Teacher's Guide for ODYSSEY^TM Body Work: The Science of Surgery

^{January 2006}

Format:

Article/Page

Summary

Skills

"Welcome to the OR!," pg. 6

A quick tour of the instruments and personnel stations of a modern operating room reveals that, despite the dangers of some operations, this may be one of the safest environments around. A sidebar (pg. 8) looks at innovations in surgical methods.

Problem Solving, Applications

"At the Cutting Edge: A Day in the Life of a General Surgeon," pg. 9

Follow Dr. Don Conner, a surgeon certified in Advanced Trauma Life Support, on a day filled with triumph and tragedy. An interview (pg. 12) describes the intensive training required for his specialty.

Decision Making, Career Preparation

"Conquering Pain: The Story of Anesthesia," pg. 14

Over the last 200 years, science has developed a wide range of anesthetics. A sidebar (pg. 16) explains how anesthesia works.

Inductive Reasoning, Vocabulary

"Stranger in the Mirror," pg. 18

For patients who have suffered severe facial damage, surgeons may soon offer the option of a face transplant. The risks are high and include a lifetime of immunosuppressive drugs (sidebar, pg. 20).

Vocabulary, Deductive Reasoning

"Body Shop: A Look at the Science of Bionics," pg. 21

Prosthetic limbs and organ-assist devices save lives and improve the quality of life. The development of new "bioinert" materials will advance the science of bionics. A sidebar (pg. 23) explains autotransplantation.

Vocabulary, Applications

"Slice the Cake" (Brain Strain), pg. 25

Slicing this cake into equal pieces would have been easy -- if only Dr. Smith hadn't tried to get fancy! Can you tell him where to cut?

Spatial Relations, Critical Thinking

"Bloodsuckers!," pg. 26

Surgically applied leeches drain pooled blood from recovering tissues. They secrete an anticoagulant that can buy time as new blood vessels grow in reattached tissues. Their major drawback? The "yuck factor."

Inductive Reasoning, Application

'"Knot' So Easy!" (Activity to Discover), pg. 28

Build a knot trainer and learn to tie surgical knots.

Applications, Following Directions

"An Inside Look at Surgical Shortcuts," pg. 31

From laparoscopy to "pill cameras," explore the newest techniques in "less is better" surgery.

Inductive Reasoning, Applications

"Einstein's Knife," pg. 33

Laser technology has revolutionized surgery. Used to cut skin and tissue, lasers can serve every purpose from removing tattoos to delicate heart operations.

Deductive Reasoning, Applications

"A Very Small Surgical Procedure," pg. 35

Ultrafast laser nanosurgery lets scientists perform surgery on a single cell. Their research may answer many questions about how cells function and someday lead to new treatments for cancer.

Deductive Reasoning, Applications

"Inner Voice," pg. 38

Ella is "going natural" while her friends and classmates opt for the surgical implant of "the voice." How does Ella compete in a world where others have an artificial advantage? The ethics of bioenhancement provide the backdrop for this fictional look into a young girl's thoughts about herself and her society.

Characterization, Theme

"Lonnnnnnnng Winter Nights" (What's Up and Planet Watch), pg. 42

You can see Venus, Mars, and Saturn in the evening sky, and Mercury and Jupiter in the early morning hours. However, the big show is the northern lights, or aurora borealis. An activity (pg. 44) offers tips for viewing and photographing the aurora.

Following Directions, Observation

Think Tank: (Discussion Starters to Use Before Reading the Magazine):

1. Have you ever had surgery? If so, what was it like? What did you have to do beforehand? What about after the surgery? If you had to go through the same procedure again, what would you do differently?

2. Would you like to be a surgeon? Why or why not? What about careers in other medical fields? If you could have a medical career without the many years of schooling required, what would your first choice be? Would you work with sick people or be involved in pure research? What would be the benefits and the drawbacks of a career in medicine?

Classroom "Syzygy": Talk, Connect, Assess

Pg. 14 -- "Conquering Pain: The Story of Anesthesia"

Talk It Over

1. How have the drugs used as anesthetics changed since the 1800s? How have improved anesthetics made operations safer?

2. How do general anesthetics work? How about local anesthetics? What are the advantages and specific uses of each?

Connections:

1. Mathematics: For many anesthesia drugs, the correct dose depends on body weight and age. Imagine a drug that has the following constraints:

• It should not be given to a patient younger than 10.

