Kids Presentation

[Paramedic2617]

I volunteered to talk to my sons class about what I do as a doctor. I want to make it an interactive presentation. I was thinking about bringing a bunch of hands things that we use (ie stethoscope, BP cuff, pulse ox, tongue depressor) to show to them. I found a link online to a fun way of working through a physical exam with them (http://webmedia.unmc.edu/pediatrics/graduateeducation/scriptHCFK.pdf)

Does anyone have any experience doing this type of thing? My son is 4 years old and the kids in his class are 3-5.

Thanks!

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[discodoctor]

I volunteered to talk to my sons class about what I do as a doctor. I want to make it an interactive presentation. I was thinking about bringing a bunch of hands things that we use (ie stethoscope, BP cuff, pulse ox, tongue depressor) to show to them. I found a link online to a fun way of working through a physical exam with them (http://webmedia.unmc.edu/pediatrics/graduateeducation/scriptHCFK.pdf)

Does anyone have any experience doing this type of thing? My son is 4 years old and the kids in his class are 3-5.

Thanks!

While I will be only a lowly PGY1 come July, I do have some experience presenting to kids. We had to present 2-3 times a year to elementary students to fulfill a service requirement for BBB. You are right kids love hands on so bring a lot of stuff they can play with. They also love repeating what you say like some good facts for them to know. Also later ask those facts again to them to let them talk and interact. They will bend over backwards and give you all of their attention if you offer a prize--I used stickers and it was quite effective. Otherwise smile... you will feel like a billionaire when you are done!

 

[cabinbuilder]

I volunteered to talk to my sons class about what I do as a doctor. I want to make it an interactive presentation. I was thinking about bringing a bunch of hands things that we use (ie stethoscope, BP cuff, pulse ox, tongue depressor) to show to them. I found a link online to a fun way of working through a physical exam with them (http://webmedia.unmc.edu/pediatrics/graduateeducation/scriptHCFK.pdf)

Does anyone have any experience doing this type of thing? My son is 4 years old and the kids in his class are 3-5.

Thanks!

If its ok with the teacher might want to go to the meat dept and get some organs like liver, tripe, pancreas, brain, tongue, etc so the kids can see what the organs look like. Then you can talk about how drugs will hurt your brain so you can think, etc. See if you can get a liver that still has vessels? Or get some soup bones and talk about marrow is where the blood is made, bones support our bodies, the liver cleans the blood. Sometimes you can get hold of a cow eye?? Good luck, be sure to have lots to show and keep it simple.

 

[islandCrazy]

^ Don't bring the real stuff buy the brain and heart mold ( they usually sell them at craft stores) and then make a jello that the kids can eat later. If you put a little condensed milk in the jello mixture( cherry) it will start looking more real.

 

[montessori2md]

I think a real cows heart would be awesome. Also agree w/ beef soup bones, along with an intact bone, so you can show the insides. At age 3-5 you want to focus on stuff they can touch and feel, and talk to them as little as possible. I also think the physics aspects of medicine are very appealing to preschoolers -like how muscles get shorter when they contract, how blood gets from your toes to your heart, how lungs inflate, how food goes in and poop and pee come out. This is all very interesting, magical, weird stuff which you can demonstrate with balloons, rubber bands, aquarium tubing, their own bodies, etc.

I also read a piece the other day about how we should be teaching about the immune system as a "force field" rather than the soldier fighting the germ model we usually use with kids. It better describes our microflora + immune system. I think my son, Star Wars fan that he is, would get that.

You can ask your local public librarian to put together a set of picture books about doctors/medicine/anatomy for preschoolers. They are really great at this, do it all the time, and usually love to help, if you give them a couple of days. Then you can let the kids look at them for the rest of the day after you leave, collect them when you collect your kid (as long as that's ok with the teacher - libraries usually understand that their books are for kids, and won't freak out if a page gets torn).

 

[Paramedic2617]

Thanks everyone. I'm forsure going to try to make it as hands on as possible. I dont think the teacher will be into me bringing the real deal but a mold would be awesome for them to play with.

I like the idea of using different objects to explain how the body works.

I'll let you know how it goes.

 

[rachmoninov3]

anyone have any ideas on hands on stuff to present to a group (aprox 30) of middle and high school students?

I was thinking EKGs (two leads run off a life-pack)
There's always the cow heart, but it's pretty small for a group of 30 students, and I want it to be more interactive...

Any ideas?

 

[montessori2md]

Cow's hearts and soup bones are cheap, you could buy a bunch (5-10 of each?) and put them on paper plates.
Middle school/high school students are still kids at heart, they just have more skills and knowledge. What you would do would depend a lot on the school/class. If they are "regular" kids, hands on with equipment will be great. I found even 9th graders were a little intimidated by an otoscope and BP cuff. They also are terrified of doing something silly in front of their friends, so it takes some work to get them to participate, or even ask questions.
There is a website: www.girlshealth.gov that has a fantastic (free!) booklet for girls, that I think everyone treating girls should give away. They'll send you as many as you want in Eng or Spanish if you call the 800# and ask, it only took me a week to get them.
I think with that age group, ideally you would talk about some of the embarrassing stuff they want to know but don't want to ask. The obvious is sex stuff, but also diet (match the vitamin to the food and the body part it helps), and physio stuff. Why do we fart? What is BO? Acne? Do some myth-busting (do you get a cold because you're outside without a coat?). With high school students you could also get into discussions about the various careers in health care and discuss justice/policy in health care.