Please click on the underlined links in the story summaries and vocabulary lists to gain a deeper understanding of this unit and to help you complete your ICON cards. They will help you to decide on a research project you are interested in and how to present what you learned to the class=)
Medicine: Past and Present
Summary:
The first story is about the history of medicine from Hippocrates' time through some of the more daring advancements made in medicine throughout history. Humans have grappled with horrible epidemics like the Black Plague and other unexplainable ailments. In efforts to understand and treat these illnesses, some life-threatening experiments and risky procedures have been tried. This selection is an expository piece that informs us about the development of an understanding of germs, bacteria, antibiotics, sterilization and vaccination.
Hippocrates proposed that diseases had natural causes. William Harvey determined that blood moves through the human body. Anton van Leevenboek (1674) discovered the existence of microbes in pond water - a revelation that something too small to be seen by the human eye could exist. Edward Jenner (1800) developed the idea of antibiotics. He injected cowpox into people to see if they would develop immunity to small pox. Louis Pasteur proved living things came from other living things and that bacteria caused disease. He developed the first vaccine. Joseph Lister discovered the importance of sterilization and the use of disinfectant to fight germs outside the body (before they could enter the body). Alexander Fleming discovered penicillin, the first antibiotic used to kill bacteria inside the body.
Key Concepts to explore:
Great advances have been made in medical knowledge.
The discovery of germs, vaccines and cures for diseases have taken place over time and with many steps along the way.
Vocabulary :
plague - disease that kills many, many people
infected - having germs that cause disease
antibodies - tiny substances made by our bodies to destroy germs
bacteria - germs
microbes - tiny living organisms too small to be seen without a microscope
virus - the smallest type of microbe that causes a large number of diseases in plants, animals and humans
Spelling
the soft g and soft c ( g and c are usually "soft" when followed by an e or i)
Try: giraffe, generous, genuine, gentleman, genius, general, symbol, citizen, cinnamon, certain
Story questions:
1. What made Jenner guess that the body developed a way to fight smallpox? (He noticed that if someone recovered from smallpox, they never got the disease again.)
2. When Pasteur heated a flask of water, what did he learn? (He learned that the bacteria that were carried into the water by dust particles could be killed.)
3. Why did Pasteur inject healthy animals with the bacteria called anthrax? (He did it to prove that bacteria are what cause disease.)
4. Why did surgeons begin sterilizing their instruments before operations? (They did this to get rid of germs that might cause infections in their patients.)
As the students read, they will need to summarize often, monitor their understanding and slow down or re-read as necessary to maintain comprehension.
The first story is about the history of medicine from Hippocrates' time through some of the more daring advancements made in medicine throughout history. Humans have grappled with horrible epidemics like the Black Plague and other unexplainable ailments. In efforts to understand and treat these illnesses, some life-threatening experiments and risky procedures have been tried. This selection is an expository piece that informs us about the development of an understanding of germs, bacteria, antibiotics, sterilization and vaccination.
Hippocrates proposed that diseases had natural causes. William Harvey determined that blood moves through the human body. Anton van Leevenboek (1674) discovered the existence of microbes in pond water - a revelation that something too small to be seen by the human eye could exist. Edward Jenner (1800) developed the idea of antibiotics. He injected cowpox into people to see if they would develop immunity to small pox. Louis Pasteur proved living things came from other living things and that bacteria caused disease. He developed the first vaccine. Joseph Lister discovered the importance of sterilization and the use of disinfectant to fight germs outside the body (before they could enter the body). Alexander Fleming discovered penicillin, the first antibiotic used to kill bacteria inside the body.
Key Concepts to explore:
Great advances have been made in medical knowledge.
The discovery of germs, vaccines and cures for diseases have taken place over time and with many steps along the way.
Vocabulary :
plague - disease that kills many, many people
infected - having germs that cause disease
antibodies - tiny substances made by our bodies to destroy germs
bacteria - germs
microbes - tiny living organisms too small to be seen without a microscope
virus - the smallest type of microbe that causes a large number of diseases in plants, animals and humans
Spelling
the soft g and soft c ( g and c are usually "soft" when followed by an e or i)
Try: giraffe, generous, genuine, gentleman, genius, general, symbol, citizen, cinnamon, certain
Story questions:
1. What made Jenner guess that the body developed a way to fight smallpox? (He noticed that if someone recovered from smallpox, they never got the disease again.)
