LENScience
Diabetes in my community
This unit of work is designed for Year 11 students in New Zealand Schools and is based on the New Zealand Curriculum (2007). The unit is designed around the context of the incidence of Type 2 diabetes in New Zealand a socio-scientific issue facing New Zealand communities; the biology behind this disease, why it is an issue in our community and how science research is finding new evidence for its prevention and treatment.
The statistics tell the New Zealand story. In 2001 there were 125,000 people diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. It is predicted that this number will have increased by 45% to 188,000 New Zealanders by next year. This increase will be around three times higher in Māori and Pacific peoples.
Moreover, only one-third of this increase is associated with increasing obesity. Even if the range of approaches being implemented to reduce obesity is successful, the number of people with diabetes will still increase. There is no cure for diabetes but it can be prevented. This professional development seminar will: introduce you to the science behind this context, outline the potential to use this context in your teaching and assessment programme, and discuss how Nature of Science can be incorporated into the learning.
Teaching and assessment resources are provided below:
Biology 1.2 Internal Assessment Resource (681.6 kB, PDF)
NZ Curriculum Science Level 6
- Nature of Science: Understanding about science, communicating in science, participating and contributing
- Living World: Life Processes
Links to NCEA
- AS90187v3 Science 1.2: Process information describe a use of science knowledge with direction (existing achievement standard).
- AS90926v1 Biology 1.2: Report on a biological issue (3 credits). This is a new achievement standard; to be registered late 2010.
- Meets NCEA Level 1 Literacy requirements.
