Biomedical Innovations Course Description
In the Biomedical Innovation course, students will be asked to apply what they have learned in the previous three courses to solve unique problems in science, medicine, and healthcare. Students will work systematically through required problems before completing optional directed problems or independent work. Each problem is staged as a mission – a unique set of tasks the students must work through to achieve their desired objective. Students are presented with each problem in a Mission File – a document that includes a case brief, a list of completion tasks, links to available resources, as well as a reflection section. Working through the missions not only exposes students to current issues in biomedical science, but it also provides skills-based instruction in research and experimentation – tools students will use to design innovative solutions to real-world problems. Students will use what they learn in these missions as they develop and implement their independent project at the end of the year. A teacher may use additional resources in the community – the guidance of other teachers in the school, the advice of scientists or biomedical professionals, or the knowledge presented in scientific literature to help students achieve each goal.
The following is a summary of the units of study that are included in the Biomedical Innovations course.
Problem One – Design of an Effective Emergency Room
In this problem students apply their knowledge of emergency medical careers, diagnostic testing and patient evaluation, human body systems, and medical interventions to analyze the workings of an emergency room and discuss inefficiencies that may hinder appropriate clinical care. Student teams will work collaboratively to design a more efficient emergency medicine delivery system. As students work through their designs, they will review research methods, practice effective presentation skills, and learn project management techniques.
Problem Two – Exploring Human Physiology
In this problem students build upon what they know about the research process in order to design, conduct, and analyze an experimental study. Students will choose a question relating to one or more body systems that they are interested in studying and will work with a team to investigate and answer that question. As students work through the experimental process, they will review and expand what they know about experimental design, collection of data, statistical analysis of data, and the presentation of data.
Problem Three – Design of a Medical Innovation
In this problem students review the diseases and disorders, as well as the corresponding medical interventions they have investigated in the previous courses, and propose a new or better medical device, pharmaceutical, surgical procedure, or genetic intervention. Students will work with a team to build a prototype, model, or schematic of the intervention as well as develop a marketing plan for the product. As students work through this problem, they will review the design process, complete a literature review, and further practice effective presentation skills
Problem Four – Investigation Environmental Health
In this problem students will explore how substances or chemicals in the environment impact human health. Students will investigate a disease cluster in a fictional family and assess the activities of the individuals for environmental risks. Students will test water samples for the presence of contaminants that could be detrimental to human health and use molecular biology techniques to identify specific microorganisms. Students will explore the field of toxicology and design an experiment to test the effects of a particular chemical and doses of that chemical on plant growth. Students will then compile a comprehensive environmental health profile and action plan for their local area.
Problem Five – Combating a Public Health Issue
In this problem students draw on information they have learned in the previous courses about public health, epidemiology, and disease diagnosis to work through one of two epidemiology studies. In each study students will analyze data to define the outbreak, generate a hypothesis by diagnosing the patients’ symptoms and identifying the disease pathogen, design and analyze an epidemiological study to test the hypothesis, and outline a plan for initiating control and prevention measures. Students will then identify a local, national, or global public health crisis and write a mini-grant proposal, based on the National Institutes of Health grant structure, outlining a plan with intervention strategies. As students work through this problem, they will review evidence analysis, the design process, methodology, and analyze study data to evaluate risk.
Problem Six – Molecular Biology in Action
In this problem students will complete a multi-step, long-term molecular biology experiment. Students will design and work through a protocol to construct and clone recombinant DNA. They will perform DNA ligation and bacterial transformation, as well as restriction analysis of the completed plasmid. Alternatively, students will work through a more in-depth DNA cloning and sequencing project. This laboratory investigation provides students with the opportunity to isolate plant DNA, perform a ligation and bacterial transformation, purify a plasmid, submit DNA for sequencing, and present all work to GenBank, the NIH genetic sequence database, for publication. As students work through either of these projects, they will learn new laboratory skills, practice laboratory troubleshooting techniques, and review proper protocol for research notebook documentation.
Problem Seven – Forensic Autopsy
In this problem students will work as medical experts to work through mysterious death cases. First, as forensic pathologists, students will examine a fetal pig using the same protocol as a human autopsy. Second, students will draw on information they have learned in the previous courses about human body systems to design a fictional death case. Students will showcase the clues left behind in the body and tell the story of how the person died through medical documents, including an autopsy report and medical history forms. Students will finally be tasked with solving another group’s proposed case.
