In this learning module, high school anatomy and physiology students will learn about the human integumentary system and its components. They will apply their knowledge to pathologies of the integumentary system, the evolution of skin color variation, and appendage structures (hair, nails, and glands).
I am a high school science teacher, and this year, I am teaching three subject areas, all 100% virtually. (Or they are virtual at least for the time being.) One of those subjects is Human Anatomy and Physiology. This learning module is intended to introduce juniors and seniors to the integumentary system: the hair, skin, and nails. This content was previously taught in person, using mostly a lecture and lab format. I have translated it into an online learning module to help facilitate online learning due to the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic.
This Learning Module uses the Learning by Design Pedagogy which uses eight Knowledge Processes. A Knowledge Process is "an activity type which represents a distinct way of making knowledge and of learning" (New Learning Online, 2020).
The eight knowledge processes are as follows:
Experiencing
- the known – learners reflect on their own familiar experiences, interests and perspectives.
- the new – learners observe or take part in something that is unfamiliar; they are immersed in new situations or contents.
Conceptualizing
- by naming – learners group things into categories, apply classifying terms, and define these terms.
- with theory – learners make generalisations using concepts, and connect terms in concept maps or theories.
Analyzing
- functionally – learners analyse logical connections, cause and effect, structure and function.
- critically – learners evaluate their own and other people’s perspectives, interests and motives.
Applying
- appropriately – learners apply new learning to real world situations and test their validity.
- creatively – learners make an intervention in the world which is innovative and creative, or transfer their learning to a different context.
"Pedagogy," by W. Cope and M. Kalantzis, New Learning Online (https://newlearningonline.com/learning-by-design/pedagogy).
Using these eight Knowledge Processes in the design process, teachers plan the Learning Module with the intent for students to document their learning, and more importantly, to create a learning community within the module itself. Students gather information from curated resources on the web and create meanings as they work through the module. Their peers are doing the same thing, and as such, learners are able to collaborate to create a community of knowledge.
"The finest clothing made is a person's own skin, but, of course, society demands something more than this."
-Mark Twain (New York Times, 1906).
Skin is water-proof, elastic, washable, and temperature-controlling, and it can repair itself after being torn, cut, or burned. It is our largest organ, and oftentimes we take it for granted!
The skin and its accessory organs: sweat and oil glands, hair, and nails, make up a complex system of organs that protect you from the outside world. In adults, the skin accounts for about 7-10% of your body weight, and it covers a surface area of 1.2-2.2 meters, depending on how big the person is (Marieb & Hoehn, 2019).
In this Learning Module, you will discover the inner-workings of your skin: its structures, functions, and what can happen when things go wrong. The learning objectives of this module are as follows:
The target learners for this learning module are high school anatomy and physiology students. These students are either in 11th or 12th grade, and typically they have an interest in doing something in healthcare beyond graduation, but not always. Many students take the course because it is more of an applied science. They can relate the science to what they experience in their own lives and in their own bodies.
These students should have completed biology and chemistry, and they also need a background knowledge of:
The objectives of this Learning Module are as follows:
This learning module should take about five to six class periods, each an hour long.
Corresponding Next Generation Science Standards
HS-LS1-2 Develop and use a model to illustrate the hierarchical organization of interacting systems that provide specific functions within multicellular organisms.
HS-LS1-3 Plan and conduct an investigation to provide evidence that feedback mechanisms maintain homeostasis.
HS-LS3-2. Make and defend a claim based on evidence that inheritable genetic variations may result from: (1) new genetic combinations through meiosis, (2) viable errors occurring during replication, and/or (3) mutations caused by environmental factors.
Objective: Identify the organs and accessories of the integumentary system.
Watch the video above for an overview of the integumentary system. Take note of its functions and main components.
Two main layers make up the skin: the epidermis and the dermis. The hypodermis is deep to the dermis, but it is connective tissue consisting of mostly subcutaneous fat. The epidermis is made of closely packed epithelial cells, and the dermis is made of dense irregular connective tissue that includes blood vessels, nerves, hair follicles, sweat glands, and other structures. Within the epidermis and the dermis are sublayers, each with different structures and functions.
