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Attempting to improve the health of rural Kentucky citizens through educating its youth with health integrated school work and online mentoring interactions
Author(s) -
Cooper Richard Morris,
Byrd LaShay,
Ho Jenni,
Wilson Jennifer,
Krall Rebecca McNall,
Capilouto Gilson J.,
Cooper Robin L
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fasebj.31.1_supplement.1014.6
Subject(s) - transformative learning , gerontology , psychology , medical education , pedagogy , medicine
Kentucky consistently ranks among the top ten states nation‐wide for the highest rates of chronic, preventable diseases. High school graduates in Kentucky are only required to successfully complete one semester of health, of which the course‐work is didactic and rarely transformative. The adoption of the Next Generation Science Standards, which advocate deep understanding and application of content, and using science to make informed decisions, provides a natural opportunity to integrate the National Health Education Standards into required science classes. We are developing an educational unit around the topic of Metabolic Syndrome (MSy). We capitalize on the knowledge of the life cycle, physiology, genetics, and behavior of Drosophila melanogaster to investigate the effects of diet on development, survival, behavior, environmental stress on survival and behavior, as well as physiological functions such as heart rate and neural‐muscular function with sensory motor tasks. We have started with high school classes defining the disease of MSy and contributing factors. High school classes are now designing live models of fruit flies fed different diets and examining the health (behavior, heart function, development and survival) of the fly populations. Students are developing talking points based on what they have personally learned, design displays, and use their models to teach others. For a culminating event, students will set up their demonstrations and displays, much like they do for a school science fair/symposium, in the places where rural people congregate the most ‐ parent teacher conference night, churches, ball games, flea markets. Support or Funding Information College of Health Sciences, Univ. of KY. & personal funds (RLC).