New Science Program Teaches High School Students About Blood And Career Opportunities In The Field Of Hematology

Main Category: Blood / Hematology
Article Date: 24 Nov 2009 - 3:00 PST

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The American Society of Hematology (ASH) and Scholastic, the global children's publishing, education, and media company, are launching "Explore the Mystery of Blood," a dynamic science curriculum designed to spark interest in the fields of science and medicine, in addition to exposing students to exciting career opportunities in hematology.

"Many hematologists may remember watching a cartoon in grade school about Hemo the Magnificent, which made learning about blood really fun," stated Nancy Berliner, MD, ASH President. "Now ASH has the opportunity to convey this excitement to a new generation of high school students. We are really excited to have developed this quality program with Scholastic."

This hands-on, interactive learning experience will engage students in learning about blood functions as well as common disorders through colorful imagery and the examination of actual blood smears under a microscope. The program aligns with national education standards for science, technology, and life skills. It includes lesson plans built on themes from the hematology documentary "Blood Detectives" and information from http://www.BloodTheVitalConnection.org, a Web site designed to educate the public about the importance of healthy blood. As part of the program, students will watch "Blood Detectives" (a DVD is included with the materials) where they will see real-life hematologists at work in clinical and research settings helping to treat and cure hematology patients with life-threatening blood diseases. Follow-up activities allow students to see what it is like to be a hematologist by observing blood from an unhealthy patient and learning about how this information helps doctors draw conclusions and determine accurate diagnoses.

"Scholastic is pleased to be working with The American Society of Hematology to provide resources to help high school teachers foster core scientific investigation skills in their students." said Ann Amstutz-Hayes, Vice President of Scholastic InSchool.

This curriculum is being distributed to 50,000 high school science teachers and science club advisors nationwide, reaching more than 4 million students. It will also be available for download at http://www.Scholastic.com/hematology.

"Explore the Mystery of Blood" was made possible in part by the Wallace H. Coulter Foundation.

Source
American Society of Hematology
Scholastic Corporation