings.

President-elect Joseph R. Biden Jr. this week implored Americans to wear masks.

“A mask is not a political statement, but it’s a good way to start pulling the country together,” Mr. Biden said in Wilmington, Del., on Monday.

Mr. Biden has said he will ask governors to institute a mask mandate in their states; if they refuse, he will work with local officials to get mandates in place.

Do you think mask mandates are effective and necessary? Should all states have them? How can the science of masks explored in the article support your views? Before answering, you might learn more about restrictions and mask requirements in your state or look at arguments for and against mask mandates from Ballotpedia.

Option 2: Create an Infographic or Poster.

How can you inform others about what you have learned from the article?

Who would be your target audience — teenagers, older adults or the general public? What message do you want to convey? What, specifically, does your audience need to know about masks — such as the science of masks, how to choose a good one or how they are effective in the fight against the virus? What kind of language, images and graphics will grab their attention?

Here are two creative options you might try:

You might use information from the article or your own research to create a poster or an infographic. You can use Canva or another graphic design program to produce your designs. Use open-source images or create graphics that help get your point across. Be sure to cite all the sources you use. Then share what you made via social media or with peers at your school.
Or you can create a public service announcement, like this one, using images, video, text, statistics and music. You might consider storyboarding your public service announcement, and if you have time, record, edit and share it with your class and your school. Scholastic provides some useful tips and a sample P.S.A. storyboard.

For more information on masks, check out the websites for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention or the World Health Organization.

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