Problem Eight – Independent Project
In this problem students will work independently to determine an area of interest in the biomedical sciences and work on a long-term open-ended problem. Students will use skills learned in the previous courses as well as the previous problems to help them complete their project. Student work will include completing a literature review, writing and carrying out the methodology for their project, analyzing the results, making adjustments as needed, and finally presenting the results of their work to an adult audience. Students may work with mentors or advisors from a university, hospital, physician’s office, or industry partner to help guide them as they complete their work.
Problem One – Design of an Effective Emergency Room
In this problem students apply their knowledge of emergency medical careers, diagnostic testing and patient evaluation, human body systems, and medical interventions to analyze the workings of an emergency room and discuss inefficiencies that may hinder appropriate clinical care. Student teams will work collaboratively to design a more efficient emergency medicine delivery system. As students work through their designs, they will review research methods, practice effective presentation skills, and learn project management techniques.
Problem Two – Exploring Human Physiology
In this problem students build upon what they know about the research process in order to design, conduct, and analyze an experimental study. Students will choose a question relating to one or more body systems that they are interested in studying and will work with a team to investigate and answer that question. As students work through the experimental process, they will review and expand what they know about experimental design, collection of data, statistical analysis of data, and the presentation of data.
Problem Three – Design of a Medical Innovation
In this problem students review the diseases and disorders, as well as the corresponding medical interventions they have investigated in the previous courses, and propose a new or better medical device, pharmaceutical, surgical procedure, or genetic intervention. Students will work with a team to build a prototype, model, or schematic of the intervention as well as develop a marketing plan for the product. As students work through this problem, they will review the design process, complete a literature review, and further practice effective presentation skills
Problem Four – Investigation Environmental Health
In this problem students will explore how substances or chemicals in the environment impact human health. Students will investigate a disease cluster in a fictional family and assess the activities of the individuals for environmental risks. Students will test water samples for the presence of contaminants that could be detrimental to human health and use molecular biology techniques to identify specific microorganisms. Students will explore the field of toxicology and design an experiment to test the effects of a particular chemical and doses of that chemical on plant growth. Students will then compile a comprehensive environmental health profile and action plan for their local area.
Problem Five – Combating a Public Health Issue
In this problem students draw on information they have learned in the previous courses about public health, epidemiology, and disease diagnosis to work through one of two epidemiology studies. In each study students will analyze data to define the outbreak, generate a hypothesis by diagnosing the patients’ symptoms and identifying the disease pathogen, design and analyze an epidemiological study to test the hypothesis, and outline a plan for initiating control and prevention measures. Students will then identify a local, national, or global public health crisis and write a mini-grant proposal, based on the National Institutes of Health grant structure, outlining a plan with intervention strategies. As students work through this problem, they will review evidence analysis, the design process, methodology, and analyze study data to evaluate risk.
Problem Six – Molecular Biology in Action
In this problem students will complete a multi-step, long-term molecular biology experiment. Students will design and work through a protocol to construct and clone recombinant DNA. They will perform DNA ligation and bacterial transformation, as well as restriction analysis of the completed plasmid. Alternatively, students will work through a more in-depth DNA cloning and sequencing project. This laboratory investigation provides students with the opportunity to isolate plant DNA, perform a ligation and bacterial transformation, purify a plasmid, submit DNA for sequencing, and present all work to GenBank, the NIH genetic sequence database, for publication. As students work through either of these projects, they will learn new laboratory skills, practice laboratory troubleshooting techniques, and review proper protocol for research notebook documentation.
Problem Seven – Forensic Autopsy
In this problem students will work as medical experts to work through mysterious death cases. First, as forensic pathologists, students will examine a fetal pig using the same protocol as a human autopsy. Second, students will draw on information they have learned in the previous courses about human body systems to design a fictional death case. Students will showcase the clues left behind in the body and tell the story of how the person died through medical documents, including an autopsy report and medical history forms. Students will finally be tasked with solving another group’s proposed case.
