Background Information for Teachers
The National Science Education Standards do not advocate teaching human body systems by fragmentation, or by studying each system in isolation. However, a certain degree of that is needed in order to comprehend certain components. The important thing for teachers to keep in mind is that after some study of isolated parts, they must facilitate student comprehension of a holistic, conceptual understanding of the systems' coordinated operations with each other, both within and between taxa, via comparative anatomy for example.
In addition, our understandings of the malfunctions and diseases of body systems and the technologies used to correct malfunctions are important to students’ comprehension of the personal and social implications of these technologies. Resources provided in this section are meant to arm you with the background information you need to be able to facilitate student understanding of these issues related to body systems.
This award-winning commercial site has a page devoted to each of 10 different body systems. Each page consists of an interactive illustration of the body system, which the user can roll over to find additional information regarding the organs. Thus, the entire system can be visualized, as well as each organ within the system. In addition to using this site for your own content knowledge, you may find yourself using parts of the site for whole-class presentations, or assigning students to visit specific pages.
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These video clips accompany an undergraduate course in zoology and demonstrate cat-dissection techniques. At the end of each clip, the frame freezes and pertinent body parts are labeled. You may find them helpful if you choose to have a specimen on hand for demonstration purposes.
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This page has links to an ethics primer, lessons, and additional resources. The primer will position you well to include a lesson on bioethics as related to the use of some technologies designed to enhance body system functions. Free registration is required.
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The epidemic of American obesity and an increase in frequency of these surgeries make study of weight-loss surgeries, the related technologies, and affective issues an appropriate piece in a unit on the digestive system. This page from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) provides links to a variety of resources that will help you get the facts. There are videos of gastric by-pass and lap-band surgery, and links to articles for the layperson under Latest News.
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Many of your students’ parents have had this surgery and perhaps even some of your students. Learning about LASIK surgery is a logical extension to a study of the organs of our sensory system. This tutorial is a link from a more comprehensive page, also from the National Institutes of Health, and has three options for the viewer: presentation with questions, without questions, or text version.
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This concise article is appropriate for students too. It provides a nice segue into a discussion of the pros and cons of technology. Though the artificial heart prolongs life, what can be said regarding the quality of that life? Should technology be used just because it's there? Does Jarvik's artificial heart have value beyond the obvious?
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Some your students or their family members may be currently using or considering use of the insulin pump to control their diabetes. You can help your students gain an understanding of how the pump works in relation to the rest of the digestive system. This article from the American Diabetes Association provides comprehensive information.
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This page from a comprehensive online biology text contains an evolutionary history of animal groups with detailed information, illustrations, and photographs on Phyla Echinodermata; Hemichordata; Chordata; Subphylum Vertebrata; Classes Chondrichthyes; Osteichthyes; Amphibia; Reptilia; Aves; and Mammalia, among others! The classes can be compared for their major anatomical differences and discussed in the context of function and ecology. For a narrower focus, compare some representative mammals only.
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In other Middle School Portal publications, we have highlighted useful resources relevant to the present publication's goals. The next two resources listed here point you to those pages. They contain lessons and activities for use with students, but most of the resources also contain background information for teachers.
"Living systems" is a broad term. The National Science Education Standards include study into the organization of living systems, which most people equate to cells, tissues, organs, organ systems, and organisms. Resources on this page focus on structures and the related functions, such as the nose and related nerve tissues and the brain. To emphasize that not every living thing’s organization follows this pattern to its end, we included a stand-alone resource on microorganisms. Since the eye is a popular topic of discussion in evolution, we have included an inquiry activity on that organ as well.
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Keeping with the traditional idea of organization of living systems, this section focuses on the higher levels of organ systems and organisms. Both animal and plant-related resources are included. Since behavior includes the concept of homeostasis, has evolutionary roots, is related to both genetics and environment, and is adaptive, we have included resources addressing those topics as well.
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Copyright
March 2008 — The Ohio State University. This material is based upon work
supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. 0424671. Any
opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this
material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of
the National Science Foundation.
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This work is licensed under a
Creative Commons License.
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