Abstract

Students will dive right into emergency medicine by practicing basic first aid. Then, they will learn why hygiene is one of the most important concepts in medicine, as it helps to prevent the spread of infectious disease. After exploring a variety of disease-causing agents, students will learn how the science of medicine intersects with other disciplines as they investigate the relationship between diet, culture, and socioeconomic status. Then, students will explore human anatomy, beginning with the skeletal system and advancing to studying the brain and behavior, then returning to the microscopic level to study the building blocks of life with cellular anatomy. Finally, students will come full circle, as they test their newfound knowledge in emergency survival situations once again. What can they come up with based on what they’ve learned?
STEM areas: science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.

Lesson 1: First Aid Theatre

Grade Level: K-6
Suggested Time: 60 minutes
Overview
Students will learn about the various contents of a first aid kit and how to use them. Then they will break into teams and perform skits about what to do in response to various common injuries.
Vocabulary
Objectives
Required Project Materials
Multimedia Resources
Optional Multimedia Resources
Before the Lesson
The Lesson
Part 1: First Aid 101
  1. Ask the students if they’ve ever had an injury. How did it happen? What do they do now to prevent a similar injury? Kids love to talk about their scrapes and cuts, so limit this to a few minutes.
  2. Elicit responses about listening to parents/ guardians, watching for sharp objects, being morecareful, and staying away from hazardous areas.
  3. Open up a first aid kit and go through each item with the students. Help them figure out theuse for each and work through the effects of alcohol, etc.
  4. Ask the students to name household objects that can be used in first aid. Examples might beice or frozen peas for swelling; using cold water on burns; etc.
  5. Stress the importance of cleaning wounds immediately with water or with one of the cleaning pads in the first aid kit.
  6. Go over the steps as follows:
`7. If possible, have a doctor or veterinarian demonstrate how to do CPR on a person or animal.
Part 2: First Aid Theater
  1. Separate the students into groups. Each group will come up with a skit, where someone pretends to get a common injury and must be treated. The group will then act what should(or shouldn’t) be done. Encourage them to be creative and have fun!
  2. Students will act out skits in front of the class.
  3. This is also a great outdoor activity!
Accommodations 
Modifications