Case Studies Lesson

Objectives:

Students will be able to understand case studies and relate them to their project.
Students will be able to identify and understand key vocabulary terms.
Students will be able to connect the case studies to real world application.

TEKS:

Analyze, review, and critique scientific explanations, including hypotheses and theories, as to their strengths and weaknesses using scientific evidence and information

Communicate valid conclusions

Materials:

Case studies
1 medical dictionary per group
Overhead projector
A transparency for each case stud

Engagement:

A volunteer will be asked to come up in front of the class. The class will be told that the volunteer is very sick and is going to answer some questions about her condition so that appropriate action can be taken to help her. A sheet with scripted questions and answers will be given to the volunteer. The teacher will ask the student questions and the student will answer the questions with the information on the sheet. The teacher will write the answers to these questions on the overhead so that the entire class can see them. . After questioning the volunteer, the class will be asked some questions. For example, What just happened? What is this useful for? Do you think that the language used is important? Why? What else can be done to evaluate a person's medical condition?

Expected student responses include: This is useful for figuring out what medical conditions a patient might have. The language is important because lack of communication could result in problems with diagnosis and care. Analysis of blood, urine, stool, and DNA could be used to make medical decisions.

Teacher Does Student Does

Explore:

The students will be working together in their project groups. Each group will receive a different case study to read and understand. Medical dictionaries will be provided. The students are responsible for through the case studies to understand what is going on with the patient. Tell the students to make notes on their case study if necessary. The students will understand that all members of the group must understand their case because each group member needs to present a portion of it. Once finished, the students explain their case study to the class.

Questions:

Does everyone understand what you are expected to do?

The students will work in groups to navigate the case studies. Unfamiliar terms will be looked up. Sometimes the students will ask for certain science concepts to be clarified.

Expected student response:

Yes, we should work in groups to read and understand the case studies. Once finished, we will present our case to the class.

Explain:

Each group will come up to the front of the class and present their case. A transparency of each case will be available so that the entire class can follow along. Each member of the group will be required to read a portion of the case and explain what it means.

Questions:

What does that sentence mean? What does this mean for the patient? What factors could influence these symptoms?

The students will present their case to the class.

Expected student responses:

This means… This could mean ______ for the patient. Factors such as age, diet, etc. could be partially responsible for that.

Extend/Elaborate:

Discuss the importance and relevance of the case studies.

Questions:

Who uses case studies? What are they used for? How important is the language in a case study?

Student responses:

Doctors, nurses, genetic counselors use case studies. They are used to make medical and reproductive decisions. The language is very important. The cases must be written clearly and with the correct vocabulary so that no patients get the wrong treatment or advice.

Wrap-up

The students will be given 5 minutes do write a "minute paper". They will be asked to write on the following two questions. "What is the most important thing you learned today?" and "What questions remain unanswered?"

Example Case Study:

Ellory and Martin had a child together about 4 years ago. Their child, Holly, started suffering from seizures around the age of one. Both parents became worried about their daughter when they noticed that she did not want to be held anymore. She looked as if she was in pain all the time. 2 small bumps were visible just under Holly's skin. Freckles started to appear in Holly's armpits. Holly's parents thought her hyperactivity was just a continuation of her "terrible twos" but it started getting worse. Unlike her older sister, Holly was unable to learn the different noises that various animals make. Worried about Holly's condition, Ellory and Martin took her to the doctor.

The physician examined Holly and wrote up an evaluation. The report stated that Holly had lisch nodules, dermal neurofibromas, and axillary freckling. The doctor asked the couple if there was any history of genetic disorders in the family. Both Ellory and Martin cannot identify any family member who has had a genetic disorder.

The physician told the couple that he was confident he knew what there child had but could not be 100 percent certain without a genetic test. He explained to them that he rarely performs a genetic test for this disorder but would order the test if the couple wanted it done. Ellory and Martin took a day to think about the situation and decided that they want the doctor to go ahead and test their daughter.

The test results indicate that Holly has a mutated gene on chromosome 17. The mutated gene is called NF1. The NF1 gene encodes a protein called neurofibromin. Neurofibromin is 2,818 amino acids long.