Honors students are required to complete a podcast analysis worksheet that correlates to a podcast listened to in class. Students will listen to a podcast as a class and analyze the material in a small group. The analysis sheet is to be completed individually by each student. We will listen to each podcast after each unit test.
Goal: The goal of this honors project is to encourage scientific curiosity and critical thinking based on current science media. Using media, we are connecting our curriculum to real world topics and our Global Health Magnet Theme. There are so many AMAZING podcasts available to learn from!
The podcasts are linked below: Podcast Analysis Sheet
Unit 1: Nutrition Diva: Are Sports Drinks the Best Way to Replace Electrolytes
"You don't just lose water when you sweat; you lose electrolytes. When are sports drinks with electrolytes necessary? Nutrition Diva sat down with sports nutritionist Dr. Kelly Pritchett to get some answers."
Nutrition Diva: How to Choose a Protein Bar
"Not all protein bars are created equal. Let's examine the difference between energy bars and protein bars and talk about what to look for when choosing a protein bar."
Nutrition Diva: What to Eat to Prevent the Flu
"Are there foods and nutrients that can help bolster your defenses against the flu? Nutrition Diva sorts the facts from fiction—plus one critical factor that's often overlooked. "
Unit 2: Naked Scientists: Blood Under a Microscope (minutes 27:00-34:00ish)
"This week, we're taking a look at blood, from regenerating blood vessels, to one of our team going to their first blood donation! Plus in the news, concerns that Ebola might be back with a vengeance in future: 60% more often and with 4 times the impact; plus NASA’s first all-female spacewalk: we hear from one of the astronauts involved..."
Unit 3: Bill Nye Science Rules: Energy and You
"We use energy in its various forms everyday. But what is it? This week, it’s back to basics. Bill and Corey teach us about the fundamentals of energy and answer caller questions including one from Renee from Kansas, who asks, "How much energy is being wasted when my kids leave the lights on?""
Unit 4: This Podcast Will Kill You: The Plague
"That’s right y’all… Today we’re talking the GMOAT: The GREATEST MORTALITY OF ALL TIME: BLACK DEATH. This episode we’ll cover the biology and history of one of the most epic diseases of all time- Yersinia pestis the causative agent of plague. It’s such an epic topic in fact, that you’ll have to tune in next week to catch up on the current status of plague around the world!"
Unit 5: This Podcast will Kill You: Vaccines Part 1
"The wait is finally over: this week we are very excited to bring you the episode we’ve been teasing for weeks: vaccines! This week and next (you don’t have to wait a full two weeks for the next episode!), we are presenting a two-part series on vaccines. In today’s episode, we dive deep into the biology of vaccines, from how they stimulate your (amazing) immune system to protect you, to how they make you into an almost-superhero, shielding the innocents around you from deadly infections. We take you back hundreds, nay, thousands of years to when something akin to vaccination first began, and then we walk along the long road of vaccine development to see just how massive an impact vaccines have had on the modern world. The best part? We are joined by not one, but two experts from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation."
Unit 6: Naked Scientists: Print Me a New Liver!
"This week, artificial organs! How close are we to growing life-saving hearts, kidneys, and livers in the lab? Plus in the news, how hospital computer systems can save lives by spotting subtle signs doctors haven't picked up on yet; also the nano-coating to keep your toilet seat squeaky clean, and most importantly using half the amount of water!"
Unit 7: Overheard National Geographic: Humpback Whale Song of the Summer
"There's a Humpback Whale song sensation that’s sweeping the South Pacific. We’ll learn about the burgeoning study of “whale culture”—and why these super smart cetaceans may have a lot more in common with us than we’d ever imagined."
Unit 8: Ologies: Conservation Technology
"As a bookend to last week's Oceanology episode, Conservation Technologist Shah Selbe chats about saving the planet with some well-intentioned technology. Wind turbines, solar cars, and all the ways in which sensors, drones, recycled smartphones and real-time data reporting can help conserve species, spaces and communities that are threatened. Hear inspiring tales of travel, art, adventure and putting engineering to good use from a former rocket-science turned professional do-gooder."
