Author: Maddie Van Beek

The past couple of weeks, you may have been watching the Olympics! It's pretty amazing to see some of the best athletes in the world compete! Of course, not all of us are at that level. So why is fitness important? Think about it. Sure, you have to be fit to do well in sports, but not everyone cares about sports, and that's okay! What’s the incentive to stay fit?

Facts about fitness:

• People who exercise frequently have healthier hearts. 
• Healthier hearts are less likely to have heart disease or strokes. 
• Exercising causes your body to release endorphins, which then make you feel better! Some runners describe this as a “runner’s high.” All I know is that whenever I’m having a bad day and I exercise, I am in a better mood afterwards! 

More reasons to exercise:

• Strengthens your muscles
• Improves mental health
• Strengthens heart muscles
• Counteracts unwanted weight gain
• Reduces some health risks, such as diabetes and depression
• Increases endurance and energy

​
There are many ways to determine fitness, such as VO2 max (oxygen used while exercising at capacity), flexibility, body fat percentage, etc. But today, we are going to focus on heart rate. 

Vo2 max testing:

Figuring out your resting heart rate and your heart recovery rate after activity is just one way to determine physical fitness, but it is a great start to making healthy goals for yourself. Heart recovery rate is “the time it takes for the heart to return to its normal resting beat” (NOVATeachers). While healthy hearts generally return to their resting rates rather quickly, unhealthy hearts can take much longer. 

Normal resting heart rates:

• Infants: 100-160 beats per minute
• Children 1-10 years old: 70-120 beats per minute
• Over 10: 60-100 beats per minute

How can you improve your heart health? ​

Sometimes the easiest way to improve is to make some simple goals. Here are seven ways to help keep your heart healthy.

Make a goal for the Life’s Simple 7s! Analyze how you are doing for each one now, and make a measurable goal for improvement in at least four categories. 

Now that you know a little bit about heart health and why it’s important, let’s test our resting heart rate! (Use the data sheet below to record your results)

Data sheet:

YOU WILL NEED

• Data sheet
• Partner
• Clock or stopwatch

Use this video to help you find your pulse if you have trouble:

YOU WILL DO

1. Place two fingers on the inside of your wrist to find your pulse. If you have a difficult time locating your pulse, place two fingers on your neck, just below your jaw. Whether you choose to use your wrist or your neck, continue to use the same spot for the rest of the activity, for sake of consistency.  
2. Have your partner watch the clock for 15 seconds. In those 15 seconds, you should count how many beats you feel. Record your results.
3. Repeat step 2 two more times. 
4. Average the three results, and then multiply by 4 to calculate your average resting heart rate in beats/minute. 

Next, you are going to figure out your heart recovery rate.


Predict: How long do you think it will take your heart to return to its resting rate? 


YOU WILL DO

1. Do 50 jumping jacks. 
2. Find your pulse in the same spot that you used earlier.
3. Have your partner watch the clock for 15 seconds while you count your beats.
4. Record in your data sheet in the column titled, “Pulse Rate (Beats per 15 seconds).”
5. Continue to take your pulse every minute for 7 minutes and record results in your data sheet.
6. Multiply each result by 4 to find your beats per minute for each minute recorded. Record in table titled, “Pulse Rate per Minute (Beats Per 15 Seconds x 4).”

Now, you are going to graph your heart recovery rate: 

1. Open Microsoft Excel, or other spreadsheet program, on a computer
2. Create two columns: one for time (in minutes), the other for Change in heartrate over your resting rate (in Beats per Minute).  Your spreadsheet will look something like this:

3. Enter minutes 1-7 in the left column, and the change in your heart rate for each minute in the right column, like the example below (your numbers may vary).

4. Use the spreadsheet to create a graph of your heart rate as a function of time.  If you are using Excel, just select all the data and the column headings, go to the “Insert” tab, and select the scatter plot option, with lines and markers.  Use the example below for guidance:

The graph you created should look something like this:

Extension: Push yourself!

1. Run one mile as fast as you can (if you don’t have access to a track, set a certain distance, such as around the block).
2. Find your heart recovery rate. 
3. Repeat weekly to see how you improve your time AND your heart recovery rate!

OR

1. Do as many pushups as you can.
2. Find your heart recovery rate.
3. Repeat weekly to see how you increase your number AND decrease your heart recovery rate!

Are there certain activities that you recover from quicker? Try out different exercises and compare recovery rates. 



Why does heart recovery rate even matter? How could having a slower recovery time affect you? 



