Overview

In this project, students delved into the world of healthcare professions with the goal of creating captivating advertisements to inspire high school students to pursue careers in healthcare. Through this exploration, students also gained a deeper understanding of how their current learning, specifically in chemistry classes, would be relevant and essential for future career paths in the healthcare field. By debunking myths and showcasing the real-life experiences of healthcare professionals, students not only learned about different healthcare careers but also discovered the significance of chemistry in these rewarding vocations.

Partners

Driving Question

How can we entice high school students to enter a healthcare career here in Caldwell County?

Process

Entry Event: The project commenced with a class discussion on students’ interests in healthcare careers, followed by brainstorming ideas on how to advertise them to students in their school. Additionally, students were informed about the collaboration with the local hospital and community college to enhance healthcare career advertisements.
Site Visit/ Data Collection: Working in groups of 2-4, students conducted site visits to different healthcare departments. They shadowed professionals, observing daily tasks and interacting with mentors. Students maintained observation notes and recorded their experiences through video, showcasing a “day in the life” of each career, alongside interview segments with the mentors.
Final Products: Students created engaging TikTok-style videos that presented a lively portrayal of the chosen healthcare careers, attempting to inspire their intended high school audience. Additionally, they designed scientific posters that detailed the necessary skills, education, and chemistry involved in each healthcare profession, offering real-life examples of chemistry’s relevance in these fields.

Milestones

Milestone 1: Career Shadowing Groups Chosen
Milestone 3: Interview Question Brainstorming
Milestone 4: Final Group Questions and Storyboard
Milestone 5: Site Visit/Video Filming
Milestone 6: Biochemistry Tie-In research
Milestone 7: Video and Scientific Posters Draft peer review
Milestone 8: Final Video and Scientific Posters
Mock Presentation to partners and Reflection
Final Exhibition

Problem/Challenge

The challenge for the project was two-fold: attracting qualified candidates to various healthcare professions due to misconceptions or lack of awareness, and connecting classroom learning, especially in chemistry, to real-world applications in healthcare to inspire students and inform their future career choices. To address these challenges, the project aimed to dispel myths about healthcare careers, showcase the true nature of these professions through engaging videos and scientific posters, and demonstrate how chemistry plays a vital role in healthcare practices, fostering a deeper understanding of the field and encouraging students to consider rewarding healthcare career paths.

Skill Development & Content Standards

Explored standards and learning targets such as CHM.1.2.4, mastering IUPAC naming and chemical formulas.
Engaged with CHM.1.2.5, comparing properties of different bond types.
Explored CHM.3.2, gaining a deep understanding of solutions, properties, interactions of acids and bases, and analyzing chemical reactions.
Developed skills like communication, collaboration, creativity, etiquette, research ability, problem-solving, accountability, and organization.
Equipped with comprehensive knowledge and practical skills for future academic and professional pursuits.

Field Experiences

Students had the opportunity to gain hands-on experience through engaging field experiences. Working in groups of 2-4, they were assigned to specific departments and thoroughly briefed on conduct rules relevant to each area. With mentors guiding them, students embarked on shadowing experiences, immersing themselves in the daily routines of their chosen healthcare professions. Throughout the shadowing sessions, they actively observed and documented the tasks performed by healthcare professionals, while asking questions that arose during the day. To capture their experiences, students creatively acted out a “day in the life” in TikTok-style videos, adding personal reflections from preplanned interview questions with their mentors. They took notes during their observations as well, ensuring they made the most of this hands-on learning opportunity and deepened their understanding of healthcare careers.

Final Product

Scientific Poster

Students worked in teams to research diverse healthcare careers, focusing on job outlook, required education, skills, and competencies. They created scientific posters that compared their research findings with their shadowing experiences, highlighting the application of classroom chemistry in patient care. The posters included relevant images and followed APA format for citations.

More information and the rubric can be found here.

Tik Tok Mythbusting Videos

Students collaborated to create engaging TikTok-style videos showcasing various healthcare careers. Their objective was to dispel myths, attract high school students to healthcare professions, and demonstrate professional collaborative and communication skills. Each team acted out fun and upbeat scenes depicting a typical day in their shadowed healthcare career, while incorporating interview footage with their mentors to provide further insights. These 3-5 minute videos were tailored for high school students, using proper terminology while ensuring the content was easily understandable. The final videos served as captivating artifacts to inspire their peers and shed light on the true nature of healthcare professions.