Science concepts: cell cycle, DNA, mutations, protein ... together to label a blank
cell cycle with three layers of “labeling cards. ... by completing a concept map.
The War of the 21st Century The Cell Cycle, Cancer and Clinical Trials
By Jennifer Broo & Jessica Mahoney
• “In 2010, about six hundred thousand Americans, and more than 7 million humans around the world, will die of cancer. In the United States, 1 in 3 women and 1 in 2 men will develop cancer during their lifetime. A quarter of all American deaths, and about 15% of all deaths worldwide, will be attributed to cancer. In some nations, cancer will surpass heart disease to become the most common cause of death”
Biology Curriculum for Grades 9-12 • Grade and ability level: 9-12 students in regular or advanced biology • Science concepts: cell cycle, DNA, mutations, protein structure, protein function, genetics, cell structure, experimental design • Time: 10-12 day unit
Lesson 1- Cancer Warriors: A Personal Story of Translational Medicine • Day 1 -Students reflect upon their own knowledge and experiences with cancer by completing the Cancer: Truth or Myth survey on Poll Everywhere • Day 2 Students screen the PBS video: Cancer Warrior • Day 3 Students will read the of Barbara Bradfield from The Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of Cancer to hook student interest in cancer biology and translational medicine
Lesson 2- Preparing for War: A History of Cancer Timeline Activity Day 1- students will read cancer fact cards and use context clues to sequence the events in the discovery and treatment of cancer
Students in Action: Aren’t we in Biology, Ms. M? Not another Timeline!
Lesson 3- Keeping it all in Check: The Life of a Cell in the Cell Cycle • Day 1- In this teamwork activity small groups of students work together to label a blank cell cycle with three layers of “labeling cards.” Each layer of information will increase the complexity order to ultimately identify critical stages of the cell cycle and how they are controlled by gene cascades.
Lesson 4- Losing Control: The Cell Cycle and Cancer • Students will use knowledge of the cell cycle, checkpoints and the types of genes controlling the checkpoints from Lesson Three to predict how mutations in both proto-oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes affect the cell cycle and cellular division to determine when cancer could develop. • Students will complete a formative activity in which they randomly draw mutation types as a “cause” of cancer and determine the effect on the individual • Students organize their understanding of the role of genes in cancer development by completing a concept map.
Extension ActivityWhat’s your Risk?
Lesson 5- Going to War: Clinical Trials • Students complete a webquest to learn about clinical trials as homework the night before the lesson. • In class students will explore the relationships between patients, doctors, medical researchers, drug companies, and the IRB in a role-play as an individual with relapsed leukemia entering a clinical trial. • Students will then perform a close read of a recent article on the effectiveness of clinical trials. As a final formative assessment students will practice designing their own clinical trials using a guided student worksheet.
Lesson 6- Fighting the Battle: Conducting a Clinical Assay • In this simulation assay students will perform a serial, log dilution of an antiproliferation “drug” to determine the best dose to obtain a 50% death rate of cancer cells. • Day 1-prep their dilutions and plate the “cells” on the first day. • Day 2- a colorimetric reagent will be added to the plate and students will visually determine the best dose of drug. Students analyze data from an actual IC50 experiment on KG1 cancer cells
Students in Action: Lab Tech Time!
Lesson 7- In the Situation Room: Fighting Cancer in the Future
• Using a reading guide, students work in groups to read a science article about some aspect of current cancer research and answer questions or write a summary of their article. (2 day activity)
Thank you for your time. Questions?
