Students explore Hooke's law while working in small groups at their lab benches. They collect displacement data for springs with unknown spring constants, k, by adding various masses of known weight. After exploring Hooke's law and answering a series of application questions, students apply their new understanding to explore a tissue of known surface area. Students then use the necessary relationships to depict a cancerous tumor amidst normal tissue by creating a graph in Microsoft Excel.

This 13-minute video lecture provides an introduction to what cancer is and how it is the by-product of broken DNA replication. [Biology playlist: Lesson 13 of 71].

BioAlive has science videos and interactives for middle years to high school. Many other supports (tutorials, science vocabulary, etc.) are available in this online resource. It is free and does not require a login. Teachers may want link specific videos/interactives that they want students to use, as there is a lot in this resource and it may be overwhelming for students.

Biology & Life Science Animations topics include:
Anatomy, Archaeology, Biochemistry, Biodiversity, Biological Clocks, Biology, Cancer, Cardiovascular, Cell Biology, Chemistry, DNA/RNA, Ecology/Evolution, Genetics/Genomics, Infectious Diseases, Immunology, Medical/Medicine, Microbiology, Molecular Biology, Nanotechnology, Neuroscience, Obesity, Pharmacology, Physiology, Plant Biology, Sex Determination, Stem Cell, Virology

In this lesson, students continue their education on cells in the human body. They discuss stem cells and how engineers are involved in the research of stem cell behavior. They learn about possible applications of stem cell research and associated technologies, such as fluorescent dyes for tracking the replication of specific cells.

Students learn about biomedical engineering while designing, building and testing prototype surgical tools to treat cancer. Students also learn that if cancer cells are not removed quickly enough during testing, a cancerous tumor may grow exponentially and become more challenging to eliminate. Students practice iterative design as they improve their surgical tools during the activity.

Students are introduced to the unit challenge: To develop a painless means of identifying cancerous tumors. Solving the challenge depends on an understanding of the properties of stress and strain. After learning the challenge question, students generate ideas and consider the knowledge required to solve the challenge. Then they read an expert's opinion on ultrasound imaging and the potentials for detecting cancerous tumors. This interview helps to direct student research and learning towards finding a solution.

The CLS provides educational resources for middle and senior years teachers across Canada that relate to curriculum. Resources in the following topics have been developed: Light and Optics; Science and Society; Physical Sciences; Earth Sciences; Health Sciences; Chemistry; Physics; Biology.

Student teams learn about engineering design of green fluorescent proteins (GFPs) and their use in medical research, including stem cell research. They simulate the use of GFPs by adding fluorescent dye to water and letting a flower or plant to transport the dye throughout its structure. Students apply their knowledge of GFPs to engineering applications in the medical, environmental and space exploration fields. Due to the fluorescing nature of the dye, plant life of any color, light or dark, can be used unlike dyes that can only be seen in visible light.

This video lesson is on the details of cancer cell growth. How do cancer cells grow? How does chemotherapy fight cancer (and cause negative side effects)? The answers lie in cell division. George Zaidan explains how rapid cell division is cancer壽猻 "strength" -- and also its weakness.

CASE STUDY OVERVIEW
Jiao is a sixteen year old with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL). Explore the science and issues surrounding stem cell donations and transplants in Jiao’s Case. Action 2 and Consolidation 2 and 3 are optional.

Suggested Timing: 3-6 class periods plus time outside of class

Includes teacher and student resources.

During this activity, students will be introduced to the concepts of the challenge. They will generate ideas for solving the grand challenge first independently, then in small groups. Finally, as a class, students will compile their ideas with a visual as a learning supplement.

Students learn about the biomedical use of nanoparticles in the detection and treatment of cancer, including the use of quantum dots and lasers that heat-activate nanoparticles. They also learn about electrophoresis a laboratory procedure that uses an electric field to move tiny particles through a channel in order to separate them by size. They complete an online virtual mini-lab, with accompanying worksheet, to better understand gel electrophoresis. This prepares them for the associated activity to write draft research proposals to use nanoparticles to protect against, detect or treat skin cancer.

This lesson culminates the unit with the Go Public phase of the legacy cycle. In the associated activity, students depict a tumor amidst healthy body tissue using a Microsoft Excel® graph. In addition, students design a brochure for both patients and doctors advertising a new form of painless yet reliable breast cancer detection. Together, the in-class activity and the take-home assignment function as an assessment of what students have learned throughout the unit.

Students are introduced to the physical concept of the colors of rainbows as light energy in the form of waves with distinct wavelengths, but in a different manner than traditional kaleidoscopes. Looking at different quantum dot solutions, they make observations and measurements, and graph their data. They come to understand how nanoparticles interact with absorbing photons to produce colors. They learn the dependence of particle size and color wavelength and learn about real-world applications for using these colorful liquids.

This EPA fact sheet provides easy-to-understand information about air pollution and how it affects human health. Topics include health risks, exposure assessment, dose-response relationships, risk assessment, and risk characterization. Simple diagrams and pictures support the text.

Saskatchewan’s Health Science 20 Program of Studies (2015) includes a Unit on Diagnostics and Treatment. The following CurioCity educator resources can help you address outcomes from that Unit:

Case Studies:
- Andre's Case: Diabetes and Stem Cells

Articles with Starting Points:
- Angelina’s choice: A double mastectomy to prevent breast cancer
- Celiac disease: When you really need to stay gluten-free

Saskatchewan’s Health Science 20 Program of Studies (2015) includes a Unit on Health Care Philosophies and Ethics. The following CurioCity educator resources can help you address outcomes from that Unit:

Case Studies:
- Andre's Case: Diabetes and Stem Cells

Articles with Starting Points:
- Is natural best?
- Angelina’s choice: A double mastectomy to prevent breast cancer
- Vaccines and autism: Evaluating evidence
- Regenerative Medicine in the News: A Windpipe for Hannah

Saskatchewan’s Science 9 Program of Studies includes a Unit on Reproduction and Human Development. The following CurioCity resources can help you address outcomes from that unit:

- Articles(76)
- Backgrounders(12)
- Career Profiles(13) Events(1)
- Educator Resources(2)
- Hot Topics(3)
- Questions And Answers(35)
- Research Profiles(1)
- Student Projects(4)
- Videos(60)

Through this concluding lesson and its associated activity, students experience one valuable and often overlooked skill of successful scientists and engineers communicating your work and ideas. They explore the importance of scientific communication, including the basic, essential elements of communicating new information to the public and pitfalls to avoid. In the associated activity, student groups create posters depicting their solutions to the unit's challenge question accurate, efficient methods for detecting cancer-causing genes using optical biosensors which includes providing a specific example with relevant equations. Students are also individually assessed on their understanding of refraction via a short quiz. This lesson and its associated activity conclude the unit and serve as the culminating Go Public phase of the Legacy Cycle, providing unit review and summative assessment.