THE HEART. Teacher Pages. Grade Level 3-5

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Lindsey Glenn
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Grade Level 3-5 Summary Students will explore the causes and effects of

Students will research regenerative medicine using the Internet and then

When finished, students will create a project of their choice.

1 Grade Level 3-5 Summary Students will explore the causes and effects of heart attacks, and how regenerative medicine can help the heart. Students will research regenerative medicine using the Internet and then complete a Webquest. When finished, students will create a project of their choice. WEBQUEST Time min Full educational standards available at THE HEART Teacher Pages Designers Brianne Miller, Molly Bugaile

2 Teacher Background Assessing Students Student s comprehension of the material will be assessed by: their thoroughness and completion of the Webquest oral/verbal communication - Were students on task? - Did they respond to questions posed during the Webquest? - Were students working efficiently and not wasting class time? Process Your students will be using the Internet to explore the fascinating human heart. Students will work in pairs to complete the interdisciplinary Webquest activity during one class period (30-45 minutes). Plan for more time if you feel your students will need it. Please advise your students to follow the directions found in the reading guide to finish their research and check off each box as a step is completed. After all the steps on the task list are completed, students can start the evaluation assignment in class. The assignment is to be completed with their partner. Decide how many days your students will have until their assignment is due. Pairs will then present their project in front of the class. Why Use This Webquest? In the emerging field of tissue engineering, scientists, engineers, and medical experts are devising new ways to replace or support defective or injured body parts. They are also developing and manipulating laboratory-grown molecules, cells, tissues, and organs to heal what could not be healed before. Using this Webquest ( in conjunction with Dr. Allevable s Laboratory Website and the Dr. Allevable and Regenerobot s Exploration Adventure workbook and short movie, regenerative medicine will come alive in your classroom! This Webquest, in particular, helps integrate technology into your classroom and bring your students new knowledge in a fun, interactive, and engaging manner. Materials Computers (one per child) If your school doesn t have enough computers, group students accordingly. Internet access Student Pages Pencils More Webquests Explore the bone, the heart, the immune system and more on-line with free webquests at: Visit our Websites Dr. Allevable s Unbelievable Laboratory, grades Partnership for Education, for teachers and older students 2 Things to Consider Before Implementing this Webquest in the Classroom Pair students into effective cooperative partner groups (see below) Reserve time/class period in the computer lab Review proper computer lab etiquette with students Copy the Heart Webquests for students Implement necessary academic adaptations (see below for suggestions)

3 Adaptations Students should work in pairs in the computer lab to create an evaluative product. The partners can be previously chosen by the teacher to ensure that all levels of learners will be able to complete this task (i.e. a lower- level learner may be paired with a higher-level learner). This style of pairing will help students to work collectively and practice both cooperative and social skills. Additionally, students can practice the delegation and division of roles and tasks to complete and create the assignment. The students will present their finished evaluative products to the entire class with their partner. As partners, they can scaffold each other s learning and create more advanced products/ideas than if they worked on an individual basis. If one of your students has a visual learning impairment, you can create learning guides with larger print or Braille if necessary. Additionally, for students with visual impairments, consider implementing the use of a mouse that has a magnifying feature to aid them in reading smaller texts on a website. This activity should not create problems for a student with an auditory impairment, as the Dr. Allevable Lab Website does not contain sound effects that would impede comprehension. 3

The heart is a powerful muscle! The Heart The heart is the most important muscle in the human body because it pumps blood all throughout the body, allowing other organs to function properly.

Then it contracts (squeezes) to squirt blood into the blood vessels all through the body. The heart is made of millions of special long muscle cells, called cardiomyocyte cells.

The right side of the heart (atrium and ventricle) receives blood from the body and pumps it into the lungs.

When a heart attack occurs, heart tissue dies. The body cannot make new heart muscle tissue on its own. Instead it makes scar tissue, which is a more disorganized tissue and weakens the heart!

