Students will take the following courses (click on the link to see the course description and outline):

• Principles of Biomedical Science (11th Grade)
• Human Body Systems (11th Grade)
• Medical Interventions (12th Grade)

Principles of Biomedical Science (11th Grade)

Course Description:

Principles of Biomedical Science (PBS) is a full-year high school course in the PLTW Biomedical Science Program.  This course serves to provide foundational knowledge and skills in fields such as biology, anatomy & physiology, genetics, microbiology, and epidemiology as well as engage students in how this content can be applied to realworld situations, cases, and problems.

Through both individual and collaborative team activities, projects, and problems, students will tackle real-world challenges faced by biomedical professionals in the field. They will work with the same tools and equipment used in hospitals and labs as they engage in relevant hands-on work. Students will develop skill in technical documentation to represent and communicate experimental findings and solutions to problems. In addition, students will explore how connections to other disciplines such as computer science and engineering shape the future of medicine and practice collaboration techniques that will help them connect with professionals across any field.

Course Outline:

Unit 1: Medical Investigation

• Investigating the Scene
• Master the Morgue
• Open Investigation

Unit 2: Clinical Care

• Talk to Your Doc
• Deciding a Diagnosis
• New to the Practice

Unit 3: Outbreaks and Emergencies

• Nonsocomial Nightmare
• Emergency Response
• Information Sharing

Unit 4: Innovation, Inc. 

• Designing the Future
• New Frontier
• Invitation to Innovation

Course Description:

Step inside the human body and explore the systems that help us move, protect us from disease or injury, and facilitate communication within the body and with the outside world.

Solve a medical mystery. Analyze a medical case file and diagnose disease. Design experiments to explore structure and function of the human body.

How do the systems of the body work together to keep us well?

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.

Course Outline:

Unit 1:  Identity

• Identity--Human
• Identity--Tissues
• Identity--Molecules and Cells

Unit 2:  Communication

• The Brain
• Electrical Communication
• Chemical Communication
• Communication with the Outside World

Unit 3:  Power

• Introduction to Power
• Food
• Oxygen
• Water

Unit 4:  Movement

• Joints and Motion
• Muscles
• Blood Flow
• Energy and Motion--Exercise Physiology

Unit 5:  Protection

• The Skin
• Bones
• Lymph and Blood Cells

Unit 6:  Homeostasis

• Health and Wellness

Medical Interventions (12th Grade)

Course Description:

Medical Interventions (MI) allows students to investigate the variety of interventions involved in the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of disease as they follow the lives of a fictitious family. A “How-To” manual for maintaining overall health and homeostasis in the body, the course will explore how to prevent and fight infection, how to screen and evaluate the code in our DNA, how to prevent, diagnose, and treat cancer, and how to prevail when the organs of the body begin to fail. Through these scenarios students will be exposed to the wide range of interventions related to immunology, surgery, genetics, pharmacology, medical devices, and diagnostics. Each family case scenario will introduce multiple types of interventions, reinforce concepts learned in the previous two courses, and present new content. Interventions may range from simple diagnostic tests to treatment of complex diseases and disorders. These interventions will be showcased across the generations of the family and will provide a look at the past, present, and future of biomedical science. Lifestyle choices and preventive measures are emphasized throughout the course as well as the important role that scientific thinking and engineering design play in the development of interventions of the future.

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.

Course Outline:

Unit One:  How to Fight Infection

• The Mystery Infection
• Antibiotic Treatment
• The Aftermath--Hearing Loss
• Vaccination

Unit Two:  How to Screen What is in Your Genes

• Genetic Testing and Screening
• Our Genetic Future
• Genetic Testing and Screening

Unit Three:  How to Conquer Cancer

• Detecting Cancer
• Reducing Cancer Risk
• Treating Cancer
• Building a Better Cancer Treatment

Unit Four:  How to Prevail When Organs Fail

• Manufacturing Human Proteins
• Organ Failure
• Transplant
• Building a Better Body
• Manufacturing Human Proteins