Day 87 - MSMS 8th Graders Play Role of Medical Students in Health Class

This post originally appeared on the Marshall Simonds Middle School Blog 

Eighth grade students received a taste of what it would be like to be a medical student this week in Health class.  Using a lesson designed by the educators at the National Institutes of Health and Chromebooks, students viewed animations that presented realistic medical cases.  Students analyzed the patient’s symptoms to arrive at a diagnosis, with the help of reference materials provided by NIH.

One goal of this lesson is to “introduce students to the key concept that mental illnesses have a biological basis and are therefore not that different from other illnesses or diseases. Through inquiry-based activities, students gain a better understanding of what mental illnesses are—and what they are not.” ( NIH website)

This lesson encourages the students to think logically and critically, to understand how doctors approach their patients’ health problems, and to gain insights into mental health issues that affect so many Americans.