Students are introduced to the unit challenge: To develop a painless means of identifying cancerous tumors. Solving the challenge depends on an understanding of the properties of stress and strain. After learning the challenge question, students generate ideas and consider the knowledge required to solve the challenge. Then they read an expert's opinion on ultrasound imaging and the potentials for detecting cancerous tumors. This interview helps to direct student research and learning towards finding a solution.

Students paticipate in a hands-on lesson discovering how cancer is caused by mutations that accumulate over time.

This article complete with labeled diagrams, key vocabulary terms, and review questions explains the connection between gene regulation and cancer.

A free CK-12 account is required to view all materials.

Students are given a problem about a relatively new treatment for cancer, Gleevec, and asked to apply and synthesize what they have learned about cell signaling and the eukaryotic cell cycle to explain why this targeted treatment works to prevent cell division with fewer side effects than traditional chemotherapeutic agents.

Student teams learn about engineering design of green fluorescent proteins (GFPs) and their use in medical research, including stem cell research. They simulate the use of GFPs by adding fluorescent dye to water and letting a flower or plant to transport the dye throughout its structure. Students apply their knowledge of GFPs to engineering applications in the medical, environmental and space exploration fields. Due to the fluorescing nature of the dye, plant life of any color, light or dark, can be used unlike dyes that can only be seen in visible light.

This page for the huge KidsHealth site gives you a jumping-off point and an overview of the site's content, purpose, and usage. With sections for parents, kids, and teens, KidsHealth has been online since 1995 and today it is accessed 250,000 times on an average weekday. The Kids area features thousands of topics in sections like Staying Healthy, Growing Up, Everyday Illnesses & Injuries, and Dealing with Feelings. There are games, interactive features, and a glossary of medical terms. Teen topics include School & Jobs, Staying Safe, and Food & Fitness. This is a great place for doctor-approved health information. Available in English and Spanish.

During this activity, students will be introduced to the concepts of the challenge. They will generate ideas for solving the grand challenge first independently, then in small groups. Finally, as a class, students will compile their ideas with a visual as a learning supplement.

Understand how blood illnesses affect human health.

A free CK-12 account is required to view all materials.

Learn about how cancer cells spread or metastasize throughout the body in this example animation video [1:28] of melanoma spreading.

Learn about melanoma or skin cancer, how it develops and spreads, and what is the common treatment, in this Mayo Clinic animated video. (1 min, 55 sec)

The Med Help Support Communities provides questions and answers about most medical conditions as well as allowing you to type in a question and get a reply from a doctor.

Online presentations on more than 150 health topics, diseases, and conditions, from acne to viruses. Each plays as a slide presentation, with sound, that you can control or set to autoplay. Time varies from 5-20 minutes. Available in both Spanish and English.

A complete, illustrated article describing DNA mutations and how they relate to cancer.

A free CK-12 account is required to view all materials.

Animations of the different phases of cancer, make this a great resource for understanding the development of this disease.

Students learn about the biomedical use of nanoparticles in the detection and treatment of cancer, including the use of quantum dots and lasers that heat-activate nanoparticles. They also learn about electrophoresis a laboratory procedure that uses an electric field to move tiny particles through a channel in order to separate them by size. They complete an online virtual mini-lab, with accompanying worksheet, to better understand gel electrophoresis. This prepares them for the associated activity to write draft research proposals to use nanoparticles to protect against, detect or treat skin cancer.

This site provides links to articles that deal specifically with many different causes of cancer, such as genetic, hormonal, or from a chemical that is inhaled or eaten.

This site describes the symptoms, diagnosis, treatment, and provides links to further information on head and neck cancer.

The National Cancer Institute's Leukemia homepage allows you to click on links to various topics, including treatment, prevention, literature, statistics, and research.

Learn about treatment options associated with ovarian germ cell tumors. This website, intended for patients, provides detailed information on the stages of this cancer and the methods used to fight it.