Lesson Plans : Healthy Choices
Cell Development Pathways
Friday, August 2nd, 2013
Estimated Lesson Duration: 30 minutes Overview: As a class, students role-play as individual developing cells in an embryo to understand how cells in a human body have the same DNA, yet through epigenetics become specialized and take on a unique epigenetic profile. Big Understanding: The changing epigenome informs gene expression in a cell. As an embryo develops, signals received over time causes increasing changes in gene expressions. Epigenetic markers create further changes in the genes expressions as the markers shut down some genes and activates others nudging a cell toward its final destiny. The epigenetic profiles of each cell grow…
Grade Levels: Elementary, Middle School
Subjects: Language Arts, Science
Key Concepts: Epigenetics and Development, Healthy Choices
Epigenetics IQ
Friday, August 2nd, 2013
Estimated Lesson Duration: 15 minutes Overview: Students test their knowledge and understanding of epigenetics by answering 18 true and false questions. Big Understanding: The epigenome is a set of chemical switches and markers that influence gene expression. Diet, environmental stressors, physical activity, and exposure to toxins can activate these chemical switches that regulate gene expression without changing the underline genetic code. Epigenetics is the study of changes in gene activity that do not involve changes to the genetic code. Key Concepts and Standards: Key Concepts: Introduction the topic and brand new field of epigenetics Standards: Download the summary sheet about how…
Grade Levels: Elementary, High School, Middle School
Subjects: Health, Science
Key Concepts: Epigenetics and Development, Healthy Choices
Diverging Twins
Friday, August 2nd, 2013
Estimated Lesson Duration: 45 minutes Overview Introduce students to epigenetics and how an individual’s genome responds to his or her environment. Big Understanding: The epigenome is a set of chemical switches and markers that influence gene expression. Diet, environmental stressors, physical activity, and exposure to toxins can activate these chemical switches that regulate gene expression without changing the underline genetic code. Epigenetics is the study of changes in gene activity that do not involve changes to the genetic code. Essential Questions: Identical twins are genetic carbon copies, meaning their DNA sequencing is the same. Yet physically they become increasingly different…
Grade Levels: Elementary, High School, Middle School
Subjects: Health, Science
Key Concepts: Epigenetics and Development, Healthy Choices
Dutch Hunger Winter
Friday, August 2nd, 2013
Estimated Lesson Duration: 1 class period Overview: The Dutch Hunger Winter took place in the Netherlands at the end of World War II, November 1944 to the spring of 1945. The survivors were a well-defined group of people, who suffered just one period of malnutrition at exactly the same time. The immediate and long-term effects of this famine were completely unexpected to scientists. Students will learn about the immediate and long-term epigenetic effects of the Dutch Hunger Winter. Students will read and create an epigenetic pedigree chart. Students will learn how healthy and unhealthy choices can affect the epigenome. Key Concepts…
Grade Levels: High School, Middle School
Subjects: Health, Language Arts, Science, Social Studies
Key Concepts: Advocacy, Epigenetics and Development, Healthy Choices
Your Baby’s Genome, Epigenome and More
Friday, August 2nd, 2013
Estimated Lesson Duration: 2-3 class periods Overview: Students learn how genes are passed down from parents to child; how genes determine traits, and how environmental factors affect the expression of the genome. This lesson begins with the Desert Vista High School Genotype to Phenotype Simulation Booklet and once the students have selected their baby’s genome they will add a layer of epigenetics onto their baby’s DNA and draw the resulting adult. Background: The epigenome is a layer of markers that are placed on, or taken off of, your DNA when you’re exposed to certain environmental factors. Your DNA is set…
Grade Levels: Middle School
Subjects: Art, Health, Language Arts, Science, Social Studies
Key Concepts: Epigenetics and Development, Healthy Choices
Data Analysis and Action Plan – That’s not just a number, that’s me!
Tuesday, June 18th, 2013
Estimated Lesson Duration: 3 days Overview: Small groups briefly research a health problem to understand causes, measurement and risk. Each group then analyzes related data from the Let’s Get Healthy! fair and identifies areas to be flagged for risk. Groups list variables that will affect health outcomes and present their findings. Key Concepts and Standards: Key Concepts: Cause, measurement, risk, analyze, research, presentation Standards: Download the briefing sheet about how this lesson meets standards (.docx) The standards listed were identified using key concepts from each individual lesson. These key concepts were aligned with the specific Oregon State Standards, Common…
Grade Levels: Elementary, Middle School
Subjects: Health, Language Arts, Physical Education, Social Studies, Technology
Key Concepts: Advocacy, Healthy Choices, Using Data
Applying “Project Citizen” to Let’s Get Healthy!
Tuesday, June 18th, 2013
Estimated Lesson Duration: Varies with level and resolution. Students focusing on identifying an individual goal and writing it up as a S.M.A.R.T. Goal will take about 45 minutes. Project Citizen will require a more extended commitment of time to complete all six steps and to present final portfolio(s) to a governing body whether that is a school's administration, school board, local city council or state legislative committee. Overview: Project Citizen, a program co-sponsored by the Center for Civic Education, is a curriculum where students learn how to influence public policy by studying problems in their own community. It is designed…
Grade Levels: High School, Middle School
Subjects: Health, Language Arts, Math, Physical Education, Science, Social Studies, Technology
Key Concepts: Advocacy, Healthy Choices, Using Data
Student Advocacy for Healthy Schools
Tuesday, June 18th, 2013
Students explore how various health factors affect their ability to learn. Then, discuss changes to school policy and how those proposed changes would affect various stakeholders in an educational community as part of simulated public meetings. Student Advocacy for Healthy Schools Estimated Lesson Duration: 5 classes Overview Students will learn how health factors, such as sleep and diet, affect their ability to learn. Students will compare general information with specific data from their age set and assess the degree to which their school supports student health. Using this information, students will consider changes to school policy and determine…
Grade Levels: High School, Middle School
Subjects: Health, Language Arts, Science, Social Studies
Key Concepts: Advocacy, Healthy Choices, Using Data
Who did it? – John Doe vs Coronary Heart Disease
Tuesday, June 18th, 2013
Estimated Lesson Duration: 90 minutes Overview: This role play begins with the premise that John Doe died from a heart attack brought on by coronary heart disease. Who and/or what was responsible for this heart attack? This is the question students confront as they evaluate the major risk factors. Key Concepts and Standards: Key Concepts: Unhealthy choices can negatively impact our health and result in disease later in life. Key terms: Unhealthy diet, overweight, high blood pressure, cholesterol, diabetes, coronary, heart disease, coronary artery disease, heart muscle, heart attack, mock trial, saturated fat, trans fat, LDL, sodium, obesity…
Grade Levels: Middle School
Subjects: Health, Social Studies
Key Concepts: Healthy Choices
Interpreting Maps – An Exploration of Health Trends in the United States
Tuesday, June 18th, 2013
Estimated Lesson Duration: 90 minutes Overview: Students will use their powers of observation to analyze data from the Center of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The data will be in the form of maps and tables. Students learn to interpret maps to discover the rate of change of obesity, diabetes and other chronic diseases. They can play the role of detective to detect similar trends among health issues. Key Concepts and Standards: Key Concepts: Analyze, data, center for disease control, map, inferences, thesis Standards: OR.SS.8.27 Examine the various characteristics, causes, and effects of an event, issue, or problem. OR.SS.8.28 Investigate a…
Grade Levels: High School, Middle School
Subjects: Health, Language Arts, Science, Social Studies
Key Concepts: Healthy Choices, Using Data
