5-E Classroom STEM Activity: Kid-Friendly ToolsDr. Alexandra D. Owens

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Kids Make Nurses’ Work Fun

By Sue Hamilton

Photo: PeopleImages / Getty Images

I think you ate too much!

Growth > Andrea Cooper, MSN, CRNP

can also be challenging and she has to be creative to get all of the information she needs to diagnose and treat her young patients. “Doing a physical exam on an 18-month-old who is scared and does not sit still is difficult. But as soon as I walk into the exam room, I observe the child’s gait, skin, and verbal skills,“ Andrea explains. “I work hard to gain their trust while I talk with their caregiver.”

Andrea often babysat her cousins, nieces, and nephews during her teenage years and was able to connect with the children and enjoyed being with them. “When I decided to become a nurse, I knew that I wanted to work with children.”

After earning a bachelor’s degree in nursing, Andrea spent a year as a traveling pediatric nurse in Arizona, California, and Florida. Her experiences of treating hospitalized

Smiling and laughing every day at work is the best thing about Andrea Cooper’s career as a pediatric nurse practitioner.

“The most rewarding part of my job is very easy to identify: the kids! The joy and positive attitude of children are contagious,” said Andrea when talking about her job. She was quick to add that working with children

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“The most

rewarding part of my job is very easy

to identify: the kids! The joy and positive attitude of children

are contagious.

ANDREA COOPER, MSN, CRNPPEDIATRIC NURSE PRACTITIONERDEGREES: BACHELOR’S AND MASTER’S IN NURSINGYEARS IN THE INDUSTRY: 12STEM TYPE: ADVISOR

I’m so stuffed, I can’t bear it!

children from many cultural backgrounds with a variety of medical conditions convinced Andrea she wanted to be able to diagnose and treat children. So she earned a master’s degree in a nurse practitioner program to become an advanced practice nurse.

Although she has a total of 12 years in the health care industry, Andrea took time off for eight years to stay home with her own three children. She re-entered the field, and admits “after being away from it for eight years, it was scary and challenging.” But Andrea accepted the challenge and worked hard to gain back the skills and knowledge that she had not used during the break in her employment. Her current job as a nurse practitioner in a pediatric primary care office involves seeing children for

checkups, sick visits, injuries, and other medical concerns. “I also follow up on tests and lab work, and frequently have to call families with results or return calls to answer questions.” Andrea’s job also includes working with student nurse practitioners on pediatric rotation in their nursing training.

Math and science are the STEM skills Andrea uses most frequently as a pediatric nurse practitioner, but she also relies on technology and research done in the health care field. “Teleconferencing is one way that health care will become more accessible and convenient for families,“ she predicts, “and research and technology will continue to improve how we treat and possibly cure illnesses and diseases in children.”

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Here are some ideas for how middle school teachers could use this story as a launching point for integrated STEM learning. Our activities follow the 5-E Learning Cycle Model.

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Have students read the article “Kids Make Nurse’s Work Fun” in STEM Jobs magazine. Discuss the following questions:a. Why must Andrea Cooper be creative when diagnosing her patients?b. What STEM skills are most frequently needed as a pediatric nurse?c. How has technology impacted health care?

Have students reflect on their experiences going to the doctor as a young child.a. Why are children often afraid of going to see the doctor?b. What could make this experience better?

Show the video “Ouchless IV Starts at St. Louis Children’s Hospital” found at edu.STEMjobs.com/teacher-resources.

Break students into small groups of three or four. Ask students to research medical tools and procedures that take place in a pediatric primary care offices. Students may choose to focus on what they think may cause children distress and anxiety, or procedures that are challenging to a pediatric nurse or doctor. This may be done as a group or individually. Present the challenge to the students: Design a modification to a medical tool or procedure that will lessen the anxiety of a young patient and improve pediatric care. For example, students may modify the look of a thermometer to make it more kid friendly, or they may modify how the thermometer itself is used. Allow students to research further if needed. Provide time for students to design their modification and create a prototype or demonstration to share with the class. Students may use classroom or household materials to create their prototypes. Have groups create a presentation to show the class what they have created in order to get feedback for redesign and improvement.

Part 1: Engage

Part 2: Explore

edu.STEMjobs.com Kid-Friendly Tools

5-E Classroom STEM Activity: Kid-Friendly Tools

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Groups will present their design to the class. Students should share their research and design using presentation software such as PowerPoint or Google Slides. Students must be able to explain why the tool or procedure was selected, why it is challenging for pediatric medical staff, the target age group, and how their modification reduces anxiety or improves diagnosis. The final part of the presentation should include a demonstration of the prototype or modified procedure. After each presentation, ask peers to provide constructive feedback about the design. When all presentations are complete, ask groups to reflect on their feedback in order to improve their design.

Part 3: Explain

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Provide students time to make any changes to their design, prototype, or demonstration based on peer feedback. Have students present their modification to the target audience, if possible. Arrange for local pediatric care nurses or doctors to visit the classroom in person or via video tools such as Skype to view student work. Encourage continued feedback from the classroom visitors. If possible, visit a local elementary school to get further feedback from the target age group. Students may even ask their siblings or family members for feedback as well. After final adjustments are made, students may share their final products through a gallery walk.

Part 4: Elaborate

Students will be evaluated for their presentation and prototype using the following rubric. Provide the rubric at the beginning of the lesson to clarify expectations and objectives. Each group will be graded, therefore all students in the group will receive the same score.

Part 5: Evaluate

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Scoring Rubric

_____ /30 Design and Prototype/DemonstrationWas research on pediatric medical tools and procedures completed? Did they consider this in their design? Was a prototype or demonstration created and redesigned that reduces patient anxiety or improves pediatric diagnosis?

