Rock Hill High School students transformed into crime scene investigators in Ms. Symmank's Biomedical Science (BioMed) class. The task? Analyze blood splatter from a "crime scene" victim to determine how the crime was committed..
By testing blood drops from various heights, students calculated the splatter diameter, applying math and science to determine where the "victim" fell. This hands-on activity gave students a glimpse into the real-world application of forensics and problem-solving and ignited their excitement and engagement, blending critical thinking with biology and physics.
BioMed, a Career and Technical Education (CTE) course, is part of the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) endorsement offered to students in grades 9-12. The course, available at all three high schools in the district, introduces students to biology and medicine, equipping them with the foundational knowledge and skills for a future in healthcare.
Throughout the course, students investigate the death of a fictional person, exploring lifestyle choices and medical treatments that could have altered their fate. They delve into human physiology, medicine, research processes, and bioinformatics, learning about a comprehensive range of key biological concepts such as homeostasis, metabolism, genetics, and disease defense. This comprehensive knowledge equips them with a deep understanding of the field.
By combining hands-on experiments with in-depth medical knowledge, the BioMed class offers students an engaging pathway to careers in healthcare, preparing them for further studies in medicine, research, or clinical practice.