We took out our Lab Quest Minis, Logger Pro software and Hand Grip Heart Rate Monitors in order to play around with heart rate a bit.  Students learned how to use the probes and then designed their own experiments to test how their variable of choice affects heart rate.  This year my students were creative!  Some of the more creative ideas included:

• What is the effect of different types of music on heart rate?
• What is the effect of standing on your head on heart rate?
• What is the effect of watching a startling video on heart rate?
• What is the effect of standing in the cold on heart rate?
• What is the effect of placing your feet in ice water on heart rate?
• What is the effect of holding your breath on heart rate?

   
Students completed an experimental design for their question that required them to write their own procedure.  To conclude the activity they wrote their first formal lab report of the program.

I thought I would share my student's updated evidence boards.  We have been tracking Anna's evidence, medical history, autopsy reports and family history throughout the semester. Just a few more weeks until we figure out what caused Anna's death.

Poor Anna!  After reviewing Anna's medical history, students had reason to believe she could have Familial Hypercholesterolemia (FH).  In order to test Anna for FH, we completed DNA testing on her (and a number of her family members.)  Students reviewed many molecular biology techniques to prepare for our first real experiences with genetic testing.  This lab is heavy in lab techniques.  The students learned how to make their own agarose gels to use during testing and practiced using micropipetters.  The process of gel electrophoresis was new to everyone.  Several student groups realized just how important attention to detail is when trying to achieve quality results.

Students used their results to diagnose Anna and four other members of her family.  They created a pedigree and predicted the genotypes of the untested family members.  We had great results this year!  I love being able to expose my students to lab techniques that they don't see in their home high schools!

First of all, from a teacher perspective, this class is challenging to teach.  I find that I spend a lot of time (hours, really) prepping for upcoming activities and labs and grading what seems like an infinite amount of conclusion questions.  Don't get me wrong, I love teaching (specifically PLTW classes), but this time of the year can begin to wear on both the teacher and the students. I try to collect informal feedback from my students several times a semester and thought it might be nice to share some of their thoughts on the blog.

I asked some simple questions, such as: What are your thoughts on the class?  What do you like?  What do you dislike? Would you change anything? etc.

Here are a few of the responses I received this week:

• "I love this class.  I enjoy being around everyone and get along great.  I really enjoy the wet labs, especially the dissection.  There really isn't anything I dislike about this class.  I wouldn't change anything."
• "I feel that the class is hands on and I hardly ever lose attention because the material is so interesting."
• "I am really glad I got to be a part of this class.  I really love the kids and new people I got to meet.  The experiences I got and will get to have are amazing.  I love that everything is hands on an independent.  The new lessons every day can get overwhelming, but it's understandable.  I really do enjoy coming everyday to learn something new."
• "I love the class.  I like that it's not simply notes and tests, but a lot of hands-on projects and assignments.  It makes me feel like I am really getting ready for real life, not simply learning useless information.  I can't really think of anything to change - the pace is great, too."
• "I really enjoy coming to this class everyday.  I like that we are always doing something new.  I feel like I learn a lot in this class and that it's stuff I will use in the future."
• "I really like the pace of the class and feel like I learn way more here than at school.  How fast things are graded I also like.  I really don't dislike anything about the class."
• "I like the class a lot.  It has influenced me to look at more science based careers, and it has helped me to better understand systems of the body.  I think there should be more labs and less projects.  It also has made me more aware of my own personal health."
• "I really enjoy this class.  Telling others and my family what I get to do in here is always fun.  I dislike that everything is still based around Anna."
• "I love this class.  I feel like we get to do a lot of cool things that we wouldn't get to do at our high school.  I like how the curriculum is based online and we do a lot of the learning ourselves, it's more of a college feel."

I did get some good feedback regarding some recent content that a few students struggled with and have supplemented that lesson with a little more direct instruction.  I hope our recruiter can use some of my students' quotes during her high school visits.  PLTW Biomedical Sciences really is a great program that exposes students to so much more than just basic biology content.  Thankful and blessed to have a job (and students) that I love!

The long awaited heart dissection day finally arrived!  My students have been looking forward to the day all semester. For many of them this is the first dissection they have ever done.  Students labeled the external features of the heart prior to the internal dissection.  Monday we will have a lab practical quiz over the structures of the heart.

Today we continued working on the path of blood through the heart.  The class formed two big groups and brainstormed a way to represent the heart, valves, major vessels, blood cells and the lungs in a giant walk through heart.  Each student in the group had to walk (and talk their way) through the heart.  I enjoyed some of the creativity they exhibited given the fact they only had about 15 minutes to pull their walk through heart together.  We spent the rest of the hour learning more about poor Anna and her additional health problems.  We also looked at an artery and vein under the microscope.  We are gearing up for our first dissection - it's finally here!  Tomorrow is the big dissection day!  

New unit!  Today we started the "Heart" unit.  The whole purpose of today was to introduce students to the path of blood through the heart.  We made "Heart Boxes" to represent the path of blood throughout the heart and circulation. Although these boxes aren't anatomically correct, they do a great job at making the students think about how blood gets from one part of the heart to another.  We will learn all about the actual anatomy of the heart in the days to come.

Students learned about Henrietta Lacks and her cells today.  (HeLa Cells)  As a class we discussed the origin of the cells and how they came to be in our classroom.  During the lab students learned how to use micripipetters, stain slides, create permanent slides and use oil immersion.  Afterwards we discussed some medical ethics regarding if you have the right to sell your tissues or cells for a profit.  Although this lab is optional this year, it was a great use of a day when many schools were out of session!

The HOSA Leadership Team planned a kickoff for HOSA Week called, "A Look into Health Careers."  This evening involved pizza, guest speakers and a special lab activity.  Our guest speakers were awesome and the students who attended got a lot our of their insight.  A huge thank you goes out to the folks at Amedisys for taking time out to talk with our high school students.  The lab activity involved HeLa cells and learning to use several new lab techniques including the use of micropipetters and oil immersion microscope work.

Today students used paper chromosomes to model mitosis and meiosis.  Next we used chromosome 11 and the sex chromosomes to generate some children.  We collected experimental data regarding the offspring's genotypes and phenotypes for three different diseases - both recessive and dominant.  Later in the unit we will use our experimental results to compare to the predicted genetic outcomes one would expect to see.