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DNA Microarrays (Gene Chips) and Cancer
This six-part series of activities explores the use of DNA Microarray (Gene Chips) technology in investigations to understand the role of genes involved in causing cancer. It also illustrates how the results of these investigations can be applied to diagnosing and treating cancer patients. (Read full abstract)
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Human Papillomavirus (HPV) and Cancer
This six-part series of lessons centers on content related to HPV and cervical cancer. This content includes, but it not limited to, topics such as immune responses to pathogens and vaccines, virus life cycle, the Pap test, clinical testing for cancer and ethical, legal, and social implications of mandatory vaccination policies for the HPV vaccine, Gardasil. (Read full abstract)
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The Cell Cycle and Cancer
This series of 6 learning experiences is designed to develop students’ understanding of the cell cycle in the context of skin cancer. As students complete the activities, their understanding of mitosis shifts from a simplistic 5 stage model towards a cell cycle model that is regulated to maintain homeostasis. They then apply this understanding to model how defective cell cycle regulation can lead to cancer. (Read full abstract)
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Cancer Truth or Cancer Myth Survey
This activity uses a 10-statement “Cancer Truth or Cancer Myth” Survey to graphically illustrate of students’ understanding of concepts related to cancer. Students individually complete the Cancer Truth or Cancer Myth Survey to identify the degree to which they believe the statements about cancer have, or don’t have, scientific validity. Students collect class data about the survey statements using histogram “Topical Barometers”. Each student writes one conclusion based on the class data and creates one question about the data. Teams of two are formed for students to share their conclusions and questions, and the teacher selects a few of the teams to report out to the class.
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Reading for Evidence: Cancer Understandings
This activity provides background information about the statements in the Cancer Truth or Cancer Myth Survey. Students first work individually to complete a Reading for Evidence activity about the same 10 cancer statements, using information in short reading passages to judge whether the statements are, in fact, cancer truths. Teams of 2-3 students are formed to share answers and reach consensus about the evidence. Students, then individually complete a Teens’ Concerns About Cancer form. |
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Understanding Cancer: National Cancer Institute Tutorial
This PowerPoint tutorial, produced by the National Cancer Institute, discusses and illustrates what cancer is, explains the link between genes and cancer, and discusses what is known about the causes, detection, and diagnosis of cancer. Student handout and Teacher versions of the PowerPoint tutorial are included. A detailed teacher script is included for each slide. Slides may be modified.
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Your World: Fighting Cancer with Biotechnology
This series of 6 activities is designed to accompany Your World: Fighting Cancer with Biotechnology magazine. (Read full abstract)
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What Patients Need to Know About Cancer
Students use information from the National Cancer Institute What You Need to Know AboutTM series to create a “9-square poster” on one type of cancer.
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Coping with Cancer
This activity is designed to develop students’ understanding that the prognosis and the treatments for different types and stages of cancer may be different. It also develops students’ “medical consumer” skills for developing questions and seeking more information. For this activity, each student (or pair of students) is randomly assigned a different type of cancer. Students assume the role of a patient who has been diagnosed with a specific kind of cancer.
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Antioxidants and Cancer
In this series of activities students consider the relationships among antioxidants, free radicals, and cancer. They perform a laboratory experiment to analyze the antioxidant concentrations in several types of beverages. Then they read an advertisement for a nutritional supplement and design a large scale research study to test the claim that this supplement prevents cancer. (Read full abstract)
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Cancer Treatments
This series of activities is designed to increase students’ understanding of the variety of cancer treatments. Students also explore how the toxicity of a chemotherapy agent can be studied in a laboratory setting, and the issues that should be considered before participating in clinical trials. (Read full abstract)
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Metastasis and Homeostasis
Students use their textbook and other resources to do research on the normal structure and function of different organ types and how metastasis (the spread of cancer cells) disrupts the organs’ functions and interferes with the maintenance of homeostasis.
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Stem Cells and Cancer
This series of activities is designed to introduce students to the theory that some cancers arise from cancer stem cells. This theory provides a possible explanation for why cancers reoccur after cancer treatment and provides insights that may lead to new types of chemotherapy drugs. (Read full abstract)
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Thalidomide: A Cancer Treatment
Students read a case study and then visit six different stations to learn about the use of thalidomide, a known teratogen that is used to treat some types of cancer. This activity is designed to be incorporated into instruction on the effects of environmental factors on human development.
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The Right to Choose: A Cancer Case Study
In this case study, students read and discussa series of articles about a real court case involving a teenager ordered to undergo conventional cancer treatment. Students do online research on conventional and alternative therapies for Hodgkin’s Disease. They use an ethical decision-making model to identify and support their choice for the best course of action. This activity develops students’ understanding that individuals with cancer must weigh the risks, benefits, and tradeoffs associated with various cancer treatments. Students also learn to critically evaluate the “cancer cure” claims of alternative medicines advertised on web sites.
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Cancer Trends: A DBQ
In this document based question (DBQ), students are given nine authentic documents centered on the theme of cancer trends. Students analyze these documents with the aid of short, scaffolding questions that focus students’ attention on the main idea of each document. Students then write a cohesive essay that incorporates at least five of the documents. In the essay, students will identify the current cancer trend as related to age and will identify at least three factors that may influence that trend.
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