2. When Pasteur heated a flask of water, what did he learn? (He learned that the bacteria that were carried into the water by dust particles could be killed.)
3. Why did Pasteur inject healthy animals with the bacteria called anthrax? (He did it to prove that bacteria are what cause disease.)
4. Why did surgeons begin sterilizing their instruments before operations? (They did this to get rid of germs that might cause infections in their patients.)
As the students read, they will need to summarize often, monitor their understanding and slow down or re-read as necessary to maintain comprehension.
Sewed Up His Heart
Summary:
This story is about a brave African-American doctor in Chicago in 1893. At that time no doctor believed doctors should operate on the chest area. Dr. Dan was a well-trained, careful doctor at the first interracial hospital in the country, which he had established. One night, a man came into his emergency room with a stab wound to his chest. There was no way to know how bad the damage was from an external examination, but it had to be bad as the patient's condition got worse and worse. He was clearly dying. Dr. Dan decided his only choice was to open up the man's chest and operate on the heart. He could not use an x-ray to examine the heart because this had not been invented yet. But if the operation failed he would not only lose the patient, his reputation would be badly damaged for trying such a risky procedure. He decided to go ahead because he believed it was the only way to save the man. Other doctors and nurses rushed to observe this daring operation. He was able to find the damage from the stab wound and sew up the two most serious holes. The man survived and Dr. Dan paved the way for other doctors to begin developing procedures for operating on the chest and heart.
Key Concepts to explore:
Being a doctor or nurse requires courage and dedication.
Doctors need to keep up with medical discoveries.
Vocabulary:
fatal - causes death
anesthesia - medicine that keeps you from feeling pain
suture - stitches
incision - a cut
colleague - person you work with who does a similar job
Spelling:
the /k/ sound spelled -ck or –c
Try: picnic, attack, bucket, check, frantic, heroic, lucky, nickel, picket, poetic
Rule: use "ck" after a short vowel, except at end of 2 syllable words.
Story questions:
This story is about a brave African-American doctor in Chicago in 1893. At that time no doctor believed doctors should operate on the chest area. Dr. Dan was a well-trained, careful doctor at the first interracial hospital in the country, which he had established. One night, a man came into his emergency room with a stab wound to his chest. There was no way to know how bad the damage was from an external examination, but it had to be bad as the patient's condition got worse and worse. He was clearly dying. Dr. Dan decided his only choice was to open up the man's chest and operate on the heart. He could not use an x-ray to examine the heart because this had not been invented yet. But if the operation failed he would not only lose the patient, his reputation would be badly damaged for trying such a risky procedure. He decided to go ahead because he believed it was the only way to save the man. Other doctors and nurses rushed to observe this daring operation. He was able to find the damage from the stab wound and sew up the two most serious holes. The man survived and Dr. Dan paved the way for other doctors to begin developing procedures for operating on the chest and heart.
Key Concepts to explore:
Being a doctor or nurse requires courage and dedication.
Doctors need to keep up with medical discoveries.
Vocabulary:
fatal - causes death
anesthesia - medicine that keeps you from feeling pain
suture - stitches
incision - a cut
colleague - person you work with who does a similar job
Spelling:
the /k/ sound spelled -ck or –c
Try: picnic, attack, bucket, check, frantic, heroic, lucky, nickel, picket, poetic
Rule: use "ck" after a short vowel, except at end of 2 syllable words.
Story questions:
- Why couldn't Dr. Dan take an x-ray of the man's heart to see what was the damage to it? (X-rays had not been invented yet.)
- What does the pericardium do? (The pericardium protects the heart and allows it to beat without rubbing against other parts of the body.)
- Why was Dr. Dan confident about doing this surgery? (He had many years of studying and teaching human anatomy.)
- Why was the operation such an important event? (This operation was an important event because the chest was not a part of the body operated on in those days.)
The Bridge Dancers
Summary:
This is realistic fiction (events could really happen). The story is about two sisters who live in a remote community in the mountains linked to other communities by an old rope bridge suspended over a high gorge. Their mother is the local healer and practices herbal medicine. One daughter, Maisie, is timid and terrified of the rope bridge. She is happy to stay in her little community, has learned much from her mother about herbal remedies and refuses to cross the bridge. The other sister, Callie, is adventurous and longs to escape her mountain home.
