• BIOMEDICAL SCIENCE

    Principles of Biomedical Science Honors (5 credits)

    Prerequisites: STEM Academy Acceptance

     

    The Principles of Biomedical Science (PBS) course provides an introduction to biomedical science through exciting hands-on projects and problems. Students investigate concepts of biology and medicine as they explore health conditions including heart disease, diabetes, sickle-cell disease, hypercholesterolemia, and infectious diseases. Students will investigate lifestyle choices and medical treatments and demonstrate how the development of disease is related to changes in human body systems. The activities and projects in PBS introduce students to human physiology, basic biology, medicine, and research processes and allow students to design experiments to solve problems. Key biological concepts, including maintenance of homeostasis in the body, metabolism, inheritance of traits, and defense against disease are embedded in the curriculum. This course is designed to provide an overview of all the courses in the biomedical science program and lay the scientific foundation for subsequent courses. Students practice problem solving with structured activities and progress to open-ended projects and problems that require them to develop planning, documentation, communication, and other professional skills. The PBS course emphasizes laboratory investigation (experiences in the laboratory, classroom, or the field that provides students with opportunities to interact directly with natural phenomena or with data collected by others using tools, materials, data collection techniques, and models (NRC 2006, p. 3)). Throughout the process, students design investigations, engage in scientific reasoning, manipulate equipment, record data, analyze results, and discuss their findings.

    The following is a summary of the NGSS- and Common Core aligned units of study that are included in the course for the 2017 - 2018 academic year. The course emphasizes laboratory investigation (experiences in the laboratory, classroom, or the field that provides students with opportunities to interact directly with natural phenomena or with data collected by others using tools, materials, data collection techniques, and models (NRC 2006, p. 3)). Throughout the process, students design investigations, engage in scientific reasoning, manipulate equipment, record data, analyze results, and discuss their findings.  Real life projects are incorporated into each marking cycle.

     

    PBS Unit Summary

    • Unit 1 The Mystery
    • Unit 2 Diabetes  
    • Unit 3 Sickle Cell Disease  
    • Unit 4 Heart Disease  
    • Unit 5 Infectious Disease
    • Unit 6 Post Mortem
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    * Additional units of study include extension related to content tested on the New Jersey Biology Competency Test (organization and development, matter and energy transformation, interdependence, heredity, reproduction, evolution and diversity, etc.) 

      

    Human Body Systems Honors (10 credits)

    Prerequisites: STEM Academy Acceptance; Introduction to Biomedical Science

    In the Human Body Systems (HBS) course, students examine the interactions of body systems as they explore identity, communication, power, movement, protection, and homeostasis. Students design experiments, investigate the structures and functions of the human body, and use data acquisition software to monitor body functions such as muscle movement, reflex and voluntary action, and respiration. Exploring science in action, students build organs and tissues on a skeletal manikin, work through interesting real world cases, and often play the role of biomedical professionals to solve medical mysteries. Students practice problem solving with structured activities and progress to open-ended projects and problems that require them to develop planning, documentation, communication, and other professional skills.

    The following is a summary of the NGSS- and Common Core aligned units of study that are included in the course for the 2018 - 2019 academic year. The course emphasizes laboratory investigation (experiences in the laboratory, classroom, or the field that provides students with opportunities to interact directly with natural phenomena or with data collected by others using tools, materials, data collection techniques, and models (NRC 2006, p. 3)). Throughout the process, students design investigations, engage in scientific reasoning, manipulate equipment, record data, analyze results, and discuss their findings.  Real life projects are incorporated into each marking cycle.

     

    Unit 1…………Identity

    Unit 2…………Communication

    Unit 3…………Power

    Unit 4…………Movement

    Unit 5…………Protection

    Unit 6…………Homeostasis

     

    Medical Interventions Honors (10 credits)

    Prerequisite: Successful completion of The Human Body Course

    In this course, students will follow the life of a fictitious family as they investigate how to prevent, diagnose, and treat disease. Students will explore how to detect and fight infection; screen and evaluate the code in human DNA; evaluate cancer treatment options; and prevail when the organs of the body begin to fail. Through real-world cases, students will be exposed to a range of interventions related to immunology, surgery, genetics, pharmacology, medical devices, and diagnostics.