Post an update: Have you ever had an injury to your skin? Describe it and propose how superficial or deep it was based on the structures you know about so far.
Make a comment: Which layer of the skin - the dermis or the epidermis - do you think is better nourished? Why?
The purpose of this first update is to introduce students to the different layers of the skin. The integumentary system is much more complex than students realize at first. The video gives an overview of the structures of the integumentary system and gets them thinking about its functions. Students should be able to determine which layer of skin is more superficial and which are more deep, as well as determine which part of the skin is better nourished. Students should activate their prior knowledge to think about their skin, its healing, and what happens during a skin injury. All individuals have had some kind of injury to their skin, and this helps them start to think about what happens when there is a lack of homeostasis in the integumentary system.
Learning Objective: Identify the layers and structures of the integumentary system.
Listen to this podcast on the integumentary system, specifically at the timestamps below:
19:00-37:40 - The layers of the epidermis, keratinocytes, melanocytes
41:10-45:50 - The dermis
Take notes to answer the following questions:
Barton, M. & Todorovic, M. (Hosts). (2018, October 25). The integumentary system (No. 40) [Audio podcast episode]. In Dr. Matt & Dr. Mike's medical podcast. Australasian Clinical Education Network. https://www.biologicalsci.org/podcast/2018/10/25/episode-40-integumentary-system
This video provides visuals of the layers of the skin:
Khanacademymedicine. (2014, June 27). What is skin? (Epidermis) | Integumentary system physiology [Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/TjYbFdSY0LA
Click this link to view a 3D image of the skin's layers.
Post an update: Find a histological image of the skin. Create an unlabeled diagram for your peers to label. Post the key in a separate link.
Make a comment: Answer one of the following questions:
Comment on one other person's comment.
The purpose of this update is for students to see the sublayers within the structures of the integumentary system. They have a choice of media to look at, including a podcast, a video, and a 3D image. Typically in this unit, we would use microscopes to look at these tissues, but online learning adds some additional challenges to the lab setting. Students should take note of each of the layers within the epidermis and dermis, and understand what is happening within the skin on a cellular level. This should give them an idea of what normal skin looks like, so that they may predict what might happen if there are injuries or diseases later in the learning module.
Learning Objectives:
Analyze the ways in which the integumentary system protects the body and helps to maintain homeostasis.
Explain how the skin responds to injury and repairs itself.
The skin, hair, and nails perform several essential functions which include: acting as a barrier to outside elements, chemicals, and pathogens, retaining water, enabling sensation, regulating body temperature, and synthesizing vitamin D. The structure beneath the dermis, the hypodermis, plays a role in fat storage, cushioning underlying structures, and insulation (Betts, et al., 2013).
Watch the videos below to further explore the functions of the integumentary system.
CrashCourse. (2015, February 16). The Integumentary System, Part 2 - Skin Deeper: Crash Course A & P #7 [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EN-x-zXXVwQ&t=508s
TED-Ed. (2014, Nov 10). How a wound heals itself - Sarthak Sinha [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TLVwELDMDWs
Post an update:
Research a disease that inhibits one of the skin's functions. What is its incidence? What is the prognosis for the disease? Describe the pathophysiology of the disease, and provide at least one form of media in your post.
Make a comment:
Answer one of the following questions:
1. What chemicals produced in the skin help provide barriers to bacteria? List a few and describe how they work.
2. Describe the skin's role in immunity.
3. Explain the relationship between sunlight and bone health.
4. What is something else that stuck out for you in this material
Comment on one other person's comment.
This section goes into the essential functions of the integumentary system. Students must watch the Crash Course video which explains each of the functions in detail. The second video attached goes into wound healing and how the skin repairs itself. All of these functions play a role in maintaining homeostasis in the body, which is a recurring theme in anatomy and physiology. What do our bodies do to maintain internal balance? What happens when the body is not in a state of homeostasis? The functions here are explained so that in the next update, students can determine what happens when the skin is not in its normal functioning state.
