Action Potentials Lab
Purpose: The goal of this lab is to have students analyze the components of an action potential. This includes what the segments are, the electrical stimulus pathway, and understanding of what happens if those pieces malfunction.
This first section is a basic form of introduction. Students are learning about new terms and asked to associate them with a picture. This is establishing the base level of recognition in bloom's taxonomy.
This lab is special due to the fact activities were designed to demonstrate the different learning levels of bloom's taxonomy. As we go through each lab activity, the level increases.
The section is designed to help students recall material from previous lessons to understand it. This is utilizing the second level of bloom's taxonomy.
The fourth activity models case study learning. Students are asked to read the case study and analyze what parts of the electrical and chemical segments are being impaired.
This third activity correlates with bloom's principle of applying. Students are asked to analyze and apply information found in these pictures with a written description below.
The fifth activity is where students are going to use electrodes to imitate an action potential on their own bodies. As part of this activity, students are encouraged to evaluate what parts of the electrode mimic depolarization and repolarization in our neurons. They should justify their answer.
The final activity asks students to create their own description of how an action potential causes a muscle contraction. This demonstrates the final level of bloom's taxonomy.