Diseases, Injuries, and Conditions Lesson Plan

Submitted by: Angela Watson

Grade Levels: 3-5, 6-8, 9-12

In this lesson plan, which is adaptable for grades 3-12, students take part in a hands-on activity to explore the difference between diseases, injuries, and conditions. Students then select a disease, injury, or condition that they or someone they know has been affected by and research prevention and treatment methods. They will use BrainPOP resources as well as other internet sites to develop research skills as they find, compile, and summarize information about health and raising health awareness. Finally, students will design a way to raise community awareness about their selected disease, injury, or condition, and/or a related foundation or charity.

Lesson Plan Common Core State Standards Alignments

Grade: 11-12

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RST.11-12.8

Evaluate the hypotheses, data, analysis, and conclusions in a science or technical text, verifying the data when possible and corroborating or challenging conclusions with other sources of information.

Grade: 06, 07, 08

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RST.6-8.8

Distinguish among facts, reasoned judgment based on research findings, and speculation in a text.

Grade: 09, 10

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RST.9-10.8

Assess the extent to which the reasoning and evidence in a text support the author’s claim or a recommendation for solving a scientific or technical problem.

Grade: 03

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.3.7

Conduct short research projects that build knowledge about a topic.

Grade: 03

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.3.8

Recall information from experiences or gather information from print and digital sources; take brief notes on sources and sort evidence into provided categories.

Grade: 04

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.4.7

Conduct short research projects that build knowledge through investigation of different aspects of a topic.

Grade: 04

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.4.8

Recall relevant information from experiences or gather relevant information from print and digital sources; take notes and categorize information, and provide a list of sources.

Grade: 05

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.5.7

Conduct short research projects that use several sources to build knowledge through investigation of different aspects of a topic.

Grade: 05

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.5.8

Recall relevant information from experiences or gather relevant information from print and digital sources; summarize or paraphrase information in notes and finished work, and provide a list of sources.

Grade: 05

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.5.9

Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.

Grade: 06

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.6.7

Conduct short research projects to answer a question, drawing on several sources and refocusing the inquiry when appropriate.

Grade: 06

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.6.8

Gather relevant information from multiple print and digital sources; assess the credibility of each source; and quote or paraphrase the data and conclusions of others while avoiding plagiarism and providing basic bibliographic information for sources.

Grade: 06

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.6.9

Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.

Grade: 07

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.7.7

Conduct short research projects to answer a question, drawing on several sources and generating additional related, focused questions for further research and investigation.

Grade: 07

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.7.8

Gather relevant information from multiple print and digital sources, using search terms effectively; assess the credibility and accuracy of each source; and quote or paraphrase the data and conclusions of others while avoiding plagiarism and following a standard format for citation.

Grade: 07

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.7.9

Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.

Grade: 09, 10

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.9-10.7

Conduct short as well as more sustained research projects to answer a question (including a self-generated question) or solve a problem; narrow or broaden the inquiry when appropriate; synthesize multiple sources on the subject, demonstrating understanding of the subject under investigation.

Grade: 09, 10

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.9-10.8

Gather relevant information from multiple authoritative print and digital sources, using advanced searches effectively; assess the usefulness of each source in answering the research question; integrate information into the text selectively to maintain the flow of ideas, avoiding plagiarism and following a standard format for citation.

Grade: 09, 10

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.9-10.9

Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.

Grade: 11-12

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.WHST.11-12.7

Grade: 11-12

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.WHST.11-12.8

Gather relevant information from multiple authoritative print and digital sources, using advanced searches effectively; assess the strengths and limitations of each source in terms of the specific task, purpose, and audience; integrate information into the text selectively to maintain the flow of ideas, avoiding plagiarism and overreliance on any one source and following a standard format for citation.

Grade: 11-12

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.WHST.11-12.9

Draw evidence from informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.

Grade: 06, 07, 08

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.WHST.6-8.7

Conduct short research projects to answer a question (including a self-generated question), drawing on several sources and generating additional related, focused questions that allow for multiple avenues of exploration.

Grade: 06, 07, 08

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.WHST.6-8.8

Grade: 06, 07, 08

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.WHST.6-8.9

Draw evidence from informational texts to support analysis reflection, and research.

Grade: 09, 10

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.WHST.9-10.7

Grade: 09, 10

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.WHST.9-10.8

Grade: 09, 10

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.WHST.9-10.9

Draw evidence from informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.

Students will:

Understand the difference between diseases, injuries, and conditions.
Select a disease, injury, or condition that they or someone they know has been affected by and research prevention and treatment methods.
Use internet research skills to find, compile, and summarize information.
Design a way to raise community awareness about the selected disease, injury, or condition, and/or a related foundation or charity.

Materials:

Computers with internet access
Diseases, injuries, and condition cards (one for each group of students)
Scissors for each group of students (optional)
An envelope or small plastic baggie for each group of students (optional)

Preparation:

Preview the movies in BrainPOP's Diseases, Injuries, and Conditions unit of health movies. Either print the page or type a list of the movie titles into a document (preferably within a table/chart so each title is within its own box) and print it out. Then, make a set of photocopies (one for each small group of students or pair of students). You can cut them apart and store each set in an envelope, or leave the sheet as it is and have students cut the cards apart. If there are any conditions you do not want students to learn about, be sure to remove them from the cards.

Lesson Procedure:

Pass out the cards with diseases, injuries, and conditions on them (or the sheet of paper for students to cut apart). Start with an open sort activity by challenging students to work in groups and classify the cards according to any criteria they deem fit. If students don't know what a particular card says, allow them to come up with their own solution. They may want to research it quickly on a mobile device, or create a separate category in their sort for "unknowns."
Talk about the classification criteria each group of students used, and facilitate a discussion around it as you compare and contrast. Familiarize students with any conditions they had not previously heard of. You may want to use this opportunity to demonstrate the type of internet research skills students will need to use when they complete their projects.
Ask students what all of these topics have in common. How are they different?
Present students with a closed sort task next. Ask them to sort the cards into four categories: diseases, injuries, conditions, and tools for management (blood glucose meter, first aid, etc.)
Afterwards, talk with the class about any discrepancies in the way each group sorted the cards. Facilitate a discussion on the difference between diseases, injuries, and conditions. Have students generate a definition for each of these terms and record it on the board for their reference.
Tell students that they will be working collaboratively to research a disease, injury, or condition and complete a project related to their chosen topic. Encourage students to select a topic that they are personally invested in: perhaps something that they or someone they know has been affected by.
All students should research the causes, prevention, and treatment of their selected topic.
Students who select a disease or serious condition should then find a foundation that funds research and/or treatment for the disease or condition. They should use the foundation's website to discover at least one way they can help raise awareness, money, or other support for people who suffer from the disease or serious condition. Students who select an injury or minor/temporary condition should select a method of raising awareness in their school or community by creating a video, commercial, podcast, brochure, etc.
Students should begin their research by watching the related BrainPOP topic and exploring the Related Reading resources. They might also want to view any relevant movies in the Body Systems Unit, Genetics, Growth, and Development Unit, Nutrition Unit, and/or the Personal Health Unit. Afterward, students should use the internet to go more in-depth about specific areas.
Provide time in class for students to present on their selected topic. You may want to invite parents and community members to take part. If possible, take photos and videos of the presentations and send them to the foundations/organizations who support people with the relevant condition. Encourage students to continue raising health awareness in their school and community.