Learning Objective:
Skin cancers, burns, and infections are major challenges for the body. Skin, the largest organ in the human body, can reveal homeostatic imbalances. There are over 3000 skin diseases (Barton & Todorovic, 2018). Infections due to bacteria, viruses, or fungi are more common (Marieb & Hoehn, 2019), but not as damaging to the body as less common ailments: burns and cancers.
Skin cancer develops from ultraviolet radiation exposure from the sun. It is relatively common, and one in five individuals will develop some kind of skin cancer in their lifetime (Marieb & Hoehn, 2019, p. 165). Cancers are more likely to occur in areas of the body that are more mitotically active, meaning they divide more frequently. Skin is getting regenerated constantly, and humans shed around 200,000 dead skin cells per minute (Barton & Todorovic, 2018). Therefore, the risk and likelihood of individuals developing skin cancer are higher than other types of cancers.
Osmosis. (2019, May 22). Skin cancers [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mmR2R8XB-JU
Burns are also devastating threats to the body because of their effects on the skin. Burns are tissue damage that can be caused by intense heat, chemicals, radiation, and electricity which cause cells in afflicted areas to die. Most of the body's damage from burns is due to dehydration because of water loss in the skin. One of the skin's major functions is to retain water, and when it is damaged, that water escapes the body.
Post an update: Research a skin disease that is not mentioned in this section of the learning module. Describe it in detail, and explain the pathophysiology behind it.
Make a comment: What is something that stood out to you in the media provided in this module? Summarize the concepts and why it made an impact on you. Comment on one other person's comment.
This module presents two of the major afflictions of the integumentary system: burns and cancers. These are the most serious diseases of the skin and can disrupt the body's homeostasis in major ways. Since skin diseases are so numerous, the update in this section of the learning module asks students to research other skin diseases and explain the specific pathophysiology behind them
Go through the resources below.
1. What is melanin, and how does it play a role in skin color?
2. What is the relationship among latitude, skin pigmentation and UV radiation?
3. Why would darker skin be an advantage for individuals near the equator? Why would lighter skin be a disadvantage for individuals near the equator?
4. Why would ligher skin be an advantage for individuals at more northern latitudes? Why would darker skin be a disadvantage for individuals away from the equator?
5. Why are calcium, vitamin D, and folate important? What is their connection with our skin?
Post an update: Research the biology of race. What is something that stands out to you? Some sources for research might be podcasts, books, or articles.
Post a comment: What is something that stands out to you in this material, and why do you think it is important? Comment on one other person's comment.
This update allows students to research the connections between skin color and environmental factors such as UV exposure. This lesson, by the New York Times, helps teachers facilitate lessons on biology and race.
Learning Objective: Identify the layers and structures of the integumentary system.
Other structures of the integumentary system include the hair and nails. Hair and nails are appendages of the epidermis.
Go through the resources below.
Khanacademymedicine. (2014, June 27). Where do our nails and hair come from? | Integumentary system physiology | NCLEX-RN | Khan Academy [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RD0waXH62AI
OpenStax Anatomy & Physiology Textbook
Post an update: Find a histological image of a hair follicle within the skin or glands that are located within the skin. Create an unlabeled diagram for your peers to label. Post the key in a separate link.
Post a comment: Research a disease of the hair or nails. What causes the disease? What is its prognosis? What is its incidence? Comment on one other person's comment.
This module briefly covers the hair and nails, which are sometimes called appendages of the integumentary system.
For this project, you can demonstrate your knowledge in any way you would like. Some examples of past projects have included:
3D Model: This model must accurately represent all the listed structures and have 3D elements.
Poster: Posters can be in a digital or hand-made format. They must be appealing to the eye and include the required information.
Skit/Movie: This option allows for more creativity in designing/writing a skit or short film to show the required information.
Webpage
Podcast
Guiding Questions & Background Information:
1. Describe the 2 layers of the skin (epidermis, dermis) and their functions. Include the 5 types of layers in the epidermis as well. Include the hypodermis, even though it is connective tissue.
2. What types of tissue are present in the skin? What are their roles in this system?
3. Describe appendage structures of the skin (glands, hair, nails) and their functions.
4. Explain the functions of the integumentary system.
5. Explain what happens within your dermis when a mosquito bites your skin? Include how the
layers are affected, what the mosquito does, and the allergic reaction that takes place.
