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Week 6: Science Meets Medicine — Biomedical Careers

2nd Six Weeks | Health Science Cluster | 5 class periods (50 min each)

Lesson Objective

Students explore the Biomedical Science pathway through Hats & Ladders, complete the H&L "Physical Therapy in Action" Career Climb activity and the "Farm Fresh Express" Career Lab project, write a Cover Letter using the H&L workbook template, research one emerging biomedical occupation, and finalize their Health Science cluster favorites in the Climber Profile.

Demonstration of Learning

"I can describe at least three biomedical careers, design a personalized physical therapy plan for two clients, plan a mobile farmers' market for a food desert, write a professional cover letter, research an emerging biomedical occupation, and finalize my Health Science cluster favorites."

TEKS Alignment

  • d(1)(C): Identify various career opportunities within the Health Science cluster (Days 1-5).
  • d(1)(D): Research and evaluate emerging occupations related to career interest areas (Day 5 Emerging Biomedical Career Research).
  • d(2)(A): Research and describe applicable academic, technical, certification, and training requirements (Day 5 template).
  • d(5)(A): Analyze labor market trends related to a career of interest (Day 5 BLS labor market row).
  • d(7)(B): Write business correspondence (cover letter, thank you) (Day 1 Cover Letter activity).

Materials Needed

  • Chromebooks with internet access (1 per student)
  • Hats & Ladders student accounts + H&L Workbook (Ch 9: Health Science, pp. 143-154)
  • BLS, Biomedical Engineers: bls.gov/ooh/architecture-and-engineering/biomedical-engineers.htm
  • BLS, Pharmacists: bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/pharmacists.htm
  • NIH STEM Teaching Resources: science.education.nih.gov
  • Xello accounts (Save Careers activity)
  • Printed Physical Therapy client profile worksheet (Mark + Mrs. Rodriguez)
  • Printed Cover Letter worksheet (5 steps from H&L workbook p. 143)
  • Printed Wilson City community data sheet (from H&L Ch 9 Farm Fresh Express)
  • Printed Emerging Biomedical Career Research template

Career Connection

Biomedical science sits at the intersection of healthcare and technology. Biomedical engineers design artificial organs and prosthetics. Lab technicians develop new drugs and vaccines. Research scientists study diseases at the molecular level. These careers are intellectually demanding and require some of the most extensive postsecondary education in the Health Science cluster, typically a master's or doctoral degree. This is the cluster wrap-up week. Students should leave with a clear picture of which Health Science pathway fits their interests, AND with an updated Career Plan that reflects 2 full six-week periods of exploration.

What is Happening at Irving ISD? Biomedical Science at Irving High School, leads to the Biotechnology Office and Competitive Exam (BACE) certification. Students who complete the pathway can pursue advanced biology and biotechnology programs at university.

Vocabulary

  • Biomedical Engineering: The application of engineering principles to medicine and biology, designing medical devices, prosthetics, and drug delivery systems.
  • Biotechnology: The use of living organisms and biological systems to develop products and technologies for healthcare, agriculture, and industry.
  • Clinical Trial: A research study that tests new medical treatments or drugs on human volunteers to determine safety and effectiveness.
  • Research Scientist: A professional who conducts experiments to advance knowledge in a specific field like medicine, biology, or chemistry.
  • Emerging Occupation: A new or rapidly growing career that reflects current trends in technology, science, or society.
  • Cover Letter: A short personalized letter sent with a resume that introduces a job applicant to an employer.
  • Food Desert: An area where people have limited access to affordable, nutritious food due to distance from grocery stores and limited transportation.

Bridge to Theory (Hats & Ladders)

The H&L workbook (Ch 9: Health Science, pp. 143-154) anchors this week with three major activities:

  • Cover Letter: The Golden Ticket (Day 1, p. 143): A 5-step Career Climb activity teaching students to write a professional cover letter
  • Physical Therapy in Action (Day 2, pp. 144-147): A Career Climb activity where students design personalized workout plans for two clients (Mark, an injured 24-year-old athlete, and Mrs. Rodriguez, a 72-year-old active senior)
  • Farm Fresh Express (Days 3-4, pp. 149-154): A multi-day Career Lab project where teams design a mobile farmers' market for the food desert in Wilson City, Texas. The workbook provides a detailed Wilson City community data sheet with population, transportation access, and dietary needs.

