Birth Defects: Nature, Nurture, Or Both
This lesson plan is designed to help students differentiate among those kinds of birth defects that are caused by genetic factors, environmental factors, or a combination of the two.
Investigating Birth Defects
In this lesson, students take on the role of epidemiologists and investigate mystery birth defects occurring around their city or town. Students form groups, then research and present information about various birth defects and developmental disabilities to their peers. In the process, they learn about possible causes, treatments, and prevention methods for these birth-related conditions.
Ladies, Have You Taken Your Vitamins Today?
Through research, students become "experts" on topics such as neural tube defects and folic acid. They will teach their classmates in their area of "expertise" and prepare an advertising campaign about what they have learned as a class.
Spina Bifida Incidence Rates
Students will use public health terminology and calculations to examine a case study and determine the risk ratio of factors for children born with spina bifida. In addition, students will research other risk factors using public health technology. This lesson can be used in an elective anatomy class, a healthcare science technology public health course, or a biology class
You Gotta Have Heart: Congenital Heart Defects and Heart Surgery (PDF)
Congenital heart defects are one of the most prevalent types of birth defect and the largest contributor to infant mortality in the United States (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1998). In this lesson students will A) learn heart anatomy by doing an on-line investigation, B) dissect a sheep heart and learn about congenital heart defects, and C) perform “cardiac surgery” to correct a septal defect on a sheep heart. The target age group for this lesson plan is students in the 11th or 12th grade.
Causes of Birth Defects: An Epidemiological Mystery (PDF)
In this lesson students will be presented with a problem – a cluster of unexplained neural tube birth defects are occurring in a town. Students will take on different roles (physician, parent, epidemiologist, lab technician, etc.) to investigate possible causes of the increased occurrence of birth defects, and then use the evidence gathered to propose the most probable cause. The focus of the lesson is to better understand the process of investigating a scientific problem and the many risk factors associated with birth defects.
Graphing Gastroschisis
After being introduced to the birth defects gastroschisis, students learn how to analyze descriptive data about gastroschisis and practice transforming those data into three types of graphs (pie graph, bar graphs, line graphs).
Spina Bifida: A Birth Defect of the Nervous System
Students gather information about the neural tube defect (NTD) spina bifida and demonstrate their understanding by producing a pamphlet that would be given to women who could become pregnant.
Scientific Investigator on Birth Defects
Upon completing the research on the definition of the birth defect gastroschisis, the possible causes of gastroschisis, who is most affected by gastroschisis, and the geographic distribution of those affected, students will analyze and graph the data found. Finally, the students will draw conclusions based on the data and the graphs.
Symposium on Pyloric Stenosis
This lesson enables the students to learn first hand about the impact of pyloric stenosis on newborn infants.
What Causes Gastroschisis?
This anatomy lesson will allow students to experience a case control study of gastroschisis incidence. The students will biologically test simulated samples for possible risk factors of gastroschisis, analyze their data, and attempt to determine the cause(s) of gastroschisis.