6. How are the 3 degrees of burns classified? Explain the 3 degrees of burns and how they affect
the different layers of the skin.
7. How do tattoos work? Why are they permanent, what layers of skin do they affect?
8. Choose 2 skin diseases or disorders that interest you and explain the causes, symptoms, and
treatments for the disease.
Grading Rubric
Project contained each of the following criteria.
Content Expectation: Showing complete and exception explanations of the guiding questions with strong understanding displayed.
1. _____ Content: Layers of the skin & tissues
2. _____ Content: Accessory structures
3. _____ Content: Functions of the system
4. _____ Content: Mosquitoes & allergic reactions
5. _____ Content: Burns
6. _____ Content: Tattoos
7. _____ Content: Diseases
Project Expectation: Showing high level of commitment and time spent with a very professional result.
8. _____ Creativity: Project displays high levels of creativity and effort
9. _____ Appearance: Project is organized and neat.
10. _____ Professional: Project is lacking technical, grammar, and systematic errors.
Students get a choice in what they would like to do for their project. In a virtual setting, projects will be done digitally. However, were we in the classroom, there would be more options for projects to be viewed in person.
This assessment was created in CGScholar, and it will be used in combination with the students' project and involvement in the learning module to assess learning.
American Academy of Dermatology (AAD). (2018). How to spot skin cancer [Infographic]. American Academy of Dermatology. https://assets.ctfassets.net/1ny4yoiyrqia/2j7YE9TiVWiGflNp0jGAHw/a7e8aa9c8dfc1d6b300f4c17b8cc4c14/how-to-spot-skin-cancer-infographic.pdf
Barton, M. & Todorovic, M. (Hosts). (2018, October 25). The integumentary system (No. 40) [Audio podcast episode]. In Dr. Matt & Dr. Mike's medical podcast. Australasian Clinical Education Network. https://www.biologicalsci.org/podcast/2018/10/25/episode-40-integumentary-system
Betts, J. G., Young, K., Wise, J., Johnson, E., Kruse, D., Poe, B., Korol, O., Johnson, J. E., Womble, M., & DeSaix, P. (2013). Anatomy and Physiology. OpenStax.
Chapun, G. (2004). Geographic Distribution of Environmental Factors Influencing Human Skin Coloration. American Journal of Physical Anthropology, 125(3), 292–302. https://doi-org.proxy2.library.illinois.edu/10.1002/ajpa.10263
Cope, B & Kalantzis, M. "Pedagogy". New Learning Online (https://newlearningonline.com/learning-by-design/pedagogy).
CrashCourse. (2015, February 16). The Integumentary System, Part 2 - Skin Deeper: Crash Course A & P #7 [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EN-x-zXXVwQ&t=508s
Khanacademymedicine. (2014, June 27). What is skin? (Epidermis) | Integumentary system physiology [Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/TjYbFdSY0LA
Khanacademymedicine. (2014, June 27). Where do our nails and hair come from? | Integumentary system physiology | NCLEX-RN | Khan Academy [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RD0waXH62AI
Lesson of the Day: ‘Can Biology Class Reduce Racism?’ (2019, December 10). The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2019/12/10/learning/lesson-of-the-day-can-biology-class-reduce-racism.html
Marieb, E. N., & Hoehn, K. (2019). Human anatomy & physiology (11th ed.). Hoboken, NJ: Pearson Education.
N.A. (1906, December 8) Mark Twain in white amuses congressmen. The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/1906/12/08/archives/mark-twain-in-white-amuses-congressmen-advocates-new-copyrigt-law.html
National Research Council (NRC). A Framework for K-12 science education: Practices, crosscutting concepts, and core ideas. (2012). Washington, D.C.: National Academies Press.
Nucleus Medical Media (2020). Skin layers and functions [Video]. Retrieved from https://ebsco.smartimagebase.com/skin-layers-and-functions/view-item?ItemID=71995
Osmosis. (2019, May 22). Skin cancers [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mmR2R8XB-JU
TED-Ed. (2014, Nov 10). How a wound heals itself - Sarthak Sinha [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TLVwELDMDWs