Resources for High School Teachers

"Explore the Mystery of Blood" Curriculum

"Explore the Mystery of Blood" is a dynamic high school science curriculum designed to spark interest in the fields of science and medicine, in addition to exposing students to exciting career opportunities in hematology. This new program was created by the American Society of Hematology and Scholastic, the global children's publishing, education, and media company, and was made possible in part by a grant from the Wallace H. Coulter Foundation.

This interactive, hands-on learning experience gives students the opportunity to become familiar with the fascinating field of hematology and the pathology of common blood disorders. Students will learn basic laboratory skills, such as making observations using a compound microscope, and see how scientists use these skills to diagnose diseases. Students will also perform case study analysis of laboratory data and research the use of model organisms, an essential component of medical science today. Lesson plans build on themes from the hematology documentary "Blood Detectives" and information from the consumer campaign Blood: The Vital Connection, and align with national education standards for science, technology, and life skills.

This curriculum has been distributed to 50,000 high school science teachers and science club advisors nationwide with the possibility of reaching more than 4 million students. If you have not yet received your copy, we encourage you to download the following program components for use in your classroom or visit www.Scholastic.com/hematology.

• Teaching Guide
  A colorful guide complete with nine lesson plans and student worksheets.
• PowerPoint Slides of Blood Smears
  These images can be used in lieu of actual blood slides and microscopes to engage students in sample analysis.
• "Blood Detectives" DVD
  Previously aired on the Discovery Health channel, this one-hour film will be airing throughout the United States on PBS-affiliated stations in 2009 and 2010. Check the schedule available on this site or see your local listings for a more accurate list of air dates and times.
• Short Videos About Hematology and Blood Diseases
  Educational videos that explain blood functions and disorders, what hematology is and what hematologists do, why students may want to consider choosing hematology as their specialty, and the importance of biomedical research.

If you do use any of these materials in your classroom, we would love to hear from you! Please e-mail us at [email protected] about your experience using the materials, the students' reactions, and any suggestions you have about ways we can improve the program.

PowerPoint Slides - Blood Smears

A drop of blood can be used to help determine how healthy a patient is - or what may be going wrong. Under the microscope, hematologists look for changes in the size, shape, color, and number of blood cells to diagnose blood diseases. To see examples of both healthy and unhealthy blood smears, students can review the following slides:

• Normal red blood cells  
• Normal blood smear  
• Iron-deficiency anemia 
• Sickle-cell anemia  
• Chronic myelogenous leukemia  
• Hairy-cell leukemia  
• Hodgkin lymphoma  

The full set of slides can also be downloaded or printed for use as an educational tool. These slides were derived from the ASH Image Bank. Teachers are welcome to use this free online database to search for additional images of blood cells and blood diseases.

Videos

A number of educational videos are also available that explain blood functions and disorders, what hematology is and what hematologists do, why students may want to consider choosing hematology as their specialty, and the importance of biomedical research.

• What is Hematology?  
• Why Choose Hematology?  
• Research Saves Lives  
• How Lymphoma Develops  
• Cancer Cells vs. Healthy Cells  
• The Role of Proteins in Blood Clotting  
• How a Clot Can Become a Pulmonary Embolism 
• The Problem With Sickled Cells  
• The Role of Red Blood Cells in Anemia  
• The Components of Blood and Their Importance  

Teachers are encouraged to use these videos in the classroom to educate students about the field of hematology.

ASH High School Presentation Materials

In order to advance the science of hematology, ASH recognizes that “new blood” must be attracted to the field. Our members are the best ambassadors of hematology to students, and from time to time speak to students in their local communities about the specialty. As a convenience for these members, ASH has developed a set of free, customizable materials for their high school presentations. Submit this form to download these materials, which include presentations on blood basics and becoming a hematologist, as well as a handy resource index.