_____ /10 PresentationDid the presentation include a description of the design and the target age group? Was the presentation clean and easy to understand?

_____ /10 ParticipationDid each student contribute to the overall project? Did each student assist in creating the presentation and prototype or demonstration?

_____ /50 Total

Kid-Friendly Tools

Standards Addressed:Common Core State Standards - MathCCSS.MATH.PRACTICE.MP1 Make sense of problems and persevere in solving them.CCSS.MATH.PRACTICE.MP2 Reason abstractly and quantitatively.CCSS.MATH.PRACTICE.MP4 Model with mathematics.

Common Core State Standards - ELACCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.6.7 Integrate information presented in different media or formats (e.g., visually, quantitatively) as well as in words to develop a coherent understanding of a topic or issue.CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.6.7 Conduct short research projects to answer a question, drawing on several sources and refocusing the inquiry when appropriate.CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.6.9 Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.6.1 Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 6 topics, texts, and issues, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly.CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.6.4 Present claims and findings, sequencing ideas logically and using pertinent descriptions, facts, and details to accentuate main ideas or themes; use appropriate eye contact, adequate volume, and clear pronunciation.CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.6.5 Include multimedia components (e.g., graphics, images, music, sound) and visual displays in presentations to clarify information.CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.7.7 Conduct short research projects to answer a question, drawing on several sources and generating additional related, focused questions for further research and investigation.CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.7.9 Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.7.1 Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 7 topics, texts, and issues, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly.CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.7.4 Present claims and findings, emphasizing salient points in a focused, coherent manner with pertinent descriptions, facts, details, and examples; use appropriate eye contact, adequate volume, and clear pronunciation.CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.7.5 Include multimedia components and visual displays in presentations to clarify claims and findings and emphasize salient points.CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.8.7 Conduct short research projects to answer a question (including a self-generated question), drawing on several sources and generating additional related, focused questions that allow for multiple avenues of exploration.CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.8.9 Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.8.1 Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 8 topics, texts, and issues, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly.CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.8.4 Present claims and findings, emphasizing salient points in a focused, coherent manner with relevant evidence, sound valid reasoning, and well-chosen details; use appropriate eye contact, adequate volume, and clear pronunciation.CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.8.5 Integrate multimedia and visual displays into presentations to clarify information, strengthen claims and evidence, and add interest.

Next Generation Science StandardsPossible Standards Include:MS-ETS1-1. Define the criteria and constraints of a design problem with sufficient precision to ensure a successful solution, taking into account relevant scientific principles and potential impacts on people and the natural environment that may limit possible solutions.Science and Engineering PracticesAsking Questions and Defining Problems. Define a design problem that can be solved through the development of an object, tool, process or system and includes multiple criteria and constraints, including scientific knowledge that may limit possible solutions.Disciplinary Core IdeasETS1.A: Defining and Delimiting Engineering ProblemsThe more precisely a design task’s criteria and constraints can be defined, the more likely it is that the designed solution will be successful. Specification of constraints includes consideration of scientific principles and other relevant knowledge that are likely to limit possible solutions. Crosscutting ConceptsInfluence of Science, Engineering, and Technology on Society and the Natural World. All human activity draws on natural resources and has both short and long-term consequences, positive as well as negative, for the health of people and the natural environment. Influence of Science, Engineering, and Technology on Society and the Natural World. The uses of technologies and limitations on their use are driven by individual or societal needs, desires, and values; by the findings of scientific research; and by differences in such factors as climate, natural resources, and economic conditions.

MS-ETS1-4. Develop a model to generate data for iterative testing and modification of a proposed object, tool, or process such that an optimal design can be achieved.Science and Engineering PracticesDeveloping and Using Models. Develop a model to generate data to test ideas about designed systems, including those representing inputs and outputs. Disciplinary Core IdeasETS1.B: Developing Possible SolutionsA solution needs to be tested, and then modified on the basis of the test results, in order to improve it. Models of all kinds are important for testing solutions.ETS1.C: Optimizing the Design SolutionThe iterative process of testing the most promising solutions and modifying what is proposed on the basis of the test results leads to greater refinement and ultimately to an optimal solution.

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ISTE Standards for Students4b Students select and use digital tools to plan and manage a design process that considers design constraints and calculated risks.4c Students develop, test and refine prototypes as part of a cyclical design process.6a Students choose the appropriate platforms and tools for meeting the desired objectives of their creation or communication.6b Students create original works or responsibly repurpose or remix digital resources into new creations.6c Students communicate complex ideas clearly and effectively by creating or using a variety of digital objects such as visualizations, models or simulations.6d Students publish or present content that customizes the message and medium for their intended audiences.

Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills- Math6-8.1.A apply mathematics to problems arising in everyday life, society, and the workplace.6-81.B use a problem-solving model that incorporates analyzing given information, formulating a plan or strategy, determining a solution, justifying the solution, and evaluating the problem-solving process and the reasonableness of the solution.

Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills- SciencePossible Standards Include:6-8.3.C identify advantages and limitations of models such as size, scale, properties, and materials6-8.4.A use appropriate tools, including journals/notebooks, beakers, Petri dishes, meter sticks, graduated cylinders, hot plates, test tubes, balances, microscopes, thermometers, calculators, computers, timing devices, and other necessary equipment to collect, record, and analyze information7.12.B identify the main functions of the systems of the human organism, including the circulatory, respiratory, skeletal, muscular, digestive, excretory, reproductive, integumentary, nervous, and endocrine systems7.13.B describe and relate responses in organisms that may result from internal stimuli such as wilting in plants and fever or vomiting in animals that allow them to maintain balance

Standards Addressed (Cont.):

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