References
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aerobic_exercise

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/education/activities/3414_marathon.html

http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/GettingHealthy/GettingHealthy_UCM_001078_SubHomePage.jsp#

http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/GettingHealthy/HealthierKids/LifesSimple7forKids/Keep-your-heart-healthy-with-Lifes-Simple-7-for-Kids_UCM_466541_Article.jsp

Images and videos, in order of appearance: 

Memorial Hermann, 2013. VO2 max test: What to expect. Uploaded from Youtube on 8/21/2016.  https://youtu.be/fn3Yr-LS_l0

Nova, 2007. Marathon challenge. Uploaded from pbs.org on 8/21/2016. No changes were made. 

eHow, 2009. Hospital basics: How to check your heart rate. Uploaded from Youtube.com on 8/21/2016. https://youtu.be/Wda4MeCSYyE

Excel images and instructions created by Dr. Erin Nyren-Erickson.

Author: Maddie Van Beek

Most of the time, people don’t associate video game players or “gamers” with sports, but do you think that your time spent playing video games might improve your reaction time? Having a good reaction time is definitely a part of being a good athlete! For example, a baseball player must react quickly in order to hit a fastball!



Can you react quickly enough to hit a 90mph fastball?
https://www.exploratorium.edu/baseball/reactiontime.html


How can you test this theory out? Before we get experimenting, let’s learn a little more about reaction time.


In simple terms, a reaction is when you detect something, process it, and respond.

​Basically, reaction time is how it takes one to respond and make a decision to a stimulus.

​A stimulus is any change inside or outside the body. In response to any stimulus, the following happens:



Sensory neurons detect the stimulus ----> Sensory neurons send the message to other neurons, which go to your brain and spinal cord ----> Brain interprets the message ----> Message received by motor neurons ----> Motor neurons tell muscles how to respond



Now that you know a little science behind reaction time, let’s get testing!


YOU WILL NEED:
* Meter stick
* “Gamers” to test
* “Non-gamers” to test
* Table or countertop

Here’s what to do!
1. Test yourself. Sit down at a table or counter with your arm resting on the surface. Your hand should be just off the edge of the counter.

2. Have a friend hold the meter stick so the end that says 0 is right in between your thumb and forefinger. View the image above for reference.

3. Have your friend drop the stick. Pinch the stick as quickly as you can. Record the number that your thumb/forefinger is closest to. The lower the number, the better your reaction time. Do this two more times and record your reactions.

4. Add all three reactions together and then divide by 3 to get your average reaction. For example, if you got 8 cm, 4 cm, and 7 cm, you would add them together first. 8 cm + 4 cm + 7 cm = 19 cm Then you divide the sum by three to get your average. Round to the nearest tenth of a centimeter. 19 cm / 3 = 6.33 cm

5. Once you’ve tested yourself, find your subjects! You should have an equal number of gamers and non-gamers. Shoot for ten total subjects or more. The more subjects you have, the more accurate your results will be.
6. Repeat steps 1-4 for each subject.
7. Analyze your results. Does it appear that gamers have quicker reaction times than non-gamers?
8. Find the average reaction time for each group. Do this by adding together the average reactions of each non-gamer and then dividing by the number of non-gamers. Do the same for the gamers. Compare averages.


Alternatively or in addition, you could try out this computer-run reaction test: http://www.humanbenchmark.com/tests/reactiontime


If you decide to use the computer test, make sure you have good internet connection and use the same computer and mouse for each subject.


Extension: Test other subject groups that might have differences in reaction time. Example: Contact sports players vs. Runners


For other experiments that test the brain, check out:

http://www.discoveryexpresskids.com/blog/mind-games-how-optical-illusions-can-fool-your-brain
http://www.discoveryexpresskids.com/blog/are-you-right-side-dominant-or-left-side-dominant-find-out
http://www.discoveryexpresskids.com/blog/how-does-smell-affect-your-taste
http://www.discoveryexpresskids.com/blog/remember-this-test-your-memory


If you’re looking for activities that get you active, check out:

http://www.discoveryexpresskids.com/blog/running-for-your-heart
http://www.discoveryexpresskids.com/blog/how-physically-fit-are-you
http://www.discoveryexpresskids.com/blog/why-is-heart-health-so-important


References
http://www.sciencebuddies.org/science-fair-projects/project_ideas/Sports_p009.shtml#summary
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/bring-science-home-reaction-time/
http://slideplayer.com/slide/4497621/

Author: Maddie Van Beek

This last weekend was full of running events all around the US! The NCAA Indoor Track Championships for college divisions I, II, and III were going on, as well as the USATF Indoor Track Championships, where some of the best track athletes in the nation compete. Beyond those huge events, there was a US 15K championship road race where some of the top long distance runners competed. 


