Lesson 1: Biomedical Engineering: Introduction

Suggested Time: 60 minutes Overview
Students will begin by exploring the field of biomedical engineering, investigating the various branches to determine what interests them the most. Then, they will learn directly from a professional who works in the field.
Vocabulary
Objectives
Required Project Materials
Multimedia Resources
Optional Multimedia Resources
Before the Lesson/ Background Information
The Lesson
Part 1: Biomedical Engineering (30 mins)
  1. Ask students to define biomedical engineering. Respond to ideas and definitions and discuss the main sections of the field using the vocabulary words above.
  2. Using the computer lab, students will explore the discipline, beginning with the links on the Dept. of Labor website and BMES. Instruct them to explore what the college program is like at Columbia University, clicking on the “Careers” tab and learning about their summer program for high school students. They can explore other programs and universities as well.
  3. Instruct the students to write down main points as they explore the websites.
  4. Assign a subdiscipline (e.g., tissue engineering) to each student, or allow them to pick their favorite. Each student will then perform their own research and share a brief summary with the whole class.
  5. As a class, brainstorm the skills and knowledge needed to go into biomedical engineering. Write down the ideas on a large poster paper and hang it in class.
  6. Instruct the students to write down a few questions for the guest speaker.
Part 2: Guest Speaker (30 mins)*
  1. Introduce the guest speaker(s).
  2. Reserve at least 15 minutes for the students to ask the speaker questions.
*If you cannot find guest speakers, arrange a suitable field trip. Active engagement with a speaker or interesting site is a great way to boost student interest at the beginning of the course. If this is not possible, have each student select a specific job title to play-act. Have them come up with skits and perform them as examples of how people with different jobs in the field may work together.
Homework:
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