A Breath of Fresh Air: A Mini Med School Self-Paced Class
In this 5-week self-paced course, students will explore the lungs with lessons, drawings, models, and activities; how they work, what pneumonia and asthma are, and the effects of smoking, vaping, and pollution. #academic
Dr. Robin
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4.9
Number of reviews:(486)
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What's included
5 pre-recorded lessons
5 weeks
of teacher support1 year access
to the contentHomework
1 hour per week. * Learners will complete a worksheet, coloring page, and/or model during each class * Learners will post a photo of their model, coloring page, and/or worksheet in the classroom * Learners will be asked to answer a prompt before and after the recorded lesson every week, which may be a getting-to-know-you question or related to the material *Learners will have an additional video for a real- life lesson extension and answer a discussion question about thisClass Experience
US Grade 3 - 6
This 5 lesson self-paced course provides a deep dive into the lungs. Each week will include a recorded lesson of approximately 20 minutes covering the topic in detail. I use models and drawings to demonstrate the concepts and students will get to try out various activities and experiments to learn by doing. There will be no live zoom meetings so all interaction will occur asynchronously in the classroom. Each week will include the recorded lesson, a worksheet designed just for this class, a link to a video that extends the learning, and discussion questions related to the lesson, the worksheet, and the extension video. Additional ideas for ways to continue the exploration during normal activities are suggested at the end of many lessons. More details: I assume that learners have no prior knowledge on the subject but by the end of the course they will have learned how the lungs work, how speech works (which needs the lungs) and how this can go wrong in both asthma and COPD. They will learn about how smoking damages lungs and the role of oxygen in the body. Students and I will interact in the classroom. I reply to posts twice a week. If your learner completes multiple lessons in a couple days, I'll reply to all of them at once. With each lesson, I will check in about any “noticing” in real life that I’ve suggested from the last lesson and there will be a warm up question to help the students start thinking about the material. An activity prompt and discussion question will be introduced in each lesson. Sometimes students will brainstorm ideas that they will share in the classroom, discuss an activity or experiment, or otherwise share their learning. Each week will also include a worksheet related to the topic. Finally, each week I will post a link to an additional video showing an interesting real-world application or experiment and a discussion question related to the video. #academic
Learning Goals
Students will gain a basic understanding of the lungs and pulmonary system. More importantly, students will leave the class with an appreciation of their lungs, how they work, and how to take good care of them.
Syllabus
5 Lessons
over 5 WeeksLesson 1:
Intro to the Lungs and DIY Lungs Model
What are the lungs, and why are they so important? In this lesson, students will learn about the lungs, their structure and how it relates to their function. We will also create a functional model of the lung. Students will have coloring/worksheets and discussion questions about each of these as well as an extension activity taking our learning into real life. Lesson 2:
How We Make Speech
Speech is complicated, which is why it takes a whole year for babies to start talking! Students will learn about speech as a modification of breathing. The lesson will be quite interactive as students will need to try out different sounds to learn about how their nose, lips, and tongue all affect speech. Most of the lesson, we'll be using an anatomy drawing to track the different parts of our head and neck that contribute to speech. We will also create a model of vocal cords Lesson 3:
Asthma
Many people have heard of asthma, or even have it themselves, without really understanding what’s happening down in the lungs. In this lesson we’ll be digging deeper into what asthma is, how it affects people, and how it’s treated. After the lesson, students will try an experiment that simulates the experience of asthma. Learners will answer a discussion question related to the activities. A link to a video about a young person with asthma will extend the learning. Lesson 4:
COPD
What happens when an inhaler doesn’t make breathing problems better? How does smoking damage the lungs? During the lesson, I will cover how COPD affects people at the biological level. I do mention both smoking cigarettes and vaping. Students will complete a worksheet during the lesson to share in the classroom. A link to a video specifically about lung damage from vaping will extend the learning and students will answer an additional question based on that video. Other Details
Learning Needs
This format is ideal for a variety of learning needs and I'm happy to help adjust expectations or resources to work well for your learner.
Parental Guidance
Please remember that scissors are sharp and that cutting a plastic bottle can be hazardous and should only be done by an adult.
Nothing in this class will be or is intended to be medical advice. This is merely educational in nature and will be a surface-level overview. Your student will not be coming out of this class knowing anything about how to diagnose or treat these conditions and we will not be discussing any personal medical questions/needs. Students should come with general questions about the topic.
Supply List
*coloring and writing supplies *to make the lung model, you'll need two balloons, an empty disposable plastic water or soda bottle, and a pair of scissors *there is a printable worksheet or coloring page every week that was designed specifically for this class. If you don't have access to a printer, it's totally fine to draw a picture and take notes instead!
Teacher expertise and credentials
2 Degrees
Doctoral Degree from Unviersity of Colorado School of Medicine
Bachelor's Degree in Science from University of Denver
As a family physician with a decade in private practice, I love teaching young people about how their bodies work. I believe that people who understand their bodies will take better care of them. Reviews
Self-Paced Course
$18
weekly or $90 for all content5 pre-recorded lessons
5 weeks of teacher support
Choose your start date
1 year of access to the content
Completed by 9 learners
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Ages: 7-12
