Rationale
The number of individuals suffering from heart related illness has increased. Many people take prescriptive heart medications on a daily basis. The statistics indicate an increase in heart disease in African American and Hispanic communities. Dietary and life style issues have caused a surge in the number of individuals suffering from heart related problems. Many students have parents and family members that suffer from heart disease and other related illness. They observe their parents taking various forms of medications. The method of introducing the medicine into the body varies. In some cases they even help to administer the drug to their parents.
I want my students to learn about how heart medications are delivered into the body and how they affect the cells. Drugs work because of their action on cells in the body. It is important for students to understand the function of the cell and how form is related to function. The state of Pennsylvania has adopted a new test called the "Keystone Exam". Many assessment anchors address the role of prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells in the body. Students are required to describe the relationship between structures and function at various levels of organization. I will have the opportunity to identify specific cells and examine the role played by atoms, molecules, and macromolecules. It is incumbent on me to make concepts relevant to my students because they will learn how the molecule works inside the body.
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