Let’s look at some of the results and practice our math skills!


Laura Roesler ran 2:02.44 in the 800m at the USATF Indoor Championships and got 2nd place. If the track were 200m long, what pace was she running per lap? 

​

Brady Speicher ran 4:15.34 in the mile at the NCAA Division II Indoor Championships. The winner ran 4:12.69. On average, how many seconds apart were they per lap? ​

The first place woman at the US 15K Championships ran 50:34, and the first place man ran 44:37. On average, what did they run per 5K? What mile pace were they running? What was the difference between their mile paces? ​

Before we get started, write down what you know about the relationship between your heart and exercise. ​

Click on the link below to play a game that demonstrates how activity affects your heart rate. 

http://www.sciencekids.co.nz/gamesactivities/keephealthy.html

Follow-up questions:
1. When is your heart rate at its lowest? 
2. What makes your heart rate speed up?
3. Does the intensity of exercise increase or decrease the effect on your heart rate? 


YOU WILL NEED:

• A track (or open space to run)
• Stopwatch
• A friend to time you

Here’s what to do!​


First, we are going to find our resting heart rate. Find your pulse in your neck and count the beats for 15 seconds. 

Author: Maddie Van Beek

Sugar is equal to ENERGY, right?! Not quite. Although a lot of people out there think that an excess of sugar gives you a “sugar high,” or makes you extremely hyper, did you know too much sugar actually makes you feel tired? 

When you consume an abundance of carbohydrates, your body produces insulin, which triggers your tissues to use up the glucose, which then causes your blood sugar levels to CRASH. This is no fun!


What are the symptoms of a sugar crash?

Check out this video for an explanation of why sugar does NOT cause hyperactivity!

Here’s a diagram that explains what your body goes through when you eat too much sugar: 

What IS sugar, anyway? The sugar that you see in your cupboard is refined from sugar cane or sugar beets. Sugar is the household name for these kinds of short-chain, soluble carbohydrates composed of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen. There are actually a few different types of sugars: monosaccharides (glucose, dextrose, fructose, and galactose) and disaccharides (sucrose). 



Sugar molecule: 

Where else might we find sugar? Not just in sugarcanes and sugar beets! Sugar appears naturally in fruits and other plants. Sucrose is what we commonly use as table sugar, while glucose and fructose are found in fruits and plants.



Yes, we do need some amount of sugar to keep our bodies running. The problem with sugar is that people these days eat TOO MUCH of it. While it is definitely okay to eat foods with natural sugars such as fruit or indulge in your favorite ice cream or candy once in a while, watching your sugar intake could help you lead a healthier, more enjoyable lifestyle! 



Why? An excess of sugar could increase your risk of obesity, diabetes, and tooth decay. Cutting back on your sugar intake may help you avoid these risks. Some people even feel addicted to sugar. The more you eat sugar, the more you crave it.

The key to cutting back on sugar is understanding the amount of sugar you are taking in and how much sugar certain products contain.



How much sugar is in your favorite soda? Drinking less soda is a great way to lower your sugar intake. Everyone knows that soda has a lot of sugar in it--but just how much sugar are we talking? Let’s find out!



YOU WILL NEED:

• Can of soda
• Pot
• Stove
• Adult
• Teaspoon

HERE’S WHAT TO DO!

1. Pour a 12-oz can of your favorite soda into a pot.
2. Put the pot on a stove burner. 
3. Turn the stove burner up to medium heat. 
4. Let the soda boil. Once the water has evaporated, you will be left with a gooey substance. That gooey syrup is the sugar!
5. How much sugar is there? Measure it out with a teaspoon. 
6. You should have discovered that there were about 7-8 teaspoons of syrup left after the liquid in the soda evaporated. Jeez, that’s a lot of sugar!
7. Try dissolving 2 teaspoons of sugar into a 12-oz glass of water. Can you taste the sugar? Now, try dissolving 7 teaspoons of sugar into a 12-oz glass of water. You’ll be amazed at how sweet it tastes! Can you believe one can of soda has that much sugar?!
8. Try this same experiment (steps 1-5) with other drinks! Boil down fruit juice or other sodas with different amounts of sugar. Which drink had the most sugar? 
9. Make a chart to track which drinks have the most sugar. 

