Activity 1B: Historically Speaking: The Historical Perspective Activity Suggestion

Note:

This activity suggestion describes how specific content might be taught to middle school students. It does not contain fully developed lesson materials, which we hope to develop under future funding in this content area. Any feedback on how you are able to use this lesson suggestion would be greatly appreciated. Your comments can be sent to us at teachhealthk-12@uthscsa.edu.

Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in America today. Cutting edge researchers rely on using ideal animal models that mimic the human subject closely but are large enough to permit physiological studies that will develop into end-stage cardiovascular disease comparable to those found in humans. The  considerable advances and progress made so far would not have been possible without the use of animal models. So far, there is no one species that is suitable for studying the very complex cardiovascular disease, however the smaller mammals are better suited than larger mammals due to cost. The most common animal models include small rodents, mice, and rats because larger mammals are more costly and not as compatible to humans. Students will focus their attention on conducting research on the history of using animal models in cardiovascular disease. They will investigate the historical progression of cardiovascular disease and track the improvements made in the diagnosis of the disease and new therapies found. They will also discuss new and improved cardiovascular drugs, new devices discovered and improved procedures used throughout history This important research will lead students in making their own educated judgments about the importance and  necessity of using animal models for the advancement of biomedical research, especially in the fight against cardiovascular disease.