Science Curriculum Preview Committee Clarification of Learning Results

Revised 04/08/04

5-8

C4: Identify the causes and effects of diseases, explain their transmission, and identify prevention strategies.

Curriculum Organizing Questions

  • How do vaccines help people to stay healthy?
  • What structure or system is involved in this disease?
  • What are some ways to help people to not get sick?
  • Why is it important to have environmental monitoring programs?
  • What role do white blood cells play in your body's defense system?
  • What can you do to keep from getting this disease?
  • What are the factors that help determine how many calories your body needs each day?
  • Why are there laws prohibiting students from smoking tobacco products?
  • What good health habits does your family practice?
Elaboration

To stay in good operating condition, the human body requires a variety of foods and experiences. Specifics of diseases can be used to illustrate the following ideas, but students should not be forced to memorize a list of diseases.

Specific Ideas

  • The amount of food energy (calories) a person requires varies with body weight, age, sex, activity level, and natural body efficiency. Eating more calories than are needed can cause weight gain. Benchmarks 6E1
  • Regular exercise is important to maintain a healthy heart / lung system, good muscle tone, and bone strength. Benchmarks 6E1
  • Toxic substances, some dietary habits, and some personal behavior may be bad for one's health. Some effects how up right away, others may not show up for years. Avoiding toxic substances, such as tobacco, and changing dietary habits to reduce the intake of such things as animal fat increases the chances of living longer. Benchmarks 6E2
  • Viruses, bacteria, fungi, and parasites may infect the human body and interfere with normal body functions. A person can catch a cold many times because there are many varieties of cold viruses that cause similar symptoms. Benchmarks 6E3
  • White blood cells engulf invaders or produce antibodies that attack them or mark them for killing by other white cells. The antibodies produced will remain and can fight off subsequent invaders of the same kind. Benchmarks 6E4
  • The environment may contain dangerous levels of substances that are harmful to human beings. Therefore, the good health of individuals requires monitoring the soil, air, and water and taking steps to keep them safe. Benchmarks 6E5
  • Sanitation measures such as the use of sewers, landfills, quarantines, and safe food handling are important in controlling the spread of organisms that cause disease. Improving sanitation has contributed more to saving human life than any advance in medical treatment. Benchmarks 8F1
  • Disease is a breakdown in structures or functions of an organism. Some diseases are the result of intrinsic failures of the system. Others are the result of damage by infection by other organisms. NSES C1f
  • Vaccines induce the body to build immunity to a disease without actually causing the disease itself. Benchmarks 10I3
Developmental & Instructional Implications

Students usually know about the marvels of modern treatments, but not preventions, such as, sewer systems. Because the health of populations depends more on public health measures than on treatment, an effort should be made to interest students in prevention, vaccination, and other public health measures. Benchmarks p.206

Students focus on the physical dimensions of health and pay less attention to the mental and social dimensions. Wrong ideas about health may derive from cultural knowledge. Benchmarks p. 346

Students may feel many factors are outside of their control. Benchmarks p. 346

There are lots of ideas in this indicator. Breaking it into smaller sections will be important.

Examples

Back to Big Ideas Grid C
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