One stormy night, while their mother is off delivering a baby on the other side of the rope bridge, Callie takes down the family ax (which is against her mother's rules) to chop wood for the family. She falls and is badly cut. Maisie realizes she must go to get her mother to help her sister. But when she reaches the bridge, she can not bring herself to cross. Her only other option is to try to help her sister herself. She draws on all she has learned from her mother and manages to stop the bleeding, bandage the wound and sooth her sister through the night until their mother returns. Her mother is pleased that Maisie had good sense and stayed calm to help her sister and used good doctoring practices. She decides to let Maisie help her with the community doctoring that she does.
Key concepts:
Herbal remedies are still practiced and passed down from generation to generation.
Vocabulary:
gorge - small, deep canyon
enchained - being held captive
herb medicine - medicine made from plants
poultice - soft, moist packet of medicine
lulling - calming or soothing
Spelling:
the /j/ sound spelled -dge and -age
Try: badge, wedge, fudge, manage, damage, image, cottage, garbage, voyage, sausage
Story questions:
1. After Mama leaves, what does Callie want to do? (Callie wants to split a log with the ax.)
2. How does Callie injure her leg? (Callie falls off the rocker and the ax she is holding cuts her leg.)
3. Why doesn't Maisie get Mama after Callie cuts her leg? (She is afraid to cross the bridge alone during the stormy night.)
4. What does Mama say when she gets back home? (Mama praises Maisie for having good sense.)
5. Why does Mama let Maisie help her with the doctoring at the end of the story? (Maisie has proved that she knows how to doctor people.)
This is realistic fiction (events could really happen). The story is about two sisters who live in a remote community in the mountains linked to other communities by an old rope bridge suspended over a high gorge. Their mother is the local healer and practices herbal medicine. One daughter, Maisie, is timid and terrified of the rope bridge. She is happy to stay in her little community, has learned much from her mother about herbal remedies and refuses to cross the bridge. The other sister, Callie, is adventurous and longs to escape her mountain home.
One stormy night, while their mother is off delivering a baby on the other side of the rope bridge, Callie takes down the family ax (which is against her mother's rules) to chop wood for the family. She falls and is badly cut. Maisie realizes she must go to get her mother to help her sister. But when she reaches the bridge, she can not bring herself to cross. Her only other option is to try to help her sister herself. She draws on all she has learned from her mother and manages to stop the bleeding, bandage the wound and sooth her sister through the night until their mother returns. Her mother is pleased that Maisie had good sense and stayed calm to help her sister and used good doctoring practices. She decides to let Maisie help her with the community doctoring that she does.
Key concepts:
Herbal remedies are still practiced and passed down from generation to generation.
Vocabulary:
gorge - small, deep canyon
enchained - being held captive
herb medicine - medicine made from plants
poultice - soft, moist packet of medicine
lulling - calming or soothing
Spelling:
the /j/ sound spelled -dge and -age
Try: badge, wedge, fudge, manage, damage, image, cottage, garbage, voyage, sausage
Story questions:
1. After Mama leaves, what does Callie want to do? (Callie wants to split a log with the ax.)
2. How does Callie injure her leg? (Callie falls off the rocker and the ax she is holding cuts her leg.)
3. Why doesn't Maisie get Mama after Callie cuts her leg? (She is afraid to cross the bridge alone during the stormy night.)
4. What does Mama say when she gets back home? (Mama praises Maisie for having good sense.)
5. Why does Mama let Maisie help her with the doctoring at the end of the story? (Maisie has proved that she knows how to doctor people.)
The New Doctor
Summary:
The genre of this story is realistic fiction. The story is set in small village in New Mexico, where the opening of a new modern medical clinic threatens to replace the local curandera, or healer. A young girl (Lupe) has always taken an interest in the work of her friend Manuelita who is her village's curandera. She worries how Manuelita is adjusting to the arrival of the new clinic and doctor there. Her curiosity about the new clinic also draws her there. She meets the new doctor and sees all the modern equipment. She finds the new doctor very likable but then feels she is being disloyal to her friend Manuelita She also worries that too many people will go to the clinic and stop using Manuelita's services. One day, a medical emergency brings both healers together with the new doctor confronted with needing to accept some of the ways of Manuelita, the curandera. This is a tale of confrontation and change and the push between new ways and old.
Key concepts:
Conflicts arise when folk medicine and modern medical practices converge.
Psychological factors have an impact on health care.