The Hat Research template (Ch 9, p. 148) is used for documenting biomedical careers.

IISD Instructional Strategies

  • Stop and Jot: During the NIH career videos and the Biomedical pathway tour, students pause twice to jot down: one technology they saw, one career associated with it, and one question they want to investigate.
  • Chunking: The Farm Fresh Express project is split across Days 3-4, Day 3 reads the Wilson City data and brainstorms; Day 4 designs and presents the mobile market.
  • Modeling: The teacher models the Cover Letter opening paragraph live on the projector before students draft their own.

Week at a Glance

Day Focus Key Activities Deliverable
1 Biomedical Pathway + Cover Letter H&L Ch 9 Biomedical Hat Finder, NIH videos, Cover Letter activity (pp. 143) Hat Research template + draft cover letter
2 Physical Therapy in Action H&L Ch 9 "Physical Therapy in Action" (pp. 144-147): workout plans for 2 clients Two completed personalized workout plans
3 Farm Fresh Express. Setup H&L Ch 9 "Farm Fresh Express" (pp. 149-152): read Wilson City data, analyze, brainstorm Wilson City data analysis + brainstorm sheet
4 Farm Fresh Express. Design + Present Design the mobile farmers' market + create the campaign + pair presentations Market design sketch + flyer/poster + pair presentation
5 Emerging Career Research + Cluster Wrap-Up Emerging Biomedical Career research, Xello Save Careers, finalize favorites, 2SW reflection Emerging Career Research template + updated Climber Profile + 2SW reflection

Formative Assessment

  • Hat Research + draft cover letter + Mini-Case exit ticket (Imani's Lab Assistant application; highlight 2 cover letter sections + body sentence). Day 1, d(1)(C), d(7)(B)
  • Physical Therapy plans + Comparison Matrix exit ticket (Mark vs. Mrs. Rodriguez: exercise / why / avoid). Day 2, d(1)(C)
  • Wilson City data analysis + Ranked Justification exit ticket (4 food-desert constraints ranked + market design choice). Day 3, d(1)(C)
  • Market design + flyer + Venn Diagram exit ticket (my mobile market vs. a real farmers' market). Day 4, d(1)(C)
  • Emerging Career Research + Xello Save Careers + Concept Map exit ticket (emerging career + BLS trend + Irving High pathway + 6-week self-pattern). Day 5, d(1)(D), d(2)(A), d(5)(A)

Summative Assessment

2nd Six Weeks Portfolio Update (Day 5): Students submit (1) the completed Emerging Biomedical Career Research template, (2) their updated My Career Journey reflection covering both 1SW and 2SW, and (3) their refined SMART goal from Week 5. The portfolio shows their growth across two complete six-week periods. Scored on: emerging career research quality (d(1)(D)), labor market analysis (d(5)(A)), education pathway knowledge (d(2)(A)), and self-reflection growth.

Differentiation

Scaffolded Learning

  • Cover letter sentence stems for each of the 5 sections
  • Pre-built workout plan template with warm-up, main exercises, and cool-down sections labeled
  • Wilson City data analysis worksheet with key data points highlighted
  • Pre-filled emerging career research template with one career modeled

Extensions

  • Research a specific DFW biotech employer (McKesson, Kimberly-Clark Health, UT Southwestern Medical Center) and identify what careers they hire for
  • Calculate the total education cost for a Biomedical Engineer and find the salary break-even point
  • Build a 4-year plan for the Irving High Biomedical Science pathway including AP Biology and dual credit options
  • Design a mobile farmers' market for a different community (urban food desert vs. rural Wilson City)

ELL Language Support

  • Pre-teach: Biomedical = Biomédico, Research = Investigación, Laboratory = Laboratorio, Emerging = Emergente, Cover Letter = Carta de Presentación, Workout = Ejercicio
  • Bilingual workout plan template with Spanish exercise names
  • Visual data sheet with picture prompts (truck, farmer, market)
  • Pair ESL students with bilingual peers for group presentations