This course titled 'The Molecular Basis and Nursing Roles in Lead Poisoning' will consider the biochemical causes, treatments, and prevention measures for this disorder that affects one in every six children in the United States. Active student learning will be stressed. In addition to classroom presentations, there will be a chemistry laboratory exercise, a computer usage laboratory, a chemistry mathematical skills review, and writing assignments. Other activities will include clinical observations at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia's lead treatment clinic, and an introduction to physical examinations. In addition, students will get a substantial introduction to the use of the Maple software that will be used in all calculus courses in the Fall.
Maple is a powerful system which integrates symbolic, numerical, and graphical calculations.
Students will use the software to explore calculus concepts and problems individually and in group work. Because of the nature of the text and the computer usage, the students will be required to organize themselves into small study groups to discuss assigned problems. Several class hours will be devoted to group work, or student presentation and discussion of solution of these problems. The focus of the course is in teaching students how to think about science, in particular physics and chemistry, and how to use mathematics for scientific problem-solving. The goal of the course is for every student to have an integrated understanding of the relevance of mathematics to science, an appreciation of the real-world problems that science and mathematics can address, an appreciation for the role of computers in handling and understanding data, and the necessary tools for successfully completing any freshman course in science and mathematics.