Goal: The goal of this honors project is to encourage scientific curiosity and critical thinking based on current science media. Using media, we are connecting our curriculum to real world topics and our Global Health Magnet Theme. There are so many AMAZING podcasts available to learn from!
The podcasts are linked below: Podcast Analysis Sheet
Unit 1: Nutrition Diva: Are Sports Drinks the Best Way to Replace Electrolytes
"You don't just lose water when you sweat; you lose electrolytes. When are sports drinks with electrolytes necessary? Nutrition Diva sat down with sports nutritionist Dr. Kelly Pritchett to get some answers."
Nutrition Diva: How to Choose a Protein Bar
"Not all protein bars are created equal. Let's examine the difference between energy bars and protein bars and talk about what to look for when choosing a protein bar."
Nutrition Diva: What to Eat to Prevent the Flu
"Are there foods and nutrients that can help bolster your defenses against the flu? Nutrition Diva sorts the facts from fiction—plus one critical factor that's often overlooked. "
Unit 2: Naked Scientists: Blood Under a Microscope (minutes 27:00-34:00ish)
"This week, we're taking a look at blood, from regenerating blood vessels, to one of our team going to their first blood donation! Plus in the news, concerns that Ebola might be back with a vengeance in future: 60% more often and with 4 times the impact; plus NASA’s first all-female spacewalk: we hear from one of the astronauts involved..."
Unit 3: Bill Nye Science Rules: Energy and You
"We use energy in its various forms everyday. But what is it? This week, it’s back to basics. Bill and Corey teach us about the fundamentals of energy and answer caller questions including one from Renee from Kansas, who asks, "How much energy is being wasted when my kids leave the lights on?""
Unit 4: This Podcast Will Kill You: The Plague
"That’s right y’all… Today we’re talking the GMOAT: The GREATEST MORTALITY OF ALL TIME: BLACK DEATH. This episode we’ll cover the biology and history of one of the most epic diseases of all time- Yersinia pestis the causative agent of plague. It’s such an epic topic in fact, that you’ll have to tune in next week to catch up on the current status of plague around the world!"
Unit 5: This Podcast will Kill You: Vaccines Part 1
"The wait is finally over: this week we are very excited to bring you the episode we’ve been teasing for weeks: vaccines! This week and next (you don’t have to wait a full two weeks for the next episode!), we are presenting a two-part series on vaccines. In today’s episode, we dive deep into the biology of vaccines, from how they stimulate your (amazing) immune system to protect you, to how they make you into an almost-superhero, shielding the innocents around you from deadly infections. We take you back hundreds, nay, thousands of years to when something akin to vaccination first began, and then we walk along the long road of vaccine development to see just how massive an impact vaccines have had on the modern world. The best part? We are joined by not one, but two experts from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation."
Unit 6: Naked Scientists: Print Me a New Liver!
"This week, artificial organs! How close are we to growing life-saving hearts, kidneys, and livers in the lab? Plus in the news, how hospital computer systems can save lives by spotting subtle signs doctors haven't picked up on yet; also the nano-coating to keep your toilet seat squeaky clean, and most importantly using half the amount of water!"
Unit 7: Overheard National Geographic: Humpback Whale Song of the Summer
"There's a Humpback Whale song sensation that’s sweeping the South Pacific. We’ll learn about the burgeoning study of “whale culture”—and why these super smart cetaceans may have a lot more in common with us than we’d ever imagined."
Unit 8: Ologies: Conservation Technology
"As a bookend to last week's Oceanology episode, Conservation Technologist Shah Selbe chats about saving the planet with some well-intentioned technology. Wind turbines, solar cars, and all the ways in which sensors, drones, recycled smartphones and real-time data reporting can help conserve species, spaces and communities that are threatened. Hear inspiring tales of travel, art, adventure and putting engineering to good use from a former rocket-science turned professional do-gooder."