Muscle Learning Activities

Muscle Learning Activities

Goal:	To get briefed on the challenge of building better jumping frogs.
Implementation:	HTML with links to 2D images and videos
Activity:	Students will read introductory text and watch videos on the need to build better jumping frogs.
Duration:	< 1 day
Author:	Teacher
Status:	Design completed, in implementation

Introduce the problem: student has to design a frog to win a contest. Possible ideas include,

Eccentric millionaire has offered massive prize to winner.
Dept of Defense has initiated program to design a "super soldier," but has decided to start experimentation on frogs so is using contest as a way of deciding which biotech company(student teams) to use (variation on this is that student teams were working on super soldier project, funding was cut, so they are trying to apply the technology to the contest and bet money on it so they can continue funding their project).
Conservation group has decided that one way to save the frogs is to make them more "visible/valuable" so to draw attention to the frogs' plight, they are willing to modify one to save the others (or this can be modified to frogs are being wiped out by dogs or some other human-introduced predator, so eco-group has decided to start breeding/genetically altering the frogs to make them faster so they can escape this new predator).
Racehorse breeder has hired students to do research on increasing bone length and muscle size/composition in order to develop a faster horse. The breeder has them working on frogs because 1) they are a lot cheaper than horses and 2) they are easier to grow and manipulate (cloning of frogs has been done for many years now). The breeder has chosen the Calaveras County contest because it is the closest thing in the frog world to a horse race, emphasizing similar traits

2. Muscle types

Goal:	Learn about the structure and function of muscles
Implementation:	HTML with links to 2D images and VRML models
Activity:	Students will read descriptions of muslces and answer workbook questions
Duration:	1-2 days
Author:	Chris Thu
Status:	In design

Students will familize themselves with the structure and function of various muscles in the body and how they relate to one another. Students will primarily use the Information Frames as a vehicle for learning the topics in a structured manner. The information frames can link to various images, movies, and 3D models. A workbook assignment will be completed so that students know what topics to cover and evaluate themselves as they go along.

3. Muscle composition lab

Goal:	Learn how different muscle types have different strengths, speeds, and endurance.
Implementation:	Java Applet
Activity:	Students will perform a lab experiment whereby they alter the composition of muscle fiber types in a muscle and see how that affects the muscles' performance.
Duration:	1 - 2 days
Authors:	Ramani, David, Chris
Status:	Design 50% complete, in implementation

To demonstrate how different muscles types have different strengths, reaction times, and endurances, students will conduct two activities: (1) the muscle composition lab, and (2) race track game.

This would be accompanied by a workseet that guided them through the activity and then asked them what combinations would be ideal for (1) the jumping frog contest, (2) the frog's natural habitat, (3) for different types of atheletes, and for different areas of the body (e.g., back muscles versus the biceps).

Some students may be interested in seeing the mathematical equations that comprise the muscle model to gain better understanding of their behavior and to be able to make predictions of their experimental outcomes.

4. Advanced muscle lab

Goal:	Learn advanced topics of muscle structure and function
Implementation:	HTML and Java Applet
Activity:	Students will go deeper into muscles and learn about sarcomeres, then go to the lab area and find out about the relationship between starting length of the muscle and generation of force
Duration:	1 day
Authors:	Chris
Status:	In design

Using information frames and a worksheet, students will learn more detailed information about the microstructure and function of muslces. Students will do the lab to determine ideal starting length and graph generation of force over stretch of muscle

5. Lever lab

Goal:	Learn how the length of bones and position of muscles affect movement.
Implementation:	Java Applet
Activity:	Students will do a lever lab to determine relationships between length of bones and where the muscles attach with respect to the amount of force generated.
Duration:	1 - 2 days
Authors:	Ramani, David
Status:	In design

The lab would demonstrated how mechanical advantage (i.e., the lever multiplication factor) is determined by the lenght of the effort arm divided by the resistance arm. This lab could be done by the teacher in class, or by students on the computer. The latter case would make it easier to simulate a series of interconnected levers (such as legs) and see how they affect distance of jump.

6. JavaFrog game

Goal:	To learn simple frog behavior (eating, jumping, survival) as well as simple projectile motion.
Implementation:	Java Applet
Activity:	Students will play a survival game whereby they use knowledge about projectile motion to help a frog eat and survive. The student wins points for eating flies (thereby increasing their energy store) while at the same time must avoid being eaten by predators (in this case, birds).
URL:	http://k-2.stanford.edu/javafrog/
Duration:	1 day
Authors:	David, Ramani, Teacher
Status:	Implementation complete, worksheet needed

7. Jumping contest

Goal:	To enable students to test their jumping frog designs to see how well they perform.
Implementation:	Java Applet?
Activity:	Students will evaluate their frog designs on the computer and have it simulate the jumping dynamics, taking into account relevant factors such as weight, muscle composition, insertion points, etc.
Duration:	1 - 2 days
Authors:	Ramani, Chris, David, Teacher
Status:	Waiting design