Nanotechnology and Human Health

CONTENTS OF CURRICULUM UNIT 10.05.01

  1. Unit Guide
  1. Introduction
  2. Student Background
  3. Rationale
  4. Unit Course Objectives
  5. Unit Background Part One- What is the significance of size?
  6. Background Information Part 2- Nanotechnology and its applications
  7. Unit Implementation Strategies
  8. Lesson #1 Measurement and Size Relativity
  9. Lesson #2 Biology and Scaling
  10. Summary
  11. Bibliography
  12. Appendix A- Materials for Lesson #1
  13. Appendix B- Materials for Lesson #2 - 1.The Biology of B- Movie Monsters Questions
  14. 2. Build a Monster Activity
  15. Appendix C- Nanotechnology and its Applications Resources
  16. Appendix D- Suggested media relating to size, if time permits in your lesson planning:

The Relative Nature of Size in Biological Sciences: Let's Start Small and Work Our Way Up

Conchita LaShay Austin

Published September 2010

Tools for this Unit:

Appendix A- Materials for Lesson #1

1. Metric Activity

Metric Measurement Activity

  1. Using a piece of string, find the distance around your waist, wrist, and head. Make your measurements in whatever unit appropriate and then convert to the other units.
  2. waist = __________m = __________cm = __________mm
  3. wrist = __________m = __________cm = __________mm
  4. head = __________m = __________cm = __________mm
  5. How tall are you in centimeters? __________cm In meters? __________m
  6. Obtain a penny, nickel, dime, and quarter. What are the diameter and thickness of each coin, in millimeters? Fill in the chart below, being sure to include units
  7. Coin Diameter Thikness
    Penny    
    Nickel    
    Dime    
    Quarter    
  8. Using a meter stick, find out how far you can leap in a standing broad jump.
  9. ________m = __________cm = __________mm
  10. Estimate the size of the 5 objects, some listed below, in the space provided. Include metric units with your estimates. Then, actually measure the 5 objects and record your results. Don't forget units!
  11. Object in Room Estimated Length Measured Length
         
         
         
         
         
  12. Smple items to measure:
  13. Diameter of a pencil Length of shoeprint Length of index finger
  14. Length/height of the room Length/width of calculator
  15. Length/ width of a textbook Height of desk Diameter of your watch

2. Links for demonstrating size relativity

  1. Cells Alive! How Big Interactive http://cellsalive.com/howbightm
  2. Cell Size and Scale http://learn.genetics.utah.edu/content/begin/cells/scale/

3. Student Questions after reading J.B.S. Haldane's On Being the Right Size

Discussion Questions

Read the assigned section of Haldane's essay and answer the following questions.

Individual Response:

1. Based on your reading of this essay, in one paragraph discuss how size and scaling affects a human's (or any organism, for that matter) ability to function. How would your response change if the individual was 6 centimeters or 6 meters. Give specific examples.

Group Response

After sharing your individual responses, discuss the impact of being six centimeters or six meters on the daily survival of human beings. For example, how would an extremely large or extremely small human eat or drink? Where would he or she sleep? Would he or she be able to function in the world we live in today as we do? Be prepared to share the group's response with the rest of the class.

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