PBS Curriculum 2013

COURSE UNITS

PBS Course Units

Unit 1 – The Mystery

Unit 2 – Diabetes

Unit 3 – Sickle Cell Disease

Unit 4 – Heart Disease

Unit 5 – Infectious Disease

Unit 6 – Post Mortem

ACTIVITIES, PROJECTS, AND PROBLEMS

Unit 1: The Mystery

Lesson 1.1: Investigating the Scene

• Activity 1.1.1 A Mysterious Death• Students will be introduced to the mysterious

death of Anna Garcia, set up their course organizer, and learn how to use the Inspiration® software.

• Activity 1.1.2 Examining the Scene• Students will play the role of crime scene

investigators to examine the scene for clues.• Activity 1.1.3 Careers in the Biomedical

Sciences• Students will examine key information gathered

from interviews of people of interest as well as explore some of the biomedical science professionals involved so far in the investigation of Anna Garcia’s death.

Lesson 1.1: Investigating the Scene

• Activity 1.1.4 The Evidence• Students will play the role of forensic scientists to

analyze each piece of evidence collected from the scene.

• Activity 1.1.5 Time of Death• Students will learn how to design a controlled

experiment while investigating how ambient temperature affects the cooling rate of a simulated body, as well as estimate Anna’s time of death.

• Project 1.1.6 Blood Spatter Analysis• Students will design an experiment to investigate

how height affects bloodstain patterns.

Lesson 1.2: DNA Analysis

• Activity 1.2.1: What is DNA?• Students will investigate the structural composition

of DNA by building a three-dimensional model of the molecule

• Activity 1.2.2: DNA Extraction• Students will isolate DNA from plant and animal

cells• Activity 1.2.3: DNA Analysis

• Students will investigate the methods used to analyze DNA and then work as a forensic DNA analyst to compare the DNA found at the crime scene with the DNA obtained from each of the persons of interest.

Lesson 1.3: The Findings

• Activity 1.3.1: The Autopsy • Students will begin to explore the systems of the

human body, examine autopsies, and analyze the first piece of Anna Garcia’s autopsy report.

• Activity 1.3.2: Confidentiality• Students will investigate the laws that relate to

patient confidentiality, read real-world scenarios and determine whether patient confidentiality was protected or HIPAA was violated.

• Activity 1.3.3: Was It a Crime?• Students will put together all of the evidence that

they have collected and analyzed regarding Anna’s mysterious death and draw conclusions about the manner of death.

Unit 2: Diabetes

Lesson 2.1: What is Diabetes?

• Activity 2.1.1: Diagnosing Diabetes• Students will complete simulated glucose

tolerance testing as well as insulin analysis on three patients and draw conclusions about their disease status based on the findings.

• Project 2.2.2: The Insulin Glucose Connection • Students will use a design process to create a 3-D

working model demonstrating how insulin works to move glucose into cells.

• Activity 2.1.3: Feedback • Students will investigate feedback loops and,

diagram the specific steps in the body that function to keep blood sugar in balance.

Lesson 2.2: The Science of Food

• Project 2.2.1: Food Testing• Students will use chemical indicators to tests for

the presence of sugar, starch, protein, and lipids in three common food items as well as in the stomach contents of Anna Garcia.

• Activity 2.2.2: Food Labels • Students will define various terms commonly used

on food labels and then analyze food labels to determine the nutritional content of the respective food items.

Lesson 2.2: The Science of Food

• Activity 2.2.3: The Biochemistry of Food• Students will explore macromolecules as they

complete a series of puzzles.• Activity 2.2.4: Energy in Food

• Students will make a simple calorimeter to measure the amount of energy in a variety of food samples.

Lesson 2.3: Life with Diabetes

• Activity 2.3.1: A Day in the Life of a Diabetic • Students will help patients like Anna, confronted

with a new diagnosis of diabetes, by designing a “What to Expect” guide.

• Project 2.3.2: Diabetic Emergency!• Students will use a model of a cell to simulate how

the body reacts to varying blood glucose concentrations

Lesson 2.3: Life with Diabetes

• Activity 2.3.3: Complications of Diabetes• Students will explore the impact that Type 1 and

Type 2 diabetes can have on human body systems.

• Problem 2.3.4: The Future of Diabetes Management and Treatment• Students will explore giving an effective

presentation and brainstorm an innovation that helps diabetics treat, manage, or even cure their disease.

Unit 3: Sickle Cell Disease

Lesson 3.1: The Disease

• Activity 3.1.1: Blood Detectives• Students will learn about the components and

function of blood, examine sickled blood cells with a microscope and complete a simulated hematocrit.

• Activity 3.1.2: Sickle Cell Diaries• Students will read Anna Garcia’s diary entries

detailing what life was like for her living with sickle cell anemia. They will then write diary entries for an assigned sickle cell patient detailing how they are feeling and a description of the treatment they are receiving, including the risks and benefits.

Lesson 3.2: It’s in the Genes

• Activity 3.2.1: Protein Synthesis• Students will explore the process of protein

synthesis through tutorials and animations. • Activity 3.2.2: The Genetic Code

• Students will perform a paper simulation of protein synthesis, investigate mutations, as well as explore the genetic mutation that causes sickle cell disease.