In case you need help, here’s a video example of how you might complete this experiment! (He uses a scale to measure the sugar, which we didn’t use today. If you have a scale at home, you could certainly use it!)

For other ways to learn about your health, check out our blog on heart health (http://discoveryexpress.weebly.com/homeblog/why-is-heart-health-so-important) or our Thanksgiving blog on serving sizes (http://discoveryexpress.weebly.com/homeblog/happy-thanksgiving). 




References: 

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sugar
• http://sugarcrash.org/sugar-crash-symptoms/

Author: Maddie Van Beek

As you all know, last Thursday was Thanksgiving! Today, we are going to research the history of Thanksgiving, test out Squanto’s gardening methods, and learn how to track our daily diets! 

We all picture the first Thanksgiving as a day spent with the pilgrims and the Native Americans chowing down on a Thanksgiving feast. Did you know that there were actually several “first Thanksgivings?” 

Learn more about the American history of Thanksgiving!

What were the other “first Thanksgivings?” 

Did you know November is National American Indian and Alaska Native Heritage Month? What a great time to learn more about Native American history and culture, especially as we celebrate Thanksgiving! 

More information on Native American histories and tribes: 

While Thanksgiving is a great time to spend with family and celebrate an abundance of food, it is also important to remember the roots of Thanksgiving. We don’t often remember the Wampanoag’s point of view during the first Thanksgiving. Take some time to consider how the Wampanoag’s might have felt when the first white settlers arrived. 

Quickwrite: Write in the perspective of a member of the Wampanoag tribe when the white settlers arrived at Plymouth. How do you feel? 

The Wampanoags were the Native American tribe that befriended the settlers and accompanied them in the “first Thanksgiving” meal. Squanto was one of the Wampanoags that is well known for aiding the settlers in their time of need. One way Squanto helped out was to assist them in growing corn by using fish. Check out Squanto’s gardening methods!

Hypothesize: How might fish emulsion help or harm the growth of a corn plant? Will it really make that much of a difference? 

YOU WILL NEED:

• Water
• Corn seeds
• Fish emulsion
• Milk cartons 
• Scissors
• Soil

YOU WILL DO:

1. Use the scissors to cut the top off of two half-pint milk cartons (ask an adult for help).
2. Fill both cartons with soil. 
3. Read and follow the directions on your corn seed packet to plant one seed in each carton. 
4. Push the corn seed 1-2 inches into the surface of the soil. 
5. Label one milk carton “Control” and one milk carton “Variable.” 
6. Your control plant will be watered only with plain water. 
7. Your variable plant will be watered with a mixture of water and fish emulsion. 
8. Follow the package instructions on the fish emulsion to dilute it with water. 
9. Water your Control plant with water and your variable plant with the diluted fish emulsion. 
10. Place both plants in the sun. 
11. Water both plants each day and record your observations in a daily log. 
12. Measure both plants’ growth each day and record. 
13. What differences do you see in the two plants? 
14. Create a graph at the end of your experiment to show the differences in growth. 
15. Reflect: How did the fish emulsion make a difference in the growth of the variable plant? Why do you think this is? 

Now that we’ve talked about GROWING food, let’s think about EATING food! 

Did you know that the average American eats over 4,000 calories on Thanksgiving day?! Wow! To put that in perspective, the average diet is only about 2,000 calories/day. 

Calories in a Thanksgiving meal: 

Here’s an idea of how many calories you should have in a day:

Keep in mind that physical activity increases your caloric need! Think of your body like a car--let’s say your car holds 15 gallons of gas. You fill it up with 15 gallons. If your car just sits in the garage, it doesn’t lose any gas, but if you go for a drive, it burns gas. Is your tank still full after a 200-mile drive? No! If you want your gas tank to be full, you would have to refuel. It’s the same way with your body! For example, if my daily caloric need is 2,000 calories, and I burn 500 calories on a run, then I should actually consume 2,500 calories so my body still gets the calories it needs to stay fueled.

Here’s more information about what you can do to have a healthy, balanced diet: 

How many calories are in your daily schedule? 

Are you eating a balanced diet? 

Create a food diary to see what your diet is really like! The point is not for you to count every calorie you eat--the point is that when we pay attention to what we put into our bodies, we are more conscious of what we are consuming. Being cognizant of the way you eat will help you make healthy choices for YOUR body! 

Predict: 

How many calories do you think you eat in a normal day? 

Do you think you have a balanced diet? 

What do you think you eat too much of? 

