LEARN NC

K–12 teaching and learning · from the UNC School of Education

Smelling diseases

http://www.sciencenetlinks.com/sci_update.cfm?DocID=218

Provider: American Association for the Advancement of Science

About this resource

Appropriate grades
6–8
Subjects
science (biology and life science, technology and innovation), thinking skills (information literacy)
Provider
American Association for the Advancement of Science

Legal

Creative Commons License

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In this Science Update, students explore how doctors are developing a kind of sniff test to screen for diseases. Bill Hanson, an anesthesiologist and critical care expert at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, says many illnesses make people exhale a distinct chemical signature, which is created by the germs or malfunctions that cause the disease, and the body's efforts to fight them. He uses a Cyranose, a small device about the size of a pocket radio that sucks gas in, across its sensors, and then analyzes the response of those sensors and puts that information into a software package. There's a very good chance that one could walk into a physician's office, and exhale into a device like this, and have a diagnostic screen done for any of a number of different things. Science NetLinks provides a link to the audio file, a written transcript, and questions to engage students in discussion about how the “electronic nose” tests for diseases, the rate of accuracy, and possible uses for such technology. This activity also contains links to the National Library of Medicine, which provides more information of diseases that can affect breath odor.

North Carolina Curriculum Alignment

Science (2005)

Grade 6

  • Goal 1: The learner will design and conduct investigations to demonstrate an understanding of scientific inquiry.
    • Objective 1.01: Identify and create questions and hypotheses that can be answered through scientific investigations.
    • Objective 1.05: Analyze evidence to:
      • Explain observations.
      • Make inferences and predictions.
      • Develop the relationship between evidence and explanation.
    • Objective 1.08: Use oral and written language to:
      • Communicate findings.
      • Defend conclusions of scientific investigations.
    • Objective 1.09: Use technologies and information systems to:
      • Research.
      • Gather and analyze data
      • Visualize data.
      • Disseminate findings to others.
  • Goal 2: The learner will demonstrate an understanding of technological design.
    • Objective 2.01: Explore evidence that "technology" has many definitions.
      • Artifact or hardware.
      • Methodology or technique.
      • System of production.
      • Social-technical system.
    • Objective 2.02: Use information systems to:
      • Identify scientific needs, human needs, or problems that are subject to technological solution.
      • Locate resources to obtain and test ideas.
    • Objective 2.03: Evaluate technological designs for:
      • Application of scientific principles.
      • Risks and benefits.
      • Constraints of design.
      • Consistent testing protocols.

Grade 7

  • Goal 1: The learner will design and conduct investigations to demonstrate an understanding of scientific inquiry.
    • Objective 1.01: Identify and create questions and hypotheses that can be answered through scientific investigations.
    • Objective 1.05: Analyze evidence to:
      • Explain observations.
      • Make inferences and predictions.
      • Develop the relationship between evidence and explanation.
    • Objective 1.08: Use oral and written language to:
      • Communicate findings.
      • Defend conclusions of scientific investigations.
    • Objective 1.09: Use technologies and information systems to:
      • Research.
      • Gather and analyze data.
      • Visualize data.
      • Disseminate findings to others.
    • Objective 1.10: Analyze and evaluate information from a scientifically literate viewpoint by reading, hearing, and/or viewing:
      • Scientific text.
      • Articles.
      • Events in the popular press.
  • Goal 2: The learner will demonstrate an understanding of technological design.
    • Objective 2.01: Explore evidence that "technology" has many definitions.
      • Artifact or hardware.
      • Methodology or technique.
      • System of production.
      • Social-technical system.
    • Objective 2.02: Use information systems to:
      • Identify scientific needs, human needs, or problems that are subject to technological solution.
      • Locate resources to obtain and test ideas.
    • Objective 2.03: Evaluate technological designs for:
      • Application of scientific principles.
      • Risks and benefits.
      • Constraints of design.
      • Consistent testing protocols.

Grade 8

  • Goal 1: The learner will design and conduct investigations to demonstrate an understanding of scientific inquiry.
    • Objective 1.01: Identify and create questions and hypotheses that can be answered through scientific investigations.
    • Objective 1.05: Analyze evidence to:
      • explain observations.
      • make inferences and predictions.
      • develop the relationship between evidence and explanation.
    • Objective 1.08: Use oral and written language to:
      • Communicate findings.
      • Defend conclusions of scientific investigations.
      • Describe strengths and weaknesses of claims, arguments, and/or data.
    • Objective 1.09: Use technologies and information systems to:
      • Research.
      • Gather and analyze data.
      • Visualize data.
      • Disseminate findings to others.
    • Objective 1.10: Analyze and evaluate information from a scientifically literate viewpoint by reading, hearing, and/or viewing:
      • Scientific text.
      • Articles.
      • Events in the popular press.
  • Goal 2: The learner will demonstrate an understanding of technological design.
    • Objective 2.01: Explore evidence that "technology" has many definitions.
      • Artifact or hardware.
      • Methodology or technique.
      • System of production.
      • Social-technical system.
    • Objective 2.02: Use information systems to:
      • Identify scientific needs, human needs, or problems that are subject to technological solution.
      • Locate resources to obtain and test ideas.
    • Objective 2.03: Evaluate technological designs for:
      • Application of scientific principles.
      • Risks and benefits.
      • Constraints of design.
      • Consistent testing protocols.