What Kind of Activities Can I Do With My High School Students About Medical Terminology?
Medical terminology has remained a mystery for non-professionals, due to its complexity and the seemingly numerous terms used to describe the human body and the various diseases. Television shows, such as "ER" and "House," use medical terms as a basic part of the script, but do little to describe the practical meaning of the terms. However, medical terminology abides by some basic rules, which can be explained to high school students through interesting classroom activities.
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Parts and Organs
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High school students will be able to name every part and organ of the body, but medical terminology is based on Greek and Latin definitions. For example, kidney in Greek is "nephro" and the kidney condition nephritis derives from it. Draw a human body on the board and list a number of diseases or conditions next to it. Students can use a dictionary or online resources to find the terms' root and point out which part or organ of the body they refer to.
Breaking Down the Condition
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Medical terminology uses prefixes and suffixes to indicate the exact condition and its location. For example, -itis always indicates inflammation, hence, arthr-itis means inflammation of joints (in Greek arthrosis means joint). Likewise, an- means absence of, so an-algia indicates absence of pain (algos is pain in Greek). After you have explained students the basics, create separate flash cards of prefixes, suffixes and roots and combine them to form medical terms. Ask students to describe the condition in plain English, or alternatively, you can explain the condition first and let them assemble the medical term.
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What's my Job
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Doctors specialize in a certain of gender or age of patients, as well as in specific parts or organs of the body. To name each one, we need the root of the word and the suffix -o-logist and -ician, which in Greek mean expert and healer, respectively. Ask students to explain the duties of each doctor, based on the root of the word. Alternatively, ask students where they would turn, if they suddenly had a problem, with their eyesight, for example (ophthalmologist).
Simplify the Script
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In a typical television season, there is no shortage of series taking place in busy hospitals. Organize a viewing of an episode of a hospital-based TV show; as the students watch, press the pause button whenever a medical term is heard. Together with students, decode the term and after it is clear what it means in plain English, move on with the episode. Apart from the fact that a popular TV series will draw the class' attention, it will help them enjoy the plot more, as they will fully understand the risks of doctors' actions.
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- Photo Credit medical tool. image by Yuri Bizgaimer from Fotolia.com