What do you think you don’t get enough of? 

Each day for one week, write down everything you eat for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks. Each time you write down a food, determine whether it is a fruit, vegetable, grain, dairy, protein or fat. 

At the end of the week, look back at your food chart and reflect on your diet. About what percentage of your diet is protein? Fat? Does your daily diet look like the My Plate recommendation? Are you getting enough fruits and vegetables? Being conscious of your diet is the first step to taking care of a happy, healthy body! 




Other References:

http://www.educationworld.com/a_lesson/02/lp286-03.shtml

http://www.loc.gov/teachers/classroommaterials/presentationsandactivities/presentations/thanksgiving/celebration.html#

http://www.tolatsga.org/Compacts.html#Wampanoag

Author: Maddie Van Beek


I’m guessing that at this point, all of you have heard of the dreaded ebola virus. Just in the past few months, US citizens have been more concerned than ever about this horrific disease. In this blog, you will learn a little bit about the background of the ebola virus, as well as how diseases spread. 

Ebola’s History and Mortality Rate

• First identified in 1976 in Congo near Ebola river. 
• Then: 90% mortality 
• Now: 50% mortality 

How did ebola evolve to affect humans?

2014 Ebola Outbreak: Largest in HISTORY

• Ebola is now spreading in West Africa and concentrated in Guinea, Sierra Leone, and Liberia. 
• The number of cases that have occurred during this outbreak have been more than the combined number of cases occurring previous to 2014 combined. 

# of ebola cases 1976-2013 < # of ebola cases in 2014

How does ebola spread? 

As you saw in the video, ebola spreads first from animal to human and then from human to human. Fruit bats, monkeys, gorillas and other primates become infected with ebola and become carriers. People may become infected with ebola by eating uncooked infected meat or coming in contact with infected animals. Once people are infected, they can infect other people by coming in contact with each other’s bodily fluids. 

How is ebola contracted?

Ebola in the US

Although ebola has stayed out of the US in the past, it has recently made its way in, starting with a Texas man who was diagnosed on September 30th, 2014 and passed away on October 8th. The man had traveled from Liberia to Texas, so he was infected in Liberia before coming to the US. Since then, three others have been reported to have ebola. Two of these people who have contracted ebola have been health care workers from the Dallas, Texas, hospital where the first ebola patient was treated, and the third was a New York City doctor who had traveled to Guinea. Both Dallas patients have recovered and the New York City patient is currently being treated. 

Why would health care providers be the ones to get ebola? Shouldn’t they knew the best way to stay healthy?

Health care providers are at a higher risk, since they are treating those who have ebola. Although ebola can only be spread through bodily fluids, treating someone who is vomiting could lead to infiltration of the disease through touching the infected person’s bodily fluids and then touching broken skin or mucus membranes such as the eyes. Health care providers treating patients with ebola have a much higher risk than the average US citizen, since they are in direct contact with the disease. 

Do we need to worry about ebola spreading in the US?

No! The reason ebola spreads so quickly and causes so many deaths in other countries is because they do not have adequate healthcare available to them. In the US, health care providers are not concerned about ebola spreading; as stated, ebola is difficult to contract in its present form and is easily stoppable when the right procedures are followed. 

In order to help control the spread of diseases, teams of healthcare professionals work together to quarantine infected people, immunize people at risk, educate the public about prevention strategies, and treat infected people swiftly and aggressively. 

Currently, there is no safe ebola vaccine. 

Do I need to worry about getting ebola?

Although ebola is very dangerous, you most likely have no need to worry. It’s very difficult to actually get ebola, since you have to come in contact with an infected person’s bodily fluids and then get those bodily fluids in a mucus membrane such as your mouth, eyes, nose, etc. Ebola does NOT spread like a cold--you can’t get ebola from a sneeze or a cough--it’s not an airborne disease. Just like any other virus or disease, you can avoid ebola and help keep it from spreading by washing your hands, not sharing drinks, chapstick, etc., staying home if you are sick, and going to the doctor if you have symptoms. 

And remember, only ebola victims with symptoms are infectious--the disease does not spread until the infected person is already showing symptoms. 

The incubation period for ebola is 2-21 days. This means it may take 2-21 days to show symptoms of ebola. Therefore, if you come in contact with the disease, you should be on watch for about three weeks.

Quick look at ebola vs. the flu:

How do diseases spread, anyway? 
Simulation of how diseases spread: 

This activity is NOT an accurate simulation of ebola--yes, ebola spreads in a similar manner, but with adequate health care and preventative strategies, ebola can be kept from spreading in a manner similar to the simulation. This simulation is just to help you understand how unchecked infectious diseases may spread from person to person. 

