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Teacher's Guide
"Babies and Birth Defects: A Mystery in Texas"
is an educational module designed to teach middle
school and high school students about epidemiology,
neural tube birth defects, and folic acid. First,
the students learn the vocabulary for the module.
Then, an actual epidemiologic case is introduced in
which three babies are born with anencephaly, a
severe and fatal neural tube birth defect. The
students learn about the scientific method and
epidemiology as they follow the steps scientists
used to investigate the problem. Epidemiology
incorporates math and science. Related topics
include medicine, psychology, behavioral science,
and nutrition. Research and information about the
B-vitamin folic acid is introduced. Folic acid can
prevent 50%-70% of neural tube birth defects. This
case mystery was an actual event (click here to see
Headlines). However, details have been modified and
simplified for teaching purposes. You could bring
these lessons to life using music, drama, cooking,
and letter writing.
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Lesson 1. Introduction and Vocabulary
(20 minutes) |
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Lesson 6. Folic Acid
Information (40 minutes or 2 sessions 20 minutes each) |
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Lesson 2. Case
Description (20 minutes) |
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Going Beyond--Ideas to
Integrate |
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Lesson 3.
Scientific Method (15 minutes)
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Other Birth
Defects-Related Websites |
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Lesson 4.
Scientific Investigation (35 minutes) |
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Summary Quiz |
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Lesson 5. Folic
Acid Epidemiology Studies (20 minutes) |
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References |
Within
each module are hyperlinks to documents that can be printed to
create overhead transparencies for the class. Click here
to print overhead transparencies and to view the documents that will be used
for the lessons. Before implementing the module, look at
Going Beyond--Ideas to Integrate for more activity suggestions.
Curriculum Objectives
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Utilize inquiry-based learning in the classroom
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Apply basic principles and methods of epidemiology
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Use vocabulary for epidemiology and neural tube defects
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Recognize the terms and meanings of folic acid, neural tube defect,
anencephaly, and spina bifida by responding correctly on post test
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Compute and interpret relative risk of folic acid study example
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Identify risk factors for neural tube
defects
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Explain why women who could get pregnant should take folic acid every
day
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List sources of the B-vitamin folic acid
Date: September 1, 2006
Content source: National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental
Disabilities
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