Introducing the Medical Quest

 

Welcome to the Medical Quest!

  • This session our middle school heroes (our term for students) are doing a deep dive into human biology, exploring the functions of body systems and researching diseases and medical conditions. There are three main projects they will complete over the next five weeks:

    At the Exhibition, heroes will be role-playing as doctors, and must triage and diagnose patients "presenting" different symptoms. To prepare for this, they are familiarizing themselves with various conditions, symptoms, medical tests, and treatments. 

    They will also be working in teams to construct a model of a particular system of the body. Ever wonder how your digestive, endocrine, or immune systems work? Heroes will present 2D, 3D, or virtual models to showcase their human biology knowledge.

    Finally, heroes are identifying a disease they want to research further. They will write a "medical funding pitch," arguing for more resources to be committed to curing and treating the disease, incorporating the following rhetorical devices:

    • Pathos by invoking the story of a real person who has the disease;

    • Logos to argue logically why more funding per case is needed and

    • Ethos by incorporating the perspective of a real researcher, explaining scientifically how a cure might be possible.

    These pitches will be sent to real funders making real funding choices for medical research.

    At The Forest School, this is how we do science.

banner image via

 
Tyler Thigpen