Vocabulary :
curandera – healer
threshold - the part of the doorway one steps over
stethoscope - instrument used by a doctor to listen to a person's chest
superstition - a belief in things that are not real or possible
Spelling:
the /ch/ sound
Try: wrench, watch, twitch, sketch, pinch, branch, church, clutch, fetch, scratch
Story questions:
The genre of this story is realistic fiction. The story is set in small village in New Mexico, where the opening of a new modern medical clinic threatens to replace the local curandera, or healer. A young girl (Lupe) has always taken an interest in the work of her friend Manuelita who is her village's curandera. She worries how Manuelita is adjusting to the arrival of the new clinic and doctor there. Her curiosity about the new clinic also draws her there. She meets the new doctor and sees all the modern equipment. She finds the new doctor very likable but then feels she is being disloyal to her friend Manuelita She also worries that too many people will go to the clinic and stop using Manuelita's services. One day, a medical emergency brings both healers together with the new doctor confronted with needing to accept some of the ways of Manuelita, the curandera. This is a tale of confrontation and change and the push between new ways and old.
Key concepts:
Conflicts arise when folk medicine and modern medical practices converge.
Psychological factors have an impact on health care.
Vocabulary :
curandera – healer
threshold - the part of the doorway one steps over
stethoscope - instrument used by a doctor to listen to a person's chest
superstition - a belief in things that are not real or possible
Spelling:
the /ch/ sound
Try: wrench, watch, twitch, sketch, pinch, branch, church, clutch, fetch, scratch
Story questions:
- Why doesn't Lupe want to be friends with Dr. Johnson? (Lupe thinks that Dr. J could not be a friend to Manuelita because Manuelita is not a traditional doctor.)
- Why do Uncle Pedro and Cousin Josefa's husband come to see Dr. J? (Cousin Josefa is about to have her baby.)
- Why does Uncle Pedro prefer Dr. J to Manuelita? (Pedro thinks Dr. J knows the new modern ways and Manuelita does not.)
- Why does Cousin Josefa prefer Manuelita to Dr. J? (Josefa believes Manuelita knows all the right things to do.)
- Why does Dr. J let Manuelita come help with Josefa? (She is worried that the birth will not go well if Josefa is upset.)
- What happens at the end of the story that indicates Dr. J has changed her mind about Manuelita? (She thanks Manuelita and says she has a lot to learn from her.)
The Story of Susan La Flesche Picotte
Summary:
This story is a biographical piece about the first female Native American doctor in the United States. It takes place in the late 1800's on a Nebraska reservation in the winter. The story is about Susan La Flesche Picotte who is thrilled to receive her first appointment to be the new doctor on the reservation. She is already the doctor at the government school. She knows she is taking on a huge challenge, not the least of which being the people’s response to her efforts to teach new ways of living that promote better health. She also faces the challenge of trying to do both jobs at once in the limited hours of the day, especially during the bad winter flu season.
One day there is a terrible blizzard. She makes the call to send the children home from the school before it becomes too dangerous and then is called to help a woman who is having a bad time giving birth. As she hurries to the home of the woman, she begins to worry about the students getting home safely. She too is in great danger in the blizzard and is concerned she may freeze to death. Suddenly her horse refuses to go any further. She finally gets off the horse and discovers one of the children half buried in the snow just in front of the horse. She manages to get the child up with her on the horse and just barely makes it to the woman's house. A disaster that could have easily cost four lives is averted. The child, Susan and the woman and her baby all survive. Spring finds her people beginning to accept her new ways of good hygiene and healthy habits. This is a story about change and challenge.
Vocabulary:
ominous -threatening
physician -doctor
maneuver -skillfully move around
desolately -without hope
reservation -government land set aside for Native Americans
Spelling:
/sh/ sound
Try: shawl, attention, shelter, education, information, shatter, addition, publish, ambitious, shoulder
Story questions:
This story is a biographical piece about the first female Native American doctor in the United States. It takes place in the late 1800's on a Nebraska reservation in the winter. The story is about Susan La Flesche Picotte who is thrilled to receive her first appointment to be the new doctor on the reservation. She is already the doctor at the government school. She knows she is taking on a huge challenge, not the least of which being the people’s response to her efforts to teach new ways of living that promote better health. She also faces the challenge of trying to do both jobs at once in the limited hours of the day, especially during the bad winter flu season.
