California High School

 

The Biomedical Sciences Pathway is supported by Project Lead the Way and is recognized by the UC's and CSU's as meeting the "d" Science requirement. Pathway students will be exposed to career exploration in the field of Biomedical Sciences, engage in project-based curriculum and integrate core curriculum into their career classes. The Pathway class experience exposes students to "real-world" experiences including guest speakers, field trips and mentorships. The Pathway teachers collaborate to support the academic success of Pathway students. The Pathway Team also collaborates with Pine Valley, Iron Horse and CSUEB to develop a comprehensive program and is working with community partners to develop unique experiences for our students. 

 

 

Principles of Biomedical Sciences (9-12th grades ). This is the first course in the Project Lead the Way (PLTW) Biomedical Sciences Pathway. In this class, students investigate the human body systems and various health conditions including heart disease, diabetes, sickle-cell disease, hypercholesterolemia and infectious diseases. This course is designed to provide an overview of all the courses in the Biomedical Sciences program and lay the scientific foundation for subsequent courses. 

 

In Human Body Systems (10-11th grades), students examine the interactions of body systems as they explore identity, communication, power, movement, protection, and homeostasis. Students design experiments, investigate the structures and functions of the human body, and use data acquisition software to monitor body functions such as muscle movement, reflex and voluntary action, and respiration.

 

Medical Interventions (11-12th grades) is the third course in the Project Lead The Way Biomedical Science Pathway. Students investigate the variety of interventions involved in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of disease as they follow the lives of a fictitious family. The course is a “How-To” manual for maintaining overall health and homeostasis in the body as students explore: how to prevent the fight infection; how to screen and evaluate the code in human DNA; how to prevent, diagnose and treat cancer; and how to prevail when the organs of the body begin to fail. Through these scenarios, students are exposed to the wide range of interventions related to immunology, surgery, genetics, pharmacology, medical devices, and diagnostics. Lifestyle choices and preventive measures are emphasized throughout the course as well as the important roles scientific thinking and engineering design play in the development of interventions of the future.