Vision Problems, Part 1

Lesson Content

• Lesson Plan Template:

  CTE Lesson Plan

• CTE Course Info and Benchmark Notes

  
  

  Course Title: Introduction to Health Science Career Pathways

  Course Number: 8709350

  Career Cluster: Health Science

  CIP Number: 148709350M

  Course Type: Orientation/Exploratory

  CTE Benchmarks:

  02.02 Explore a variety of careers in the Diagnostic Services career pathway. (Suggested careers to focus on: Medical Laboratory Services; Radiology; Ophthalmology.)

  02.01 Define and use proper terminology associated with the Diagnostic Services career pathway.

• Unit Outline

  
  

  This lesson is designed to be used with the case study, “Vision Problems.” See CPALMS resource ID# 214710. This lesson can be used alone, or as part of a unit on diagnostic careers.

• Career Connection

  
  

  This lesson introduces career options relating to vision and eyesight. Students can use this information to evaluate their interests in the careers described.

• Learning Objectives

  
  

  Students will be able to:

  • Research and compare vision-related careers of optician, ophthalmologist, and optometrist.
  • Determine which medical professional is best suited to diagnose and treat a fictional patient.
  • Justify their choice using proper terminology, career research, and patient symptoms.

• Prior Knowledge

  
  

  Students should be familiar with:

  • The concept that many health care careers specialize in one organ or body system.
  • The concept that similar careers may overlap in what they study and how they help their patients.
  • The concept that different careers require different levels of training and education.
  • The parts of the eye (ex. pupil, cornea, lens, retina, macula, optic nerve) and role of each to create and send a visual image to the brain.
  • The awareness of the five Medical Career Pathways (helpful, but not necessary).
  • Using the internet to research a topic.

• Guiding Questions

  
  
  • What should be considered when selecting a medical professional for a health problem?
  • What options are there for evaluating and treating a vision problem?
  • How are the careers of an optician, optometrist, and ophthalmologist similar?
  • How are they different?
  • Which professional best aligns with the needs of the fictional patient?

• Procedure

  
  
  1. Introduction: The teacher will ask student groups to brainstorm what they know about the eye and how vision works. Then, student groups will share with the class. The teacher can correct misconceptions, as needed.
     
     
  2. Prior to students reading the passage, review key terms from the case study that students might be unfamiliar with, such as diagnose, annual, condition vs. disease, misjudges, evaluate, trauma, etc. These words/definitions could be written on the board and/or projected for students to refer to as they read the case study.
     
     
  3. Pass out the Vision Problems Case Study (CPALMS resource #214710) to students. Provide each student with a copy so they can take notes, highlight vocabulary, and/or underline important details as the story is read aloud.
     
     
  4. The teacher will read the Vision Problems Case Study aloud to establish the setting for the activity to follow. Then, have student groups discuss the following:
     
     • What are Jose's symptoms?
     • Are there any symptoms that seem more important than others?
     • Why do you think the pediatrician recommended that Jose go to the vision center?
     • How might Jose's vision problems cause him to be anxious or stressed?
  5. Introduction to the Activity: The teacher will ask students what should be considered when choosing a medical professional for a specific health problem. (Possible answers include: what the person does, area of expertise, level of education/kind of training, etc.) This discussion connects the case study to the research activity.
     
     
  6. The teacher will pass out the Vision Problems Worksheet.
     
     
  7. Students will use the internet to research and compare three vision-related careers, optician, optometrist, and ophthalmologist by filling out the table on the worksheet. Topics to research include: job duties of each, levels of education, types of vision problems the person diagnoses and/or treats.
     
     
  8. Student groups will discuss the three careers and decide which one should see Jose for this appointment. Students will justify their choice with evidence from the passage (symptoms) and information about the careers they researched.
     • Students may also research Jose’s symptoms to help them make their decision.
     • Note: Students may recommend an optician to evaluate for glasses due to poor vision from the back of the classroom and trouble with judging distances. Alternatively, they may recommend an optometrist due to double-vision and movement of words/images.
       
       
  9. To bring the lesson to a close, a group discussion will ask students to share their choice and rationale. The discussion can be extended by asking students if they would change their recommendation if an additional symptom or detail was added (such as seeing a double image when only one eye is opened or having a recent head injury during a sporting event).

• Teacher Notes

  
  
  • Note: The teacher may want to review the structure of the eye prior to this lesson or incorporate this lesson into a unit on vision, the senses, and/or the nervous system.
  • This lesson is designed for students to work in groups. The teacher should set up student groups in advance.
  • The Vision Problems Worksheet can be distributed as one copy per group or one per person.
  • Computers/internet access will be required for students to research the three careers.
  • Estimated Timing for this lesson: 5-10 minutes for the warm-up brainstorm/discussion, 25 minutes for the career research worksheet, and 20 minutes for the follow-up discussion.
  • The teacher should circulate as students are working to guide discussion and monitor behavior. Use the Guiding Questions (above) to focus discussions.

• Optional

  
  

  Formative Assessment Ideas:

  • Informally assess student progress towards the learning goals as the teacher circulates to assist/guide student discussions.
  • Answers on the worksheet may also be used to evaluate mastery.

  Extension Ideas:

  • Students could create a triple venn diagram of the careers researched.
  • Students can further research one of the vision-related careers to explore pay, job outlook, and work setting for this career. Recommended site for the Career Research Activity: https://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/home.htm
  • Students could research and create a poster, brochure, or presentation about a technology or treatment used by vision specialists, such as Lasik, Corneal Shaping, Low Vision Therapy, Phoropter, Optomap, etc.
  • Students could research and create a poster, brochure, or presentation about a vision problem, or eye condition or disease, such as: hyperopia, myopia, astigmatism, presbyopia, blepharitis, amblyopia (lazy eye), cataract, Computer Vision Syndrome, dry eye syndrome, strabismus, conjunctivitis (pink eye), diabetic eye disease, glaucoma, or macular degeneration.