How does the HDP fit into the

 National and California State Standards?

 

 

National Standards:

http://www.nap.edu/readingroom/books/nses/6d.html#csc58

 

CONTENT STANDARD C:

As a result of their doing the Human Disease Project, all students should develop understanding of

 

    * Structure and function in living systems

    * The human organism has systems for digestion, respiration, reproduction, circulation, excretion, movement, control, and coordination, and for protection from disease. These systems interact with one another.

    * Disease is a breakdown in structures or functions of an organism. Some diseases are the result of intrinsic failures of the system. Others are the result of damage by infection by other organisms

 

CONTENT STANDARD F:

As a result of doing the Human Disease Project, all students should develop understanding of

 

    * Personal health

    * Students often have the vocabulary for many aspects of health, but they often do not understand the science related to the terminology. Developing a scientific understanding of health is a focus of this standard. Healthy behaviors and other aspects of health education are introduced in other parts of school programs.

 

 

California State board of Education Standards

Grade 7

http://www.cde.ca.gov/be/st/ss/scgrade7.asp

 

Cell Biology

 

1.     All living organisms are composed of cells, from just one to many trillions, whose details usually are visible only through a microscope.

 

Structure and Function in Living Systems

 

5. The anatomy and physiology of plants and animals illustrate the complementary nature of structure and function. As a basis for understanding this concept:

a. Students know plants and anima ls have levels of organization for structure and function, including cells, tissues, organs, organ systems, and the whole organism.

b.    Students know organ systems function because of the contributions of individual organs, tissues, and cells. The failure of any part can affect the entire system.

c.     Students know how bones and muscles work together to provide a structural framework for movement.

g.   Students know how to relate the structures of the eye and ear to their functions.

 

Experimentation

 

7 Scientific progress is made by asking meaningful questions and conducting careful investigations. As a basis for understanding this concept and addressing the content in the other three strands, students should develop their own questions and perform investigations.

b. Use a variety of print and electronic resources (including the World Wide Web) to collect information and evidence as part of a research project.

c .  Communicate the logical connection among hypotheses, science concepts, tests conducted, data collected, and conclusions drawn from the scientific evidence.

d.     Construct scale models, maps, and appropriately labeled diagrams to c ommunicate scientific knowledge (e.g., motion of Earth's plates and c ell structure).

e.     Communicate the steps and results from an investigation in written reports and oral presentations.

 

 

A personal note from Curtis:  Our California State Standards are woefully inadequate and neglectful of the importance of disease.  Students are not learning nearly enough about viruses and bacteria and how diseases are spread.  Disease spans all of human history, affects the way we all live, and looms on the horizon in regards to the specter of the next pandemic.

I think we all need to work harder to instill in our students more knowledge of disease as it affects all of us personally as well as our families, communites, nations and the world. Just one man's opinion!