4 The heart is a powerful muscle! The Heart The heart is the most important muscle in the human body because it pumps blood all throughout the body, allowing other organs to function properly. The blood delivers oxygen and nutrients to the brain, muscles, bones, and organs. The heart acts like a pump! Before each beat, the heart fills with blood. Then it contracts (squeezes) to squirt blood into the blood vessels all through the body. The heart is made of millions of special long muscle cells, called cardiomyocyte cells. The contraction (tightening) of these cells causes the heart to beat. The contractions are controlled by electrical signals that pass from cell to cell. How neat! The right side of the heart (atrium and ventricle) receives blood from the body and pumps it into the lungs. The left side of the heart does the exact opposite: it receives blood from the lungs and pumps it out to the body. The heart does this all day and all night, every day. The heart is one hard worker! When a heart attack occurs, heart tissue dies. The body cannot make new heart muscle tissue on its own. Instead it makes scar tissue, which is a more disorganized tissue and weakens the heart! Regenerative medicine helps an injured body heal faster by enhancing the body s natural healing process. Many treatments will use young cells (stem cells) that can be found in the center of the bone - the bone marrow. These stem cells are capable of becoming new blood, bone, or heart cells. How does regenerative medicine help the heart? In the laboratory, stem cells from the bone marrow are exposed to growth factors. Growth factors are proteins that help the stem cells grow and stay healthy until they are put back in the body. In the laboratory, the stem cells multiply and grow to become new heart cells. These new heart cells are then placed on a mesh patch (which is flexible) and in turn, the patch is placed on the heart. Eventually, the cells on the flexible patch grow into new heart cells and replaced the damaged (or dead) cells. Over time, the patch is absorbed into the body. Because of regenerative medicine, the heart can continue beating normally! 4 Ready to learn more about the heart?

5 Webquest Answer Key Part I: Regenerative Medicine 1. How long does it take for regenerative medicine advances to heal injuries? b). It is a lot quicker than other healing processes. 2. What does regenerate mean? Regenerate means to renew or restore. 3. What is regenerative medicine? Regenerative medicine is a field of research involving many disciplines that studies ways of enhancing the body s natural healing process so an injured body heals faster. 5 Part II: The Heart 1. Why is the heart the most important muscle in our body? Because the heart pumps blood throughout the body, and blood carries oxygen and nutrients to all organs and tissues, allowing them to function correctly. Without the heart, our cells would starve! 2. What is the job of the heart? d). pumps blood, delivering oxygen and nutrients to other parts of the body 3. What is the heart made of? a). cardiomyocyte cells 4. What are cardiomyocite cells? c). long muscle cells which enable the heart to beat 5. How does the heart beat? Mark all TRUE statements. a). heart muscles squeeze together True b). it makes noises ( thud thud, thud thud ) False, the noise is a consequence of a). c). by delivering oxygen to other parts of the body False, the pumped blood delivers oxygen to other parts of the body. d). the contraction of cardiomyocyte cells, controlled by electrical signals True 6. Draw the inside of the heart. The left side of the heart contains one atrium and one ventricle. The right side of the heart contains the other atrium and ventricle.

6 7. What are the atria? Atria are the two upper chambers on both sides of the heart that receive blood, and send it to the ventricles. The atria are muscles, and they contract to push the blood along. 8. What role does the septum play? The septum is a wall that separates the left and ride side of the heart. Part III: Regenerative Medicine in the Heart 6 1. What is the main cause of heart tissue damage? Heart attacks. 2. What is a heart attack? A heart attack is an interruption of heart beats, which results in a lack of oxygen and nutrients being sent to all parts of the body, including the heart itself. 3. What is the main cause of a heart attack? Heart attacks are usually caused by plaque build- up in the capillaries. This plaque can build up to a point where it bursts and makes the body think it is injured. When the healing cells of the body try to heal the plaque, they block the capillary and no blood can get through. When this happens, the heart muscle cells that were being fed by the capillary start to starve and die, so the section of muscle they belong to is weakened and beats irregularly. This can lead to the heart stopping, which is a heart attack. 4. Are any other parts of the body affected by a heart attack? Yes, other areas of the body are affected by heart attacks because they do not receive oxygen and nutrients. When the heart stops beating, blood isn t pumped to the rest of the body and cells in the brain or other organs also start to starve for oxygen and nutrients and may die. 5. Why is the heart much weaker after a heart attack? The heart is much weaker after a heart attack because heart muscle tissue has died and in its place there is scar tissue, which is weaker and more disorganized tissue. 6. Mark which statement or statements are TRUE. You can prevent heart attacks by:

7 a). healthy diet and regular exercise True b). seeing the doctor regularly True c). smoking False d.) watching TV False 7. Can you think of some more healthy activities that help your heart? Eating healthily, getting exercise, not smoking. *Teachers: Use your best judgment! 8. What are stem cells? c). Young cells found in bone marrow 9. What characterizes a biological scaffold? Mark the TRUE statements. a). a biological scaffold lasts forever False, scaffolds are designed to naturally break down inside your body to give room to new tissue. b). it looks just like the tissue it is trying to heal True, scaffolds should look and feel like the healthy tissue so that new cells and blood vessels have the best environment to grow into actual new tissue. c). it provides support for new cells and new blood vessels - True d). it s very hard and sturdy False, the flexibility of the patch should be determined by the flexibility of the tissue it is trying to heal. The bone needs a sturdy scaffold, whereas the heart needs a more flexible support. 10. Can you explain the new regenerative medicine treatment that is currently in development to heal injured hearts? A regenerative medicine treatment under development involves using stem cells to replace the injured heart cells. 1 - Collect stem cells from the body to make new heart cells. Stem cells are young cells that your body naturally has that can become all other cells, like bone and blood cells. You body uses special signals, large molecules called growth factors, to direct the cells to become the kind of cells it needs. In the case of very minor injuries or in the natural wear and tear of your tissues, your body can usually make some new cells to replace the injured ones. But in the case of the heart, the body isn t very good at making enough new cells so regenerative medicine steps in! Doctors collect stem cells from the bone marrow of the patient. 2 - Help cells grow into heart cells with special natural signals, called growth factors. The stem cells are exposed to the appropriate growth factors in the laboratory that help them grow into new heart cells. Biological Scaffolds The scaffold is a special support built in the laboratory by doctors to provide a healthy and safe environment for the stem cells to grow and become whatever tissue is needed. Scaffolds also help support the growth of new blood vessels in bigger injuries where no blood vessels remain. The scaffold must resemble very closely the tissue they are helping to heal, so the new cells and vessels can grow in the appropriate way. The scaffolds are also engineered to breakdown naturally within the body, to give room for the new healthy tissue! 7

8 3 - Place stem cells in a support structure, called a scaffold. Stem cells are placed on a flexible patch, which works as a support or scaffold for them. The scaffold is placed on the heart. 4 - Healing takes place. The stem cells on the patch grow into new heart muscle cells, and replace the damaged or dead heart cells. New blood vessels grow into the scaffolds to feed the new cells. The scaffold degrades and gives way to the new tissue. 11. What do you think the main goal of regenerative medicine is? (Students ideas about regenerative medicine.) 8 Have time to spare? Check out more websites: American Heart Association - Check out this site! It s a detailed description of how the heart works. Remember learning this? Jot down new notes and feel free to share them with those near you. For fun, feel free to quiz each other! How much does your classmate REALLY remember?! American Heart Association - Fitness - Learn more about how important exercise and fitness is. Your students can continue their research by comparing what they ve learned to other sources. Suggested questions: What are the best activities for your heart? What are some of the worst activities for your heart? What are Heart Walks and where is one nearest you? How can you get physical activity at home? What are some benefits of physical activity? Evaluation Choices Encourage your students to create a visual presentation with images and writing that describes at least 6 things the student has learned about the heart and regenerative medicine, including all sources. Some ideas are listed below. An informative poster or brochure about new medical advances associated with regenerative medicine A flip book showing how the heart works

CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES. THE HEART Student Pages. Designers Brianne Miller, Molly Bugaile

CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES. THE HEART Student Pages. Designers Brianne Miller, Molly Bugaile CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES THE HEART Student Pages Designers Brianne Miller, Molly Bugaile The heart is the most important muscle in the body! Heart Activity I Just beat it! The heart is the most important muscle