Medical and Cancer-STEM Education in Audiology, Gastroenterology, and Osteology/Orthopedics for Underrepresented Elementary School Students

Abstract

The goal of the University of Southern California (USC) WonderKids Program is to expose students to numerous Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) careers in an after-school setting. Elementary school students explore STEM fields with hands-on curricula and guest speakers from those fields. In partnership with the USC/Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center, a medical- and cancer-themed curriculum was developed for elementary students in the Los Angeles area. The curricula described in this article introduces first- and third-grade students to the main concepts of audiology, gastroenterology, and osteology/orthopedics fields and the way cancer can affect parts of the body that are covered in these fields. Pretests and posttests were designed to assess the impact of the educational intervention. Students demonstrated statistically significant improvements in their understanding of key objectives of all topics.

Graphical Abstract

Keywords:

• Cancer education
• medical STEM education
• elementary
• after-school program
• diversity
• equity
• inclusion
• program evaluation
• NGSS
• STEM
• urban

Acknowledgments

We’d like to thank the USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center and the USC Joint Educational Project for their support, as well as all the volunteers, student-teachers, participating schools, and teachers who make our Medical and Cancer STEM program a success.

Photo credit Figures 1, 2, and 5: Katlyne Stiles. Figures 3 and 4: Dieuwertje J. Kast.

Declarations of interests

No competing interests.

Supplementary materials

• Lesson Plans

• Book List

  • Audiology

    • Lesson #1: Simone by Sonya B. P. Giridhar

    • Lesson #2: Harold the Hearing Aid

    • Lesson #3: Maxi Super Ears by Maggie Klein

    • Lesson #4: Using Hearing Aids by Harriet Brundle

  • Gastroenterology

    • Lesson #1: Inside the Stomach (Super Simple Body) by Karin Halvorson

    • Lesson #2: Gurgles and Growls: Learning About Your Stomach (The Amazing Body) by Pamela Hill Nettleton

    • Lesson #3: The Dynamic Digestive System: How Does My Stomach Work? (Slim Goodbody's Body Buddies) by John Burstein (Paperback)

    • Lesson #4: The Digestive System - Guided Reading Level P Paperback –Jennifer Prior pp. 9–21

  • Osteology/Orthopedics

    • Lesson #1: Inside Your Outside: All About the Human Body (Cat in the Hat's Learning Library) by Tish Rabe

    • Lesson #2: Why Did My Bone Break? by Johanna Pomeroy-Crockett

    • Lesson #3: Sammy's Broken Leg (Oh, No!) and the Amazing Cast That Fixed It by Judith Wolf Mandell

    • Lesson #4: Little Critter: My Trip to the Hospital by Mercer Mayer