Searching for concussion clues
Students will answer questions about the Science News article “Concussion leaves clues in the blood,” which examines the search for a better way to diagnose concussions.
Educator Guide: Concussion Leaves Clues in the Blood
After a knock to the head, certain proteins in the blood rose in college athletes who suffered a concussion, researchers report.
MARGARET KITE/SHUTTERSTOCK
About this guide
This guide asks students to explore research into concussions and draw on their own experiences to think about the various signs and symptoms of injury or disease. After testing various materials, students will develop designs for protective headgear.
This Guide Includes:
The difficult path to diagnosis
Doctors often have to diagnose an injury or disease based on incomplete information. In this discussion, students will explore how symptoms and other biological information — including protein biomarkers in particular — can help doctors identify a problem and recommend a treatment.
Protective headgear design challenge
Concussions are a common sports injury. After reviewing Newton’s laws of motion, force diagrams, momentum, and elastic and inelastic collisions, students will test various materials that might protect the head from sports collisions and use those materials to design protective headgear.