High School, Human Biology & Health Projects, Lessons, Activities (Page 6)

Deep Knee Bends: Measuring Knee Stress with a Mechanical Model

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

Are you interested in things like prosthetic limbs and artificial joints that can help people with disease or injury to lead a normal life? Or maybe you're interested in sports medicine or physical therapy? Either way, this project could be a good match for you. Find out how the tension on the knee joint changes as a function of angle by building a simple mechanical model. Read more

DIY Face Mask

STEM Activity

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To slow the spread of COVID-19, the CDC recommends wearing a mask or cloth face covering—particularly in places where it is impossible to maintain social distancing (staying at least 6 feet away from others). This recommendation is for everyone age two or older (children under the age of two should not wear masks). Many instructions to make your own mask are available online. This activity will help you think through the process of designing and making a mask as an engineering problem.… Read more

How Can Vaccines Be Used to Fight Outbreaks?

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

Stopping a viral outbreak like COVID-19 takes more than luck, it takes public health tools. Vaccines are considered to be one of the best public health tools, which is why there is often a rush to develop good vaccines for newly discovered viruses, particularly those that have the potential to infect lots of people. Recent examples include COVID-19, Zika virus, and Ebola. If enough people are vaccinated, an effective vaccine can help stop outbreaks or even eradicate (completely get rid of) a… Read more

How R Naught (R₀) Shapes an Epidemic

Lesson Plan Grade: 6th-12th

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What is R naught (R₀), what factors influence it, and how does it shape the infection curves of an epidemic? Students will explore these questions and more in this lesson plan. They will then use SimPandemic, a free online tool, to model what a COVID-19 outbreak looks like in communities with different R₀ values. Remote learning adaptation: This lesson plan can be conducted remotely. Students can work independently on the Explore section of the lesson plan using the Student… Read more

NGSS Performance Expectations:

MS-LS2-4. Construct an argument supported by empirical evidence that changes to physical or biological components of an ecosystem affect populations.
HS-LS2-8. Evaluate evidence for the role of group behavior on individual and species' chances to survive and reproduce.

Immunotherapy: How Antibodies Can Be Used to Treat Diseases

Lesson Plan Grade: 8th-12th

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In this lesson, students will do a series of activities to explore the role of antibodies in our immune system. They will also investigate how doctors use monoclonal antibodies as part of immunotherapy to treat diseases like cancer. Read more

Model How R naught (R₀) Shapes an Epidemic

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

Even during a global pandemic like COVID-19, there are differences in how the epidemic unfolds within communities. Some communities see early, large waves of infected individuals, while others see smaller numbers of infections over a longer period of time, and others may not appear to have an epidemic at all. Could R₀ (pronounced R naught), account for some of this variation? R₀, the basic reproduction number of a disease, quantifies how many people, on average, an infected… Read more

Modeling Biologic Manufacturing

Lesson Plan Grade: 6th-9th

In this lesson plan, students will model the complex biologic manufacturing process. First, they will model the cellular expansion process that occurs in a bioreactor. Then, students will lyse the cells to isolate the proteins from the dyed cell debris. Lastly, they will model the advanced filtration process to purify proteins so they can be used as medicines. Read more

NGSS Performance Expectations:

MS-LS1-2. Develop and use a model to describe the function of a cell as a whole and ways the parts of cells contribute to the function.

Testing Gait Symmetry with Uneven Loads

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

The way humans walk—our gait—is usually fairly symmetrical. Each step we take with the left foot is similar in length and timing to the step with the right foot. This symmetry makes walking efficient and reduces stress on the muscles and joints. But what happens when the body is challenged by an uneven load, such as carrying groceries in one hand or holding a backpack on one shoulder? Biomechanics research shows that unequal weight distribution can disrupt gait symmetry, forcing one… Read more

Under Pressure: Does a Child's Blood Pressure Depend on His or Her Age?

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

Every time you go to the doctor's office, the nurse measures your blood pressure. But why does he or she do this? What does your blood pressure tell your doctor about your health? And what exactly is blood pressure? In this life science project, you will learn about blood pressure and what causes it. You will even learn how to take blood pressure readings. Once you learn this skill, you will test a population of children and determine if blood pressure depends upon a child's age. Read more

Using Vaccines to Fight Outbreaks

Lesson Plan Grade: 6th-12th

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What exactly is a vaccine? Can vaccines prevent outbreaks? How effective does a vaccine need to be to help a population during an outbreak? Students will explore these questions and more in this lesson plan by first learning the biology behind vaccines. They will then use SimPandemic, a free online tool, to model different vaccine parameters to understand how vaccines affect both individuals and populations during a COVID-19 outbreak. Remote learning adaptation: This lesson plan can be… Read more

NGSS Performance Expectations:

MS-LS2-1. Analyze and interpret data to provide evidence for the effects of resource availability on organisms and populations of organisms in an ecosystem.
MS-LS2-4. Construct an argument supported by empirical evidence that changes to physical or biological components of an ecosystem affect populations.
HS-LS2-8. Evaluate evidence for the role of group behavior on individual and species' chances to survive and reproduce.

High School, Human Biology & Health Projects, Lessons, Activities (61 results)

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