One day there is a terrible blizzard. She makes the call to send the children home from the school before it becomes too dangerous and then is called to help a woman who is having a bad time giving birth. As she hurries to the home of the woman, she begins to worry about the students getting home safely. She too is in great danger in the blizzard and is concerned she may freeze to death. Suddenly her horse refuses to go any further. She finally gets off the horse and discovers one of the children half buried in the snow just in front of the horse. She manages to get the child up with her on the horse and just barely makes it to the woman's house. A disaster that could have easily cost four lives is averted. The child, Susan and the woman and her baby all survive. Spring finds her people beginning to accept her new ways of good hygiene and healthy habits. This is a story about change and challenge.
Vocabulary:
ominous -threatening
physician -doctor
maneuver -skillfully move around
desolately -without hope
reservation -government land set aside for Native Americans
Spelling:
/sh/ sound
Try: shawl, attention, shelter, education, information, shatter, addition, publish, ambitious, shoulder
Story questions:
- Who was Susan La Flesche Picotte? (Susan La Flesche Picotte was the first female Native American doctor in the US.)
- Why does Susan recommend that the teachers send the students home early? (She recommends that the students are sent home early because of heavy snowfall.)
- Why is Susan afraid of falling asleep in the snow? (Susan is afraid of falling asleep in the snow because she could freeze to death.)
- Why does Susan tell Minne that Minnie is doing well with her family? (Minnie is doing well because she keeps a clean house and has taught her children about fighting germs.)
- What did Iron Eye try to teach his family? (Iron Eye tried to teach his family to accept change.)
- Why does Susan invite her sister Marguerite to come and live with Susan and her mother? (Susan invites her sister to live with her because Marguerite's husband has just died.)
Shadow of a Bull
Summary:
This story is realistic fiction. It takes place in Spain. A young boy, Manolo, is visiting another young boy who has been wounded bullfighting. Manolo's father was a famous bullfighter who died from a goring at the height of his career. Manolo is brought by the doctor attending the wounded boy to his bedside. Manolo is fascinated and inspired by the doctor's care of the boys wound. During the examination the doctor makes sure Manolo sees the damage of the wound and makes pointed comments about the danger of this chosen profession. Manolo realizes he wishes he could be a doctor healing the wounded but feels he is destined to follow in his dead father's footsteps. Will he be able to break with tradition and reject the overwhelming expectations of his village?
Key Concepts to explore:
There are many emotional issues in deciding one's career.
It takes years of hard work and learning to be a good doctor.
Vocabulary:
gored -stabbed with horns
amputation -cut off part of the body
infirmary – hospital
feebly – weakly
listlessly - without energy
Spelling:
Review words: generous, general, century, check, nickel, heroic, judge,
manage, image, twice
Story questions:
This story is realistic fiction. It takes place in Spain. A young boy, Manolo, is visiting another young boy who has been wounded bullfighting. Manolo's father was a famous bullfighter who died from a goring at the height of his career. Manolo is brought by the doctor attending the wounded boy to his bedside. Manolo is fascinated and inspired by the doctor's care of the boys wound. During the examination the doctor makes sure Manolo sees the damage of the wound and makes pointed comments about the danger of this chosen profession. Manolo realizes he wishes he could be a doctor healing the wounded but feels he is destined to follow in his dead father's footsteps. Will he be able to break with tradition and reject the overwhelming expectations of his village?
Key Concepts to explore:
There are many emotional issues in deciding one's career.
It takes years of hard work and learning to be a good doctor.
Vocabulary:
gored -stabbed with horns
amputation -cut off part of the body
infirmary – hospital
feebly – weakly
listlessly - without energy
Spelling:
Review words: generous, general, century, check, nickel, heroic, judge,
manage, image, twice
Story questions:
- What happened to Manolo's father? (Manolo's father was killed while bullfighting.)
- What does the doctor do before he touches his instruments? (Before the doctor touches his instruments, he cuts gauze away from the wound so Manolo can see what a goring looks like.)
- Why does the doctor say the wounded boy is lucky? (The doctor says the boy is lucky because his wound is clean with no damage to the bone.)
- Why does the doctor think the boy will keep bullfighting? (The Doctor thinks the boy will keep fighting because it is a point of honor with him.)
- Why does Manolo think what the doctor does is noble? (Manolo thinks what the doctor does is noble because he thinks healing the
wounded and saving the dying is more important than killing bulls.)