YOU WILL NEED: 

Lemon juice

Clear cups

Water

Paper

Writing utensils

A light source

Red and blue food coloring

Water droppers

An iron, and a heat-proof surface to use it on

YOU WILL DO: 

1. Get a group of twenty or so students together.
2. Fill nineteen cups with water and one cup with lemon juice.
3. Hand out the cups, paper, and water droppers to each participant, and don’t announce who has the lemon juice.
4. Explain that there will be six one-minute rounds in this simulation. 
5. You may be wondering what lemon juice could have to do with infectious diseases. Lemon juice can actually be used as “invisible ink,” so the lemon juice represents the invisible infectious disease. One person has lemon juice in their cup, while others only have water. All participants should have a piece of paper with them for round one. 
6. Round 1: Give participants 60 seconds to move around the room; whenever they come in contact with each other, they should take a drop of water from the other’s cup and dot it on their piece of paper. This represents coming in contact with others’ body fluids. 
7. After the 60 seconds is up, use the iron on its hottest setting, and iron everyone’s papers. The heat from the iron will cause the lemon juice to turn brown. Those that came in contact with the lemon juice will have a brownish spot on their paper, while others will just have water spots. Those with the brown spot represent people who have been infected with the disease. Record the number of people who were infected.

Ok, so is this demonstration completely accurate? No! There was only one person spreading the disease. Let’s try something new!


8. Once again, all participants get a cup of water. This time, give one person a red dye dropper. Just like the lemon juice, the red dye represents the disease. Participants get 60 seconds to rotate around the room. The person with the red dye will put a drop of red dye in the cup of each student he or she comes in contact with. Those who receive a red drop will then also become disease carriers (equipped with red dye).  They will continue to spread the disease by putting a drop of red dye into the cup of each person they encounter. 


9. After 60 seconds, analyze how many people have pinkish-colored water--that’s how many now have the virus! 

10. Create two graphs for round 1 and round 2 to demonstrate how many people became “infected” in each round. The Y-axis should be number of people, and X-axis should be time. How do they look different? Which round had more infected people? Which round more accurately demonstrates how quickly a virus can spread? 

You should end up with something like this: 

11. This time, you are going to inoculate 20% of your group. Inoculate means to treat with a vaccine to provide immunity against a disease. Start by putting a few drops of blue food coloring into 20% of the cups. If you have twenty people, four people will get cups with blue water. Repeat step 8. 

12. You could now have some people with red water (people infected with the disease), blue water (inoculated people who did not come in contact with the disease) or purple water (inoculated people who came in contact with the disease). Because inoculated people were protected from the virus, they do not count towards the infected number of people. Before moving on to round 4, record the number of infected students. 

13. Round 4: This time, start by inoculating 40% of the class. If you have twenty people, eight should now start with blue water. Repeat step 8. Record the number of infected students. 

14. Round 5: Start by inoculating 60% of the class. Repeat step 8. Record the number of infected students. 


15. Round 6: Start by inoculating 80% of the class. Repeat step 8. Record the number of infected students. 


16. Make a bar graph for rounds 2-6 and see how inoculation affects the spread of the disease. 

You should end up with something like this:

17. Reflect on this activity. What was not realistic about this simulation? What preventative measures could people take in real life to avoid infection? 

References

• http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs103/en/
• http://www.cdc.gov/vhf/ebola/outbreaks/2014-west-africa/qa.html
• http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/education/activities/3318_02_nsn.html
• http://www.seplessons.org/node/226
• http://youtu.be/qkzIGp1uYoc
• http://www.cdc.gov/vhf/ebola/outbreaks/2014-west-africa/index.html

Your teeth are extremely important!  Not only do they help you chew your food, but they are essential for your overall health.  People with an unhealthy mouth (like those who have gum disease) are 40% more likely to have other chronic (long-lasting) health conditions, like diabetes, heart disease, lung disease and even obesity (being very overweight).    When you neglect your teeth—that is, when you don’t brush and floss every day—you are setting yourself up for a lot of problems, from bad breath and cavities to tooth loss!  Not only is this uncomfortable and unattractive, it’s expensive:  dentures can cost over $2,500! 

For more information about how an unhealthy mouth can hurt you, please visit WebMD.com(1).

