PLTW Biomedical Innovations
WHS PLTW Biomedical Innovations
In the final course of the PLTW Biomedical Science sequence, students build on the knowledge and skills gained from previous courses to design innovative solutions for the most pressing health challenges of the 21st century. Students address topics ranging from public health and biomedical engineering to clinical medicine and physiology. They have the opportunity to work on an independent project with a mentor or advisor from a university, medical facility, or research institution.
Unit
1: Emergency Room Design
2: Exploring Human Physiology
3: Forensic Autopsy
4: Investigating Environmental Health
5: Independent Project
Time-frame
Sept-Oct
Nov-Dec
Jan-Feb
March-April
May
Driving Questions
- What are the top health-related challenges of the 21st century?
- What process do biomedical scientists follow to solve a problem in health, medicine, or science?
- How can you determine whether the information presented on a website is accurate and credible?
- What factors must be considered when designing and delivering an oral or visual presentation?
- What factors are considered in the triage of patients in an emergency room?
- How can the innovative design of an emergency room help improve the quality and timeliness of medical care?
- How do scientists design research studies to find the most accurate answer to the question they are asking?
- How can statistics be used to manipulate data?
- How do research results presented in the popular media differ from research results presented in scientific
- literature?
- How do scientists use statistical analyses to draw meaningful conclusions from experimental results?
- Why are size measurements and weights of organs recorded during an autopsy?
- 7.2 What clues left behind in the body tell the story of how a person died?
- How does the environment affect human health?
- Why is it important to routinely test water that is used for drinking or recreational purposes?
- What factors affect how individuals respond to a given toxin?
- How can individuals alter their lifestyle to limit human impact on the environment?
- How might a study of trends in health in a particular community identify potential environmental contaminants?
- What should a scientist or medical professional consider before designing and running a biomedical science investigation?
- How might a visual model, such as a Gantt chart, assist in project management?
- Why is it important to document all work when completing a project?
Major Learning Experiences from Unit
- ER Field Trip
- Research
- Source Evaluation
- Design & Present Emergency Room Design
- Scientific Research
- Science and the Media
- Statistical Tests
- Independent Experiments
- Scientific Poster Presentations
- Dissection
- Autopsy Reports
- Determining Cause of Death
- Local Environmental Exposures Activity
- Water Contamination Testing
- Dose Response Activity
- Waltham’s Environmental Profile
- Independent investigations and presentations