Describing the Cleft: Type, Side, and How Complete
How does the team describe Mateo's precisely enough to plan from?
💡 Precise description is three independent yes/no choices (structures, side, completeness), not one fuzzy label.
Prerequisite check
- A is a congenital (present-at-birth) gap left when parts of the face that normally grow together did not fully join.
- The combines inspection (looking, with a light) and (feeling the with a gloved finger), because some palate defects are felt more reliably than seen.
What you will learn
Goal: Students will classify a by the structures involved (lip only, only, or both), by ( or , and which side), and by completeness (complete or incomplete), and apply that vocabulary to Mateo.
- Clefts are described along three independent axes: which structures (CL, CP, or CLP), ( or , and which side), and completeness (complete or incomplete).
- A is a hidden defect under intact mucosa, recognized by a bifid uvula, a translucency, and a notched , and can be missed at birth.
- Mateo's pattern is a complete (left) lip and , which is the single most common cleft pattern.
- Among types, CLP is the largest single category at about 45%, with CP only about 40% and CL alone about 15 to 25%.
Model: Three describing axes, and Mateo sorted onto them
Clefts are described along three independent axes, each a separate question. Axis 1, which structures: is the gap in the lip (CL), the (CP), or both (CLP)? Axis 2, : if the lip is clefted, is it (one side, specify left or right) or (both sides)? Axis 3, completeness: does the lip reach the nostril and the palate gap run full length (complete), or is it a partial gap (incomplete)? A hidden type to remember is the , an occult defect under intact mucosa whose classic triad is a bifid uvula, a translucent streak, and a notch felt in the back of the ; it can be missed at birth and show up later as a speech problem, which is exactly why matters.
Sorting Mateo's findings onto the axes: the gap runs through both the lip AND the ; on the lip it is on the left side only, with the right lip intact; and the lip runs all the way to the left nostril while the palate is open along its length. So Mateo has a complete (left) cleft lip and palate. Background numbers for context: CLP is the largest single category (about 45%), unilateral clefts outnumber about 4 to 1, and of the unilateral ones about 70% are left-sided.
Explore (work the model before reading on)
- Using Axis 1, which structures are clefted in Mateo: lip, , or both?
- Using Axis 2, is Mateo's lip or , and on which side?
- Using Axis 3, the lip reaches the nostril and the is open along its length. Is Mateo's cleft complete or incomplete? Justify with the finding.
- Put all three axes together into one phrase that fully describes Mateo's .
- Predict: Mateo's pattern sits right inside the most common version of each axis. Does being a common, typical pattern make a hidden syndrome more or less likely as a first guess? (Hold your answer loosely; we test it next lesson.)
- In one sentence, what is Mateo's complete clinical description?
Guided notes
The three axes
- Structures: , , or when both are involved.
- : a lip is (______ side, named left or right) or (both sides).
- Completeness: a reaches the nasal floor and runs full length, while an ______ is a partial gap.
The hidden type
- A is hidden under intact mucosa, recognized by a bifid uvula, a translucency, and a notched .
- It is sometimes found only when a speech problem appears, which is why the includes .
Mateo on the axes
- His gap is in both the lip and (______), on the left side only (, left), reaching the nostril and running the palate's length (______).
- So Mateo has a complete (left) lip and , the single most common cleft pattern.
Reading the Research
- Skim the title and abstract first to get the gist.
- Circle the one sentence that states the main claim.
- Box the evidence the authors give for that claim.
- Mark one sentence that confuses you, and move on.
Vocabulary (the same words your classes use)
Vetted readings for this lesson
- Vyas T, et al. 2020. Cleft of lip and palate: A review. J Family Med Prim Care. [PMID:32984097]
- Dixon MJ, et al. 2011. Cleft lip and palate: genetic and environmental influences. Nat Rev Genet. [PMID:21331089]
- Dean KM, Leeper LK. 2020. Management of submucous cleft palate. Curr Opin Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. [PMID:33105231]
Track your progress today
Check these off as you work through the lesson, then submit. This tells Mr. Mendoza how you're doing so he can help the class. It does not replace turning in your producible.
Use the code Mr. Mendoza gave you, not your name. Saved on this device.
- Read the Model and answered the Explore questions.
- Filled in the guided notes in my own words.
- Defined the new vocabulary with an example.
- Built the producible: Fill in Mateo's standardized description box for the chart and registry (structures involved, laterality and side, completeness, one-line summary), then write one sentence on why a registry needs this level of precision and why a casual word like 'a cleft' will not do.
- Wrote my Claim, Evidence, and Reasoning exit ticket.
Exit ticket (Claim, Evidence, Reasoning)
- Claim: Mateo's is best described as a ____ ____ (left) cleft lip and .
- Evidence: The gap involves both ____ and ____, sits on the ____ side only, and reaches the ____, which makes it complete.
- Reasoning: A precise three-axis description matters because ____.
| 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. |
- CompleteProficient: Nothing is left blank: the model fills every part of "Fill in Mateo's standardized description box for the chart and registry (structures involved, laterality and side, completeness, one-line summary), then write one sentence on why a registry needs this level of precision and why a casual word like 'a cleft' will not do.".
- 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.
Where this leads: careers
What's next: We can describe Mateo's exactly: complete, , left, lip and . But a precise description still does not tell us WHY. A cleft can travel alone, or it can be one clue to a bigger condition. Could Mateo's cleft be a sign of a larger syndrome?