Health Science is a course designed to educate New Haven public school students about the problems and possible solutions in the healthcare industry. As a teacher of Health Science at Metropolitan Business Academy, creating an engaging, real-world lesson combined with the skills of critical thinking and problem solving is the ultimate goal. The Personalized Health unit will incorporate the growing field of personalized health, from diagnosis to prevention, as well as the practice of biotechnology and engineering through the use of biomimicry. Students will be expected to design a new technological advancement to solve a health problem. The students will create a simulation and biomimetic prototype based on the natural world after completing the engineering design process. The students will design a pitch and marketing campaign considering the limiting factors of economics, sustainability and accessibility while presenting the idea to various validators in a ‘Shark Tank’ format. The pitch will need to be creative and include how the prototype will solve a health problem using biomimicry.
As a teacher in the city of New Haven, it is my duty to develop the skills necessary for jobs in the healthcare industry. The city of New Haven is now becoming a hub for Biotech companies. Throughout the unit, the students will be exposed to the latest biotechnological practices. One of the key components is the sequencing of the genomes of pathogens and how to apply the knowledge to developing diagnostics and cures. I expect the students to gain an understanding and be able to apply polymerase chain reaction, recombinant antigens and monoclonal antibodies to molecular diagnostic methods used in personalized healthcare. I want the students to gain an understanding of how vaccines are used and administered. The focus should especially be on new technologies for easier transport and access and increasing equitable healthcare worldwide.