Problem Eight – Independent Project
In this problem students will work independently to determine an area of interest in the biomedical sciences and work on a long-term open-ended problem. Students will use skills learned in the previous courses as well as the previous problems to help them complete their project. Student work will include completing a literature review, writing and carrying out the methodology for their project, analyzing the results, making adjustments as needed, and finally presenting the results of their work to an adult audience. Students may work with mentors or advisors from a university, hospital, physician’s office, or industry partner to help guide them as they complete their work.
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The Chapel Hill – Carrboro Board of Education, therefore the Career and Technical Education Department, prohibits discrimination, harassment, or bullying based on protected classifications that include, but are not limited to, the following: race, creed, color, national origin, gender, gender identity, class, socioeconomics, ethnicity, sexual orientation, cognitive/physical ability, diverse language fluency, religion, status as an English Language Learner, marital status, pregnancy, parenthood, immigration status, genetic makeup, or any classification or characteristic protected by state or federal law or regulation, or by this policy. The Board further prohibits discrimination against a person perceived to have any of the above characteristics or against a person for associating with someone protected by this policy. Individuals who wish to file a discrimination, harassment, and/or Title 9 complaint may call the Civil Rights Compliance Coordinator: Brandy Reeves Chief of Staff and School Leadership [email protected]
Declaración de no discriminación:
La Consejo de Administración de Chapel Hill y Carrboro, por lo tanto, el Departamento de Educación Técnica y Profesional, prohíbe la discriminación, acoso o intimidación basado en clasificaciones protegidas que incluyen, pero no se limitan a, lo siguiente: raza, credo, color, nacionalidad, género, identidad de género, clase, clase socioeconómica, origen étnico, orientación sexual, capacidad cognitiva / física, fluidez lingüística diversa, religión, aprendiz del idioma inglés, estado civil, embarazo, paternidad, estado migratorio, composición genética o cualquier clasificación o característica protegida por la ley o regulación estatal o federal, o por esta política. El Consejo también prohíbe la discriminación contra una persona que se percibe que tiene cualquiera de las características anteriores o contra una persona por asociarse con alguien protegido por esta política. Las personas que deseen presentar una queja por discriminación, acoso y/o Título 9 pueden llamar al Coordinador de Cumplimiento de Derechos Civiles: Brandy Reeves, Jefe de personal y liderazgo escolar, al [email protected]
The Chapel Hill – Carrboro Board of Education, therefore the Career and Technical Education Department, prohibits discrimination, harassment, or bullying based on protected classifications that include, but are not limited to, the following: race, creed, color, national origin, gender, gender identity, class, socioeconomics, ethnicity, sexual orientation, cognitive/physical ability, diverse language fluency, religion, status as an English Language Learner, marital status, pregnancy, parenthood, immigration status, genetic makeup, or any classification or characteristic protected by state or federal law or regulation, or by this policy. The Board further prohibits discrimination against a person perceived to have any of the above characteristics or against a person for associating with someone protected by this policy. Individuals who wish to file a discrimination, harassment, and/or Title 9 complaint may call the Civil Rights Compliance Coordinator: Brandy Reeves Chief of Staff and School Leadership [email protected]
Declaración de no discriminación:
La Consejo de Administración de Chapel Hill y Carrboro, por lo tanto, el Departamento de Educación Técnica y Profesional, prohíbe la discriminación, acoso o intimidación basado en clasificaciones protegidas que incluyen, pero no se limitan a, lo siguiente: raza, credo, color, nacionalidad, género, identidad de género, clase, clase socioeconómica, origen étnico, orientación sexual, capacidad cognitiva / física, fluidez lingüística diversa, religión, aprendiz del idioma inglés, estado civil, embarazo, paternidad, estado migratorio, composición genética o cualquier clasificación o característica protegida por la ley o regulación estatal o federal, o por esta política. El Consejo también prohíbe la discriminación contra una persona que se percibe que tiene cualquiera de las características anteriores o contra una persona por asociarse con alguien protegido por esta política. Las personas que deseen presentar una queja por discriminación, acoso y/o Título 9 pueden llamar al Coordinador de Cumplimiento de Derechos Civiles: Brandy Reeves, Jefe de personal y liderazgo escolar, al [email protected]