Why is neglecting your teeth so dangerous?  What causes all this trouble?  It’s because of the bacteria (very tiny organisms) that live in your mouth.  These bacteria are there all the time, and usually they are good because they help prevent other kinds of bacteria that could make you very sick from growing there(2).

However when you don’t brush your teeth, these bacteria grow out of control forming a sticky film on your teeth, called dental plaque.  If you don’t brush your teeth often, you can sometimes feel this plaque as it forms on your teeth; it feels rough, almost like your teeth are fuzzy!

The bacteria that are living in this plaque digest some of the sugar you eat, and as they do they create acid (click here for more information about acids).  This acid then begins to destroy the enamel of your teeth, causing cavities (holes in your teeth).

So how can you prevent all this from happening?  Simple—brush your teeth twice a day and floss them once a day, every day!  Be sure to brush with a soft-bristle toothbrush to prevent damage to your gums, and to brush gently for two minutes using toothpaste.  Carefully brush all the surfaces of your teeth, especially around your gums where the bacteria live. 

LET’S SEE HOW GOOD YOU ARE AT BRUSHING YOUR TEETH!

Here’s what you’ll need:

1.       A soft-bristle toothbrush (it doesn’t have to be new, as long as it’s yours!)

2.       Toothpaste

3.       Floss, one piece at least 12 inches long

4.       Plaque disclosing tablets, such as 2Tone or GUM Red Cote.  Almost all dentists’ offices carry these, and will give them to you for free if you ask.  You can also purchase them online at butlerGUMexpress.com or DentaKit.com. 

Here’s what to do:

1.       Using your soft-bristle toothbrush and toothpaste, brush and floss your teeth as you normally would. 

2.       Remove one disclosing tablet from the package, and chew it.  Swish it around your mouth for 30 seconds. 

3.       After 30 seconds spit it out, DON’T SWALLOW IT! 

4.       Look in the mirror at your teeth.  Do you see any colorful spots?  These are the spots where plaque is hiding! 

5.       Brush your teeth again, making sure to remove all the stained spots.

Do you notice anything different about how your mouth felt the second time?  Are your teeth smoother?  Feel them with your tongue, and pay attention to how they feel, because this is how they should feel after you brush them.  If they don’t you may need to brush a little more carefully, or you may need to replace your toothbrush (remember to replace it every 3 months)!

Now that you’re finished learning how best to brush your teeth, you probably have some disclosing tablets left.  What else can you test?  Here are a few ideas to try:

·         Does one brand of toothpaste remove plaque better than another brand?  Use one brand in the evening, and rinse with a disclosing tablet.  Take a picture of your teeth (or have a parent do it for you).  Use the competing brand the following evening, and rinse with a disclosing tablet.  Take another picture of your teeth.  Which time did your teeth appear cleaner?  Remember:  use the same toothbrush and brush at the same time of day for the same length of time, so the only thing that is different is the toothpaste!

·         Does one brand of toothbrush work better to remove dental plaque than another brand?  Follow the instructions above, but use a different toothbrush each evening.  For this test, you should make sure both toothbrushes are new, so that you can be sure they have both been used the same number of times. 

Whatever you try, be sure to write down everything you did, and everything you saw in your notebook! 

References for further research:

1)      Oral Health: The Mouth-Body Connection. WebMD.  2012, Jan 4.  Retrieved 4-24-14.  www.WebMD.com.

2)      Frei, Rosemary.  The Pros and Cons of Oral Bacteria.  DrBicuspid.  Retrieved 4-24-14.  www.drbicuspid.com.

Licenses:

Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license.  http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/legalcode

With the Super Bowl airing today, and the Olympics starting on February 7 (next
Friday), there will soon be many highly fit individuals running, jumping, and
skiing their way across our television sets!  While I will certainly never be as
physically fit as an Olympic figure skater or skier, I would hope to achieve at
least an acceptable level for the average person. This brings up a
question...what exactly does it mean to be “physically fit”? 

By definition, physical fitness is, “a general state of health and well-being or specifically the ability to perform aspects of sports or occupations” (from the Wikipedia website on Physical Fitness).  So in general, to be physically fit means you should be able to perform your daily duties and actions without much difficulty and without getting too tired.  A person who has poor physical fitness will become tired from simple activities, such as climbing a staircase or walking from one room to another.  This can be due to several causes, such as poor diet, low physical activity, obesity (excess body fat), or a heart condition.  
 