• Half doses are required for patients ages 10 to 19.
• Adults ages 20 and above should receive 1 milligram for each 5 pounds of body weight.
• The correct dose increases by 10 percent for each 10 years of age, beginning at age 30.

Construct a chart that a doctor can use to find the correct dose of the drug knowing only the patient's age and weight.

2. Creative Writing: Imagine that you are Dr. Horace Wells. Write a letter to a friend, explaining how you came upon the idea of nitrous oxide as an anesthetic. Include details of the exhibition you attended and reveal your excitement about what you have discovered.

3. Graphic Design: Make a poster to show how anesthetics work. Make sure that your poster shows how general, regional, and local anesthetics differ.

Student Assessment:

1. In a brief informative essay, describe the kind of anesthesia you would use for setting a broken leg. If particular aspects of the case would affect your choice, tell what they are and explain how they would influence your decision.

2. Compare and contrast general anesthesia and local anesthesia. Create a Venn diagram to show how the two procedures differ and what they have in common.

Pg. 21 -- "Body Shop: A Look at the Science of Bionics"

Talk It Over:

1. What does "bionic" mean? Does it apply to such things as pacemakers? What about contact lenses? Glasses? Inserts in your running shoes to keep your feet comfortable? Now go back and refine your definition to include only those technological advancements you think are appropriate.

2. How far can bionics go? How much of a person can be replaced by artificial parts before the person becomes a "robot"? Should bionics be used in the brain? What if a part of the brain such as the visual cortex were replaced by a computer chip? Would the patient still be "human"?

Connections:

1. History: Research bionics in your library and on the Internet. Develop a time line of research and development in bionics. Accurately locate dates when specific devices were invented. Make reasonable predictions of future bionic inventions.

2. Visual Arts: If you could build a bionic skeleton, what would it look like? Draw your invention and label the parts that are "better than" those of natural skeletons. How many such "enhancements" can you build into your design?

3. Philosophy/Ethics: Are there "rights" and "wrongs" in bionic science? What controversies are associated with the development of such medical technologies? Make a chart of ethical and controversial issues. Include diverse opinions about each.

Student Assessment:

1. Write a letter applying for a grant to support the development of new bionic devices. In your letter, describe yourself, your company, and your research and explain why you think that your work is important.

2. In your opinion, which is better: using bionic body parts or autotransplants (see sidebar, pg. 23)? Write a brief persuasive speech, offering your reasons for supporting one over the other.

Far Out!: Moving Beyond the Magazine ("You said WHAT?" -- Medical Version)

"Money is not everything, but it is better than having one's health." (Woody Allen)

Whole-Class Project: Conduct a survey to find out how many people in a study population (faculty, families, or friends) have "replacement parts" such as knee or hip replacements or pacemakers. Write and distribute a questionnaire to determine the nature of the replacement, the recovery time, and how satisfied people are with the outcomes. Use the survey results to write a scientific report in a form appropriate for publication in a research journal.

"Doctors cut, burn, and torture the sick, and then demand of them an undeserved fee." (Heraclitus, 540-480 B.C.)

Community Connection: Invite a surgeon or OR nurse to speak to your class. Ask how accurately the OR is depicted on television and in the movies. Ask what kinds of equipment can be found in a modern OR.

"Surgeons must be very careful. When they take the knife!,
Underneath their fine incisions, stirs the Culprit -- Life!" (Emily Dickinson)

Small-Group Collaboration: Break the class into pairs to research surgical techniques used on animals. Find out about the anesthetics veterinarians use, bionics for animals, and the ORs that serve zoos and wild animal reserves. Prepare a written or oral report complete with photographs, diagrams, and other visual aids.

"Thousands upon thousands of persons have studied disease. Almost no one has studied health." (Adelle Davis)

Large-Group Collaboration: Select several careers related to health or medicine and find out what education and training they require. How are certification and licensing achieved? What college studies are prerequisites? Make a master chart on a bulletin board or chalkboard and let students add information to it as they progress with their research.

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Updated: 11/21/08 01:48 pm
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