Lesson 3.2: It’s in the Genes

• Activity 3.2.3: Does Changing One Nucleotide Make a Big Difference?• Students will use computer simulations to visualize

the interactions between amino acids and how these relate to protein structure. They will then visualize how changes in the b-globin protein are due to the mutation associated with sickle cell disease.

Lesson 3.3: Chromosomes

• Activity 3.3.1: How is DNA Passed Through the Generations?• Students will investigate the role that

chromosomes play in mitosis and meiosis and explore how inherited diseases are passed through the generations via our chromosomes.

• Activity 3.3.2: Chromosomes – A Closer Look (Optional)• Students will use a human tumor cell line grown in

a laboratory to prepare a chromosome spread.

Lesson 3.3: Chromosomes

• Activity 3.3.3: The Immortal Cells (Optional)• Students will explore the history behind the HeLa

cell line grown in the laboratory. Students will then discuss the ethics surrounding Henrietta’s case and debate the commodification of human body parts.

Lesson 3.4: Inheritance

• Activity 3.4.1: Family Inheritance• Students will analyze the gel electrophoresis

results obtained from the RFLPs of Anna Garcia’s family members and use the results to create a pedigree depicting the occurrence of sickle cell anemia within her family.

• Activity 3.4.2: What’s the Probability?• Students will compare experimental probabilities

to the probability determined with Punnett squares, as well as examine pedigrees and calculate the probability of an individual having or being a carrier for sickle cell disease.

Lesson 3.4: Inheritance

• Activity 3.4.3: World Distribution of Sickle Cell Disease (Optional)• Students will simulate the effects of a high

frequency of malaria on the allele frequencies of a population.

Unit 4: Heart Disease

Lesson 4.1: Heart Structure

• Activity 4.1.1: Path of Blood in the Heart• Students will investigate the basic structure of the

heart as well as identify the major blood vessels that bring blood in and out of the heart’s main chambers. Students will then create a graphic organizer to show the basic traffic pattern of blood flow to and from the heart and lungs.

• Activity 4.1.2: Anatomy of the Heart • Students will dissect a sheep’s heart and will use a

microscope to observe the structure of arteries and veins.

Lesson 4.2: The Heart at Work

• Project 4.2.1: Heart Rate• Students will design and conduct an experiment

demonstrating the effect of stress, exercise, or position of the body on heart rate using data acquisition software.

• Project 4.2.2: Blood Pressure• Students will design and conduct an experiment to

investigate a factor that might influence blood pressure and write a formal laboratory report for this experiment or the experiment they designed in Project 4.2.1.

• Activity 4.2.3: EKG • Students will use the EKG sensor to make a

graphical recording of the heart’s electrical activity as well as investigate Anna’s EKG.

Lesson 4.3: Heart Dysfunction

• Project 4.3.1: What is Cholesterol?• Students will design and create a brochure,

poster, newsletter, or webpage that accurately informs high school and college students about cholesterol, LDL, and HDL.

• Activity 4.3.2: Hypercholesterolemia • Students will use DNA electrophoresis to separate

and analyze DNA fragments and use the results to determine if Anna and members of her family have familial hypercholesterolemia.

• Problem 4.3.3: The Heart as a Pump • Students will design and build a simple pump to

simulate the heart and will design an experiment to simulate the effects of cholesterol plaques on blood flow rate.

Lesson 4.4: Heart Intervention

• Project 4.4.1: Unblocking the Vessels• Students will investigate medical procedures used

to treat blocked blood vessels and build a model to demonstrate one technique.

• Project 4.4.2: Heart Disease Intervention • Students will use an online risk calculator to

explore factors that increase or decrease the risk of heart attack or associated coronary disease and will design a heart disease intervention plan for an assigned patient.

Unit 5: Infectious Disease

Lesson 5.1: Infection

• Activity 5.1.1: Contagious• Students will demonstrate the transmission of an

unknown infectious agent from person to person as well as use deductive reasoning to determine “patient zero.”

• Activity 5.1.2: Infectious Disease Agents• Students will investigate a variety of diseases

caused by infectious agents. • Activity 5.1.3: Isolating Bacteria

• Students will use aseptic technique to isolate bacterial colonies from four bacterial samples and then complete a gross examination of the colonies.

Lesson 5.1: Infection

• Activity 5.1.4: Gram Staining• Students you will create bacterial smears on

microscope slides and perform a Gram stain on three types of bacteria, including the bacteria isolated from Anna’s sample.

• Activity 5.1.5: Bacterial Identification• Students will use biochemical tests to identify the

type of bacteria isolated from Anna’s sample. • Project 5.1.6: Lines of Defense

• Students will design a board game or a children’s book that showcases how the immune system works to fight infection.

Unit 6: Post Mortem

Lesson 6.1: Analyzing Anna

• Project 6.1.1: How Do the Parts Make a Whole? • Students will investigate the different body

systems that make up the human body and explore all of the ways Anna’s various illnesses affected each body system, potentially resulting in her premature death.

• Activity 6.1.2: How Did She Die? • Students will receive the final autopsy report and

put together all you know to determine Anna’s cause of death.