Rough draft.This research track is under review with Dr. Atit's lab. Content and sequence may still change.

Here's an example of what's due today

Why Cleft Children Get So Many Ear Infections

Anatomical domain · Lesson 12 of 20 · Human Body Systems (HBS)

Today's goal: Trace how abnormal palate muscles fail to open the Eustachian tube, causing acquired middle-ear fluid, and explain why this threatens hearing during the language-learning years.

Learn first

What a finished product looks like

This is a model of the work you should turn in. Use it to check your own: match the structure and the level of detail, do not copy it. Your wording should be your own.

ENT chart note + parent explanation

Completes: A two-line chart recommendation plus a plain-language cause explanation.

Chart line 1: I will discuss tympanostomy (ventilation) tubes with the family, because tubes drain the trapped fluid and let air back into the middle ear when the Eustachian tube cannot open it on its own.

Chart line 2: I will keep monitoring his hearing with scheduled audiology checks, not treat once, because the fluid tends to recur for years while the palate muscles remain abnormal.

For the parents: his ears keep filling because the tiny muscle that should pull open the drainage tube is part of his cleft and works poorly, so air cannot get in and fluid builds up. The ear itself is healthy; the problem is the tube that ventilates it.

Learn first

How this was built, step by step

The finished product above did not appear all at once. Here is the path from the question to the turned-in work, so you can follow the same steps.

1Start from today's question: Why do almost all children born with a get repeated ear fluid, even when their ears looked fine at birth?
2Work the Model and the Explore questions to reason it out before writing anything.
3Pull the specific evidence the product needs from the reading and any database you used.
4Write it up in the required format: Mateo is 9 months old. His audiologist reports fluid in both middle ears and a mild conductive hearing loss. As the ENT, write a two-line chart recommendation: which intervention you would discuss with the family and why, and one reason you will keep monitoring his hearing for years, not treat once. Then explain to the parents, in plain words, why his ears keep filling up even though the ears themselves are fine.
5Check it against the rubric, then submit.

How this is graded (rubric)

For: Mateo is 9 months old. His audiologist reports fluid in both middle ears and a mild conductive hearing loss. As the ENT, write a two-line chart recommendation: which intervention you would discuss with the family and why, and one reason you will keep monitoring his hearing for years, not treat once. Then explain to the parents, in plain words, why his ears keep filling up even though the ears themselves are fine.

Criterion	Proficient	Developing	Beginning
Complete	Every required part of the artifact is present and filled in.	Most parts are present, but one is missing or left blank.	Several parts are missing.
Accurate	The science and data are correct and match the evidence.	Mostly correct, with a small factual slip.	Key science or data is wrong.
Scientific reasoning (CER)	States a claim, backs it with specific evidence, and explains the reasoning.	Has a claim and evidence, but the reasoning is thin or missing.	Gives an answer with no evidence or reasoning.
Professional communication	Clear, organized, and labeled the way a clinician or scientist would write it.	Readable but disorganized or missing labels.	Hard to follow.
Submitted	Turned in the right way (Schoology for routine work) and confirmed.	Turned in, but in the wrong place or unconfirmed.	Not turned in.

How the model answer scores against this rubric

CompleteProficient: Nothing is left blank: the model fills every part of "Mateo is 9 months old. His audiologist reports fluid in both middle ears and a mild conductive hearing loss. As the ENT, write a two-line chart recommendation: which intervention you would discuss with the family and why, and one reason you will keep monitoring his hearing for years, not treat once. Then explain to the parents, in plain words, why his ears keep filling up even though the ears themselves are fine.".
AccurateProficient: Every number and claim matches the case evidence.
Scientific reasoning (CER)Proficient: It names a claim, cites the specific evidence, and explains the reasoning, not just the answer.
Professional communicationProficient: It is organized and labeled like a real chart note.
SubmittedProficient: It would be turned in on Schoology and confirmed.

Check yourself

WebXam problem for today's skill

One exam-style question that uses exactly what you practiced today. Try it before you reveal the answer, then read why each choice is right or wrong.

WebXam-style domain: Structure and Function (HBS, head and neck)Self-check skill: Linking abnormal palate muscle to Eustachian tube failure and acquired middle-ear fluid

A newborn with a cleft palate had clear middle ears at birth, but by a few weeks of age both ears were full of fluid. Which explanation best fits the finding that the fluid is acquired, not congenital?

Tap an answer to see the full explanation. Nothing is recorded or graded.

Back to this lesson