Summer 2009 Workshop in Biology and Multimedia for High School Teachers Jessica Forton Melrose High School

Summer 2009 Workshop

in Biology and Multimedia

for High School Teachers

Jessica FortonMelrose High School

Fighting Our Evolutionary History

Jessica A. Forton

Melrose High School

Life Sciences-HHMI Outreach. Copyright 2009 President and Fellows of Harvard College.

http://www.lakecountynursery.com/family%20circle.jpg

http://www.pr.com/press-release/42135/file-attachment/WomansWorld.jpg

http://www.viewpoints.com/images/review/2008/56/23/1204004412-81174_full.jpg

• Diet and exercise are topics constantly in the media: magazines, television news, and infomercials challenge us to lose weight to look good. Secondary to that is the chance to get fit.

• These stories are right next to the ads and the recipes for chocolate cake, cheesy lasagna, and the best grilled steak you’ll ever have.

http://mrmagazine.files.wordpress.com/2007/04/ghmay.jpg


But what if we survived these millions of years because we liked meats and sweets?


http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Neandertaler_reconst.jpg

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:NCI_clove_ham.jpg http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:100_1373.JPG

What if food became celebratory?

What if it lost its seasonality?

What if we no longer had to chase it down or look for it, but grew it?

What if we cooked it?


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Thanksgiving_1918.jpg

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Supermarkt.jpg

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Grilling.jpg

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Corn_field_ohio.jpghttp://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Angus_cattle_5.jpg

How would these change us?


What if the television weren’t invented?

What if we didn’t take jobs that keep us sitting all day, glued to a computer?

What if cars were really expensive?


http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Match_on_TV.jpg

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:US_Navy_071019-N-3392B-002_Vietnamese_and_U.S._hydrograhers_study_data_collected_on_Da_Nang_harbor.jpg

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Aston_Martin_DB5,_%C3%96lgem%C3%A4lde.JPG


How would these change us?


0

10

20

30

40

50

60

Nu

mbe

r of

Hours

Country

Number of Hours Worked per Week

Hours worked/ week

http://www.ilo.org/global/lang--en/index.htm Data from International Labor Organization


• The average US worker receives 2-3 weeks of vacation a year

• The average European worker receives 4-6 weeks of vacation a year

• In 2000, French government passed into law the 35-hour work week (though they may work longer hours for monetary compensation)


Obesity Trends* Among U.S. AdultsBRFSS, 2000

(*BMI ≥30, or ~ 30 lbs. overweight for 5’ 4” person)

No Data <10% 10%–14% 15%–19% ≥20%

http://www.cdc.gov/obesity/data/trends.html

How do those states compare with this map?


Obesity Trends* Among U.S. AdultsBRFSS, 2008

No Data <10% 10%–14% 15%–19% 20%–24% 25%–29% ≥30%

http://www.cdc.gov/obesity/data/trends.html

How do those states compare with this most recent map?


Legislative Branch

The Judiciary

Agriculture

Commerce

Defense—Military

Education

Energy

Health and Human Services

Homeland Security

Housing and Urban Development

Interior

Justice

Labor

State

Transportation

Treasury

Veterans Affairs

Corps of Engineers

Other Defense—Civil Programs

Environmental Protection Agency

Executive Office of the President

General Services Administration

International Assistance Programs

National Aeronautics and SpaceAdministrationNational Science Foundation

Office of Personnel Management

Military

Social Security

Health & Human Services

Treasury

Other defense

Education

Agr

icul

ture

VA

http://www.gpoaccess.gov/usbudget/fy09/hist.htmlLife Sciences-HHMI Outreach. Copyright 2009 President and Fellows of Harvard

College.

• Upwards of 75% of the total spending by the United States federal government is for Social Security, Medicare/Medicaid and the Military.

• About 2% is for Education. – To be fair, most funding for schools comes from towns and cities

themselves and state sources. This allows them “local control.”

• About 3% is for Agriculture. – The Farm Bill supports food stamps, food distribution, fruit and vegetable

promotion, farmer’s markets, school meals, community food security/emergency funds and nutrition monitoring. http://www.ers.usda.gov/FarmBill/2008/Titles/TitleIVNutrition.htm


“In the bottle before you is a pill, a marvel of modern medicine that will regulate gene transcription throughout your body, helping prevent heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and 12 kinds of cancer…


http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Pill_Bottle.svg

“Expect the pill to improve your strength and balance…Your bones will become stronger. You’ll grow new capillaries in your heart, your skeletal muscles, and your brain, improving blood flow and the delivery of oxygen and nutrients. Your attention span will increase….


http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6b/Surface_anatomy_of_the_heart.png

“The pill will help you regulate your appetite and you’ll probably find you prefer healthier foods. You’ll feel better, younger even… Your blood volume will increase, and you’ll burn fats better. Even your immune system will be stimulated.”. Shaw, J. The Deadliest Sin. Harvard Magazine March-April 2004; 36-43, 98-99


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Colorful_Photo_of_Vegetables.png

Would you take the pill?



What is the magic pill?

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/sciencenow/0403/03.html

Documents

Summer 2009 Workshop in Biology and Multimedia for High School Teachers Jessica Forton Melrose High School