Whether discovering new cancer treatments or teaching healthy lifestyle choices to their communities, today’s biomedical professionals are tackling big challenges to make the world a better place.

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Working with the same equipment and tools used by lab professionals, PLTW Biomedical Science students are empowered to explore and find solutions to some of today’s most pressing medical challenges. Through scaffolded activities that connect learning to life, students step into the roles of biomedical science professionals and investigate topics including human medicine, physiology, genetics, microbiology, and public health. Students work together in teams to find unique solutions, and in the process, learn in-demand, transferable skills like critical thinking and communication.

 

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Principles of Biomedical Sciences PLTW (PBS)(Gr. 9-12) 2 semesters                             7161/7162

This course provides an introduction to the biomedical sciences through exciting hands-on projects and problems. Students use forensic science to investigate concepts of biology and medicine as they explore 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 woman as they sequentially piece together evidence found in her medical history and her autopsy report. Students investigate lifestyle choices and medical treatments that might have prolonged the woman’s life and demonstrate how the development of disease is related to changes in human body systems.  The activities and projects introduce students to human physiology, basic biology, medicine, and research processes and allow students to design experiments to solve problems.  Key biological concepts include maintenance of homeostasis in the body, metabolism, inheritance of traits, and defense against disease.  This course provides an overview of all the courses in the biomedical sciences program and lays the scientific foundation for subsequent courses. (5218)

Prerequisite: Students should have earned either and "A" or "B" in Biology I, OR have the current PBS teacher recommendation

Note: You may earn college credit at select colleges by earning a minimum of 6 out of 9 on the ECA for PBS

Note: Counts as Advanced Science Credits for Core 40, Academic Honors, and Tech Honors diplomas

 

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Human Body Systems PLTW (HBS) (Gr. 10-12) 2 semesters                                            7811/7812

Students examine the interactions of body systems as they explore identity, communication, 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 on a skeletal manikin, work through interesting real world cases and often play the role of biomedical professionals to solve medical mysteries.   (5216)

Prerequisite: Students should have taken PBS or have recommendation from current HBS teacher

Note: 1 grade bump in GPA

Note: Counts as Advanced Science credits for Core 40, Academic Honors, and Technical Honors

Note: You may earn college credit at select colleges by earning a minimum of 6 out of 9 on the ECA for HBS

 

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Medical Interventions PLTW (MI) (Gr. 11-12) 2 semesters                                                 7821/7822

Students investigate a variety of interventions involved in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of disease as they follow the lives of a fictitious family.  A “How-To” manual for maintaining overall health and homeostasis in the body, the course explores how to prevent and fight infection, how to screen and evaluate the code in our DNA, how to prevent, diagnose and treat cancer, and how to prevail when the organs of the body begin to fail.  Through these scenarios, students are exposed to the wide range of interventions related to Immunology, Surgery, Genetics, Pharmacology, Medical Devices, and Diagnostics.  Each family case scenario introduces multiple types of interventions and reinforces concepts learned in the previous two courses, as well as present new content. Interventions may range from simple diagnostic tests to treatment of complex diseases and disorders. These interventions are showcased across the generations of the family and provide a look at the past, present and future of biomedical science.  Lifestyle choices and preventive measures are emphasized throughout the course as well as the important role scientific thinking and engineering design play in the development of interventions of the future. (5217)

Prerequisite: Students should have taken PBS and/or HBS or have recommendation from current MI teacher

Note: 1 grade bump in GPA

Note: Counts as Adv. Science credits for Core 40, Academic Honors and Technical Honors

Note: You may earn college credit at select colleges by earning a minimum of 6 out of 9 on the ECA for MI

 

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Biomedical Innovations PLTW (BI) (Gr. 12) 2 semesters                                                   7831/7832

This capstone course gives student teams the opportunity to work with one or more mentors from the scientific and/or medical community. Teams identify a topic, conduct research, write a scientific paper, and defend team conclusions and recommendations to a panel of outside reviewers.  Students may consider working with peers enrolled in a PLTW: Pre-Engineering capstone course to jointly engineer a product that could impact healthcare. (5219)

Prerequisite: Students should have taken 2 of the 3 PLTW Biomedical Science courses or have recommendation from the current BI teacher

Note: Does not count as advanced science credit for all diploma types

Note: 1 grade bump in GPA

Note: If all 4 biomed courses are completed; student may apply for college credit through IVY Tech for Biomed Innovations.

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