Living With Diabetes:  Lesson 1   ©2003

Understanding Diabetes
Do We All Need To Understand Diabetes?
SUBJECTS: Reading, Health, and Technology

GRADE LEVEL:  5 - 8

LEARNER OUTCOMES:

  • Be able to define words dealing with diabetes which will include: diabetes, pancreas, and glucose
  • Be able to explain basic treatment for the disease
  • To increase the awareness of the seriousness of diabetes and its risk factors
DURATION OF LESSON:  30-45 Minutes


MATERIALS:

  • Paper
  • Pencil
  • Dictionaries
  • Computers With Internet Access
  • PowerPoint Presentations


TECHNOLOGY/COURSEWARE:

  • Internet Access
  • Microsoft Word
  • Overhead projector


TEACHER NOTES:

  • Students acceptable internet forms
  • Follow IEP's
  • Have copy of Policy 2460
  • Peer tutoring and/or cooperative learning


PROCEDURE:

  • Introduce lesson by showing "How Diabetes Works" and "What is Diabetes."
  • Introduce students to vocabulary words using PowerPoint presentation.
  • Introduce students to diabetes by asking, “Can anyone tell me what organ in the body is not functioning normally when a person gets type 1 diabetes? (Answer – the pancreas, show overhead titled “The Pancreas."
  • Introduce the vocabulary word insulin and have students locate and define.  Ask “ What does insulin do for the body?”  Help students to realize that insulin helps to carry the blood glucose (sugar) from our food to our cells.
  • Discuss how that type 1 diabetes occurs when the beta cells can no longer produce insulin.  The body’s antibodies for some reason destroy the cells.  No one is sure why it happens, but it may be a combination of heredity and environment.  Help student to realize that someday we may know the cause of diabetes and learn how to prevent diabetes.  For now, all we can do is learn how to control the disease.
  • Take the on-line Quiz.


MODIFICATIONS:

  •   Modifications based on IEP of individual students.


ENRICHMENT ACTIVITIES: 

  • Student or adult visit classroom to talk to class about diabetes and have healthy snacks for all.
  • Invite local health professionals to visit classroom and discuss diabetes


EVALUATION/ASSESSMENT:

West Virginia Standards:
National Standards:


REFERENCES:

  1. BrainPop Site
  2. Marco Polo Site
  3. JDRF'S Site
  4. AnimationFactory
  5. WebReference
 
Back to Top of Page
Lesson 1:  Understanding Diabetes
Lesson 2:  Diabetes and Exercise
Lesson 3:  Diabetes and Diet
Lesson 4:  Diabetes and Menu Planning
Lesson 5:  Diabetes and Complications
Lesson:    Overview
AUTHORS:
Gordon Carter  Karen White Linda Cline