PLTW Biomedical Sciences Pathway

Students investigate various health conditions including heart disease, diabetes, sickle-cell disease, hypercholesterolemia, and infectious diseases. They determine the factors that led to the death of a fictional person, and investigate lifestyle choices and medical treatments that might have prolonged the person’s life. The activities and projects introduce students to human physiology, medicine, and research processes. This course provides an overview of all the courses in the Biomedical Sciences program and lay the scientific foundation for subsequent courses.

Through scaffolded activities that connect learning to life, students step into the roles of biomedical science professionals and investigate topics though the lenses of doctors, nurses, public health officials, forensic scientists, etc.

Students examine the interactions of human body systems as they explore identity, power, movement, protection, and homeostasis. Students design experiments, investigate the structures and functions of the human body, and use data acquisition software to monitor body functions such as muscle movement, reflex and voluntary action, and respiration. Exploring science in action, students build organs and tissues using clay on a skeletal manikin (Anatomy in Clay) work through interesting real world cases and often play the roles of biomedical professionals to solve medical mysteries.

Students will also use our amazing Anatomage Table!  The Anatomage Table is the most technologically advanced 3D anatomy visualization and virtual dissection tool for anatomy and physiology education and is being adopted by many of the world’s leading medical schools and institutions. It has been featured in the TEDTalks Conference, PBS, Fuji TV, and numerous other journals for its innovative approach to digital anatomy presentation. 

Students investigate a variety of interventions involved in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of disease as they follow the life of a fictitious family. The course is a “How-To” manual for maintaining overall health and homeostasis in the body. Students explore how to prevent and fight infection; screen and evaluate the code in human DNA; prevent, diagnose and treat cancer; and prevail when the organs of the body begin to fail. Through these scenarios, students are exposed to a range of interventions related to immunology, surgery, genetics, pharmacology, medical devices, and diagnostics.

Students also explore the ethical and societal impacts of current and future medical trends.

Students design innovative solutions for the health challenges of the 21st century. They work through progressively challenging open-ended problems, addressing topics such as clinical medicine, physiology, biomedical engineering, and public health. They have the opportunity to work on an independent project with a mentor or advisor from a university, hospital, research institution, or the biomedical industry. Throughout the course, students are expected to present their work to an audience of STEM professionals. This course is designed for 12th grade students.

Potential partners include but are not limited to the Denver Zoo, CSU Little Shop of Physics, CU Boulder, Butterfly Pavilion, Denver Aquarium, Denver Dumb Friends League, CU Science Discovery, Riverdale Animal Shelter, Denver Audubon Society, plus others as partnerships arise.