Teaching
Resource
This page is intended to give you
the information you need to understand how to include sickle cell
disorders in your teaching and to support the education of children
who have it
This site has been approved by the NGfL and
can also be accessed through the Learning Resource Index on the
NGfL site.
Contents
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Introduction
For details on the care of children with Sickle
Cell Disorders and how to support them in their education see the
Day to Day Care page.
It can be helpful if a school designates a person
to have oversight of children with sickle cell anaemia and other
serious conditions, who can also inform colleagues and disseminate
information. Remember that as a teacher you can work with parents
and doctors to help children with sickle cell anaemia to lead full
and normal lives.
The study of Sickle Cell
Disorders can form a worthwhile part of a school's health education
programme, or can be used in cross-curricular or subject work to
address specific National Curriculum statements of attainment.
This page illustrates how
Sickle Cell Disorders can be incorporated into your teaching. In
the text references are made to two books:
1: Sickle Cell Disease
- A Guide for patients, carers and health workers - Ian Franklin
2: Hb Masters Sickle - Video
and workbook.
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Health Education
- Sex education - Learning
about genes and reproduction [1,2]
- Family life and education
- When talking about vaccinations, perhaps discussion of screening
could be introduced. [1:pp12-19]
- Health related exercise
- Learning about the effects of exercise, including restrictions.
[2]
- Nutrition - Discussion
of special dietary needs - a healthy balanced diet and plenty
of fluids to avoid dehydration. [1:pp 21, 33, 81, 90; 2]
- Environmental aspects
- Distinguishing between infectious and non-infectious diseases,
how they arise and how they may be prevented. Knowledge of the
National Health Service.
- Psychological aspects
- Emotional stress, and coping with the implications of Sickle
Cell Disorders. Support groups. Haemoglobinopathies such as sickle
cell and thalassaemia should be emphasised along with other genetic
disorders, chronic illnesses and disabilities, in order not to
marginalise particular children. [1:pp84-86]
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Subjects in the National
Curriculum
Some examples of statements
are given for science,
mathematics,
geography
and English.
All are preceded by `pupils should' or `pupils should be able to'.
- Top
-
- Science
-
- Attainment
Target 1: Life and Living Processes
-
Strand (i)
- Life processes and the
organisation of living things
- 2.5a Pupils should be
able to name and outline the functions of the major organs and
organ system in mammals and flowering plants. The example given
includes blood circulation which is crucial in sickling crisis.
Strand (ii)
- Variation and the mechanisms
of inheritance and evolution
- 2.5b Know that information
in the form of genes is passed on from one generation to the next.
- 2.6c Know that variation
in living organisms has both genetic and environmental causes.
- 2.8b Know that genetic
information is passed from cell to cell and form generation to
generation by cell division.
- 2.8c Understand the principles
of monohybrid cross involving dominant and recessive alleles.
- 2.9b Understand the different
sources of genetic variation.
- 2.10c Understand the
basic principles of genetic engineering selective breeding and
cloning, and how these give rise to social and ethical issues.
-
-
- Sickle Cell Disorder
can be used to demonstrate these aspects of genetics [1, 2].
You will find information on the scientific basis of Sickle
Cell Disorders on the What is
Sickle Cell? page. For an explanation of the genetics and probabilities
of Sickle Cell Disorders go to the Inheritance page.
-
- Top
- Mathematics
-
- Attainment
Target 1: Number
-
- 2.2c Identify halves
and quarters. - Again the inheritance model.
-
- Attainment
Target 4: Shape and space
-
- 4.1a Talk about models
they have made. - The programme of
study relates this to sorting shapes, which could include the
sickle shapes of affected blood cells.
-
- Attainment
Target 5: Handling Data
-
- 5.2a Interpret relevant
data which have been collected.
- 5.3b Construct and interpret
statistical diagrams.
- 5.4b Conduct a survey
on an issue of their choice. - Perhaps a consideration of disorders
and illnesses in pupils' families, including genetic disorders.
- 5.2b Recognise that there
is a degree of uncertainty about the outcome of some events but
that others are either certain or impossible.
- 5.4d Estimate and justify
probability of an event.
- 5.5d Use an appropriate
method for estimating probabilities.
-
- The inheritance model
for sickle cell disorder, cystic fibrosis, etc. is a good example
of probabilities in real life use. [1:pp4-7]
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- Geography
-
- Attainment
Target 1: Geographical skills
-
- 1.4e Use index and contents
page to find information in an atlas.
- 1.5e Extract information
from thematic maps which show distribution patterns. -
Pupils could identify countries with a significant
incidence of Sickle Cell Disorder to Thalassaemia, and those where
malaria is endemic. [1:pp7-10]
-
- Attainment
Target 4: Human Geography
-
- 4.5a Explain the factors
which lead to changes in the population size of regions and countries.
- 4.6a Analyse the global
distribution of populations.
- 4.7a Analyse the cause
and effects of a recent large-scale migration of population.
- Pupils could consider countries which have recent populations
with Sickle Cell Disorder or Thalassaemia. [1:7-10]
- English
-
- There should be opportunities
for statements from all the attainment targets to be addressed
at levels appropriate to the pupils. For example:
-
- Attainment
Target 1: Speaking and listening
-
- 1.4a Give a detailed
oral account of an event, or something that has been learned in
the classroom, or explain with reasons why a particular course
of action has been taken.
- 1.4b Ask and respond
to questions in a range of situations with increased confidence.
- A child with a Sickle Cell Disorder could talk to the class,
or a school assembly, about how it affects his or her life. The
audience could ask questions.
-
- Attainment
Target 1: Reading
-
- Attainment
Target 3: Writing
-
- Attainment
Target 4/5: Presentation
-
- 2.6d Select from a range
of reference materials, using appropriate methods of identify
key points.
- 3.6a Write in a variety
of forms for a range of purposes, presenting subject matter differently
to suit the needs of specified known audiences and demonstrating
the ability to sustain the interest of the reader.
- 4/5.6d Show some ability
to use any available presentational devices that are appropriate
to the task, so that finished work is presented clearly and attractively.
- A pupil could do a cross-curricular research study of genetic
disorders and present the findings.
-
Further Resources
Wired For Health
Sickle
Cell Disorders are now on Key Stage 4 Mind, Body & Soul
area of Wired for Health
Key
Stage 3 information is now available through the Lifebytes area
of Wired for Health.
Information
for teachers on Sickle Cell Disorders is also available on Wired
for Health
Planet Sickle
We also have a site aimed directly at young
people with sickle cell disorders called Planet
Sickle.
Top
For further information contact:
Sickle Cell Society
54 Station Road
London, NW10 4UA
UK
Tel 020 8961 7795
Fax 020 8961 8346
info@sicklecellsociety.org
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