Two real medical cases of mystery (Lesson 2 & 3)

Time (min) / Teacher / Student / Remarks
10 / Present two cases of medical mystery:
In both cases of mystery, a number of people was discovered to have nerve damages - neuropathy - they have weakness and pain in the arms and legs, some were even becoming paralyzed. / Students would be given the same kind of evidence that the real medical research team collected.
Although these are real mysteries that actually happened, all the people's names and some other details have been changed.
15 / Play the role of the victims. Answer students' questions as the victims would probably answer. (see victim information sheet)
Put on the name tags as you answer the questions. / Play the role of "medical detectives" and interview the victims to find out what might have caused the problem. / When the teacher is playing the role of the victims, put on the appropriate name tags for easy identification.
15 / Give students important clues:

Mystery #1

Chemical list from the fabric printing factory
List of workers with neuropathy
Map of the fabric printing factory

Mystery #2

List of activities of the 3 young people and the food they ate in the week before they get sick / Study the clues. / Always uses a color code for the 2 cases, e.g. white for mystery #1 and pink for mystery #2.
Wong Kam-fat is one of the victims in mystery #1.
Vincent Chan is one of the victims in mystery #2.
15 / Put on the appropriate name tag while answering further questions from students.
After about 10 minutes have passed, announce to the whole class that Susan Kwok, the 17-year old, has just died. / Ask further questions as the teacher is going round the classroom.
Should only ask questions related to the mystery, to try to figure out what's going on, what's the cause of the problem and what could be done about it. / Answer not as a teacher but as the victims would probably answer.
10 / Pass out the 2 additional information sheets to each group at appropriate times.

Mystery #1

Job Descriptions of Workers in Print Room

Mystery #2

Lacquer Thinner Ingredient Sheet
Make sure that every group receives both of these sheets eventually.
5 / Teacher takes off the name tag and plays the role of a teacher.
If some groups finish early, challenge them further with questions such as “What in the lacquer thinner causes the problem?”
10 / Give a five-minute warning before you end the discussion.
Ask students to write down what they think caused the nerve damage problems in each case.

N.B.Neuropathy - Pronounced as nur- AHHH-pa-thee

Meaning disease of the nerves - the nerves most severely affected are the peripheral nerves (the ones that run between the central nervous system (CNS) and the arms, hands and legs)