What makes a fit person’s body so different from that of an unfit person?  First, if a person is in better physical condition they will tend to have less body fat than a person who is in poor physical condition, and so will have less weight to move around during physical activity.  A lighter body will put less stress on their bones and joints, too. In addition, there are some differences between the bodies of a person in good physical condition and a person in poor condition which may not be so obvious.  These include cardiovascular and muscular fitness.

When a person is in good cardiovascular condition (that is, their heart and lungs are in good condition), the volume of blood their heart is able to pump with each beat increases, and so does the amount of blood in their body.  This means that every time their heart beats, more blood is carried to their muscles, bringing oxygen and nutrients and carrying away waste more efficiently.  This means that their heart will have to beat more slowly when they are at rest, and that it will return to resting rate more quickly after exercise,
because they can supply their bodies with oxygen and nutrients (and get it to return to normal) with fewer beats per minute. 

Think of a person’s body as a city, and their cardiovascular system as the streets and highways carrying people around to all the organs and tissues.  If a person is in good cardiovascular condition, their city streets and highways are wider and well maintained, and so more cars can get where they need to go faster.  If they are in poor cardiovascular condition however, the streets and highways are
narrow, and can carry fewer cars at one time.

When a person’s muscles are in good condition, the muscles have more fibers and more blood vessels, and can therefore supply more power.  Think of the muscles as like ropes or cables that move our bodies: if the ropes are bigger and have more fibers (that is, more fibers that make up the rope), they will be able to
lift and pull larger amounts of weight.  The added blood vessels allow more oxygen and nutrients to flow to the muscles too, allowing them to work more efficiently (like the wider streets and highways in our last example).  

So how can we measure just how physically fit we are?  Through a series of tests measuring
your heart rate in number of beats per minute, we can get a good idea of just how fit you are.


TRY IT!


Here’s what you’ll need:


1.   A stopwatch or a watch with a sweep second hand

2.   A clean table you can lie down on or a clean towel to lie down on the floor

3.   Enough space to jog in place


Here’s what to do:


First, measure your standing heart rate.

1.   Stand upright for 2 minutes.  Be sure to stand still!

2.   With your index and middle finger, find the pulse at your wrist or your neck below your jaw bone.

3.   Count the number of times you feel your heart beat in 15 seconds.  Time this with your watch or stopwatch, and write down the number of beats.

4.   Multiply this number by 4 to get the number of beats per minute.

5.   Find the number of beats per minute in Table 1 below, and record how many points you earned.  Be sure to write this down!

 Next, measure your resting heart rate.

5.   Lie down on the table or the floor on a clean towel for 2 minutes.

6.   Record your heart rate as you did for your standing heart rate by repeating steps 2-4 above.

7.   Find the number of beats per minute in Table 2 below, and record how many points you earned.  Be sure to write this down!

Finally, measure your heart rate just after exercise, and how long it takes to return to normal.

8.   Jog in place for 10 seconds.  Time this with your watch or stopwatch.

9.   As soon as you stop, immediately begin recording how many times you feel your heart beat in 15 seconds.  Write this number down.

10.  Continue recording how many times your heart beats every 15 seconds until the number is the same as when you took your standing heart rate in step 3.  Write each number down.

11.  Count how many numbers you had to write down, and divide that number by 4.  This is how many minutes it took for your heart rate to return to the normal standing rate. 

12.  Multiply the first number you wrote down immediately after exercise by 4 to get beats per minute.  Be sure to write this down!

13.  Find the number of minutes it took for your heart rate to return to normal in Table 3 below, and record how many points you earned. Be sure to write this down!  If it took longer than 2 minutes, give
yourself 6 points.

14.  Subtract your standing heart rate from your heart rate just after exercise.  This is your heart rate
increase after exercise.

15.  Finally, in Table 4 below, find your standing heart rate on the left, and use the heart rate increase after exercise value on the top to find your points.  Write this down!

16.  Add up all the points you earned (steps 5, 7, 13, and 15).  Use the scale below to determine your level of fitness.

 
Are you as fit as you thought?  If you are not, why do you believe that is?  Do you need to get more exercise, or eat healthier?  
 
If you are not as fit as you want, try increasing your physical activity over the next few weeks, and repeat the test in one month.  See if you can improve your fitness level!



References for more information:


CDC: Physiological Responses and Long-Term Adaptations to Exercise
(http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/sgr/pdf/chap3.pdf)


Vernier Software and Technology website
(http://www2.vernier.com/sample_labs/BWV-27-COMP-heart_rate_physical_fitness.pdf)

Wikipedia: Physical Fitness (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Physical_fitness)