Names: Olivia Costantini and Dusty Rhodes Content: Biology/Life Science Grade: 8th Objectives: Students will understand

the following: 1. The human body uses electric signals to send messages to and from the brain. 2. The human nervous system uses these signals to permit the body to sense, move, and act in the world. Materials: For this lesson, you will need: Research materials including internet access, databases with usernames and passcodes, and books Poster boards and markers for potential presentations Note cards Interactive Whiteboard Handouts on the human nervous system

Procedures 1.) 2.) Ask the students if they know what bodily system that sends messages from the brain to the rest of the body and ask how much they know about it. Ask the students if they know the term cyborg means or what they think it could mean. Then tell them about the idea behind cyborg and modern uses for the term. Help by directing them to the examples of contact lenses, hearing aids, cochlear implants in the ear, artificial hearts, and artificial joints and limbs. Lastly, explain that in the end we will discuss what future augmentations will be the most useful, and we discuss the idea of a cyborg at the end. We will then next show a quick Intro video about each of the nervous system to allow the students get a feel for what we will be learning about, and that there is two separate types of nervous system. Next, the students will receive a few handouts to help keep track of the information that they will be receiving, about the facet of information concerning the nervous system. With the handouts it begins the process of review with the students. The review will consist on how messages sent from the brain travel to the nerves, organs, and then back to the brain. Be clear when describing that the nervous system

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uses electrical impulses to send the messages to the body and allows the body to sense, move, and function. The students will have a discussion about the possibility of using cyborg technology, and computers to help people with their sensory impairments. Students will research the human nervous system, especially the way the signals send to the rest of the body to allow movement, breathing, and thinking. They will use specific websites and books picked out by the instructor. The students will create a poster or any other form of presentation about how the nervous system works, especially the specific things they do for the body. One section of the presentation should be about cybernetic advances to the body. The presentation can be done in a way they feel more comfortable as long as it describes the nervous system. Assess the classs understanding of vocabulary by using the interactive whiteboard for a short, non-graded quiz.

Adaptations: Adaptations for Older Students: Have students research recent news and magazine articles that report experiments or progress in cyborg technology. Adaptations for students with poor handwriting: Give students the opportunity to type the information. Adaptations for students with poor memory for spoken information: Provide visuals, slideshow, or interactive games to help assist retention. Adaptation for students who find it difficult to find important information: Give students links to specific websites or databases that has the essential information.

Discussion Questions: 1. Debate whether there are negative aspects to cyborg augmentation. Support your opinion with examples and evidence found in the research. 2. If you could augment your physical strength of senses, what would you change and why? 3. Hypothesize what society would be like if the average lifespan were doubled so that people lived to be 150 years old. 4. Do you think a computer can be built so that it can mimic the human mind and the nervous system that goes with it? Why or why not? 5. Just like society is accustomed to the technology and convenience of electric lights, computers and internet, cell phones, and tablets, do you think advances in human augmentation will be accepted and someday seem commonplace? Explain your response. Evaluations: You can evaluate your students on their assignments by using the following three-point rubric:

Presentations accurately depict the human nervous system. Their presentation discusses topics that are reasonable, yet creative. Presentations depict the human nervous system fairly well. Inaccurate depiction on the nervous system.

Vocabulary: Augment: to enlarge or increase, especially in size, amount, or degree Biotechnology: applied biological science; the science of applying technology to medical needs. Genetic engineering: the science of altering the genes of a plant or animal Standards: This lesson plan may be used to address the academic standards listed below. These standards are drawn from Content Knowledge: A Compendium of Standards and Benchmarks for K-12 Education: 2nd Edition and have been provided courtesy of the Mid-continent Research for Education and Learning in Aurora, Colorado. Grade level: 6-8 Subject area: health Standard: Knows essential concepts about the prevention and control of disease. Benchmarks: Understands how lifestyle, pathogens, family history, and other risk factors are related to the cause or prevention of disease and other health problems. Grade level: 6-8, 9-12 Subject area: life science Standard: Understands the genetic basis for the transfer of biological characteristics from one generation to the next. Benchmarks: Benchmark 6-8: Knows that hereditary information is contained in genes (located in the chromosomes of each cell), each of which carries a single unit of information; an inherited trait of an individual can be determined by either one or many genes, and a single gene can influence more than one trait. Benchmark 9-12: Knows the chemical and structural properties of DNA and its role in specifying the characteristics of an organism (e.g., DNA is a large polymer formed from subunits of four kinds [A, G, C, and T]; genetic information is encoded in genes as a string of these subunits and is replicated by a templating mechanism; each DNA molecule in a cell forms a single chromosome).

Benchmark 9-12: Knows ways in which genes (segments of DNA molecules) may be altered and combined to create genetic variation within a species (e.g., recombination of genetic material, mutations, errors in copying genetic material during cell division). Grade level: 6-8, 9-12 Subject area: life science Standard: Knows the general structure and functions of cells in organisms. Benchmarks: Benchmark 6-8: Knows the levels of organization in living systemsincluding cells, tissues, organs, organ systems, whole organisms, and ecosystemsand the complementary nature of structure and function at each level. Benchmark 6-8: Knows that multicellular organisms have a variety of specialized cells, tissues, organs, and organ systems that perform specialized functions (e.g., digestion, respiration, reproduction, circulation, excretion, movement, control and coordination, protection from disease). Benchmark 9-12: Understands cell differentiation (e.g., the progeny from a single cell form an embryo in which the cells multiply and differentiate to form the many specialized cells, tissues, and organs that compose the final organism; each cell retains the basic information needed to reproduce itself). Benchmark 9-12: Understands the structure and functions of nervous systems in multicellular animals (e.g., nervous systems are formed from specialized cells that conduct signals rapidly through the long cell extensions that make up nerves; nerve cells communicate with each other by secreting specific excitatory and inhibitory molecules). Grade level: 6-8, 9-12 Subject area: technology Standard: Understands the relationships among science, technology, society, and the individual. Benchmarks: Benchmark 6-8: Knows that scientific inquiry and technological design have similarities and differences (e.g., scientists propose explanations for questions about the natural world that are always tentative and evolving, and engineers propose solutions relating to human problems, needs, and aspirations; both science and technology depend on accurate scientific information, and they cannot contravene scientific laws). Benchmark 9-12: Knows that science and technology are pursued for different purposes (scientific inquiry is driven by the desire to understand the natural world and seeks to answer questions that may or may not directly influence humans; technology is driven by the need to meet human needs and solve human problems).