Rough draft.This research track is under review with Dr. Atit's lab. Content and sequence may still change.
Craniofacial Research Track
Session 4The Master Switch, OctoberLens: Human Body Systems
The cells that build the face
Discovery question
Mateo's facial prominences started forming but stayed too small to meet at the . Which cells were supposed to fill and grow those prominences, and where do they come from?
Most of the face is built by a single travelling cell population. Cranial leave the neural folds, migrate into the prominences, and become the bone, , and there.
The plan
Prerequisite check
Before this page, you should know
- A is the result when a step does not complete during its critical window.
- Clefts can be (one side) or (both sides), and can involve lip only, only, or both.
If not, review
Today's new idea is only
Most of the face is built by a single travelling cell population. Cranial leave the neural folds, migrate into the prominences, and become the bone, , and there.
Learn first
What to learn
Goal: Trace cranial from the neural folds into the facial prominences and explain why too few or misrouted cells leave the prominences too small to fuse.
Know by the end
- Cranial form at the edges (folds) of the early , then migrate away into the head.
- In the face these cells become : the bone, , and that fill the prominences.
- The prominences grow because multiplies inside them and pushes them toward the .
- If too few cells arrive, or they travel to the wrong place, a stays too small to reach and fuse with its neighbor.
The plan
Guided notes
1
Where the cells come from
Model start: Cranial start at the folded edges of the forming , then break away and migrate into the head and face.
- On a simple cross-section, mark the neural folds and draw arrows showing leaving the folds.
- In one sentence, say what makes these cells special compared with cells that stay in the .
2
What they become in the face
Model start: Once they arrive, become , the loose - cells that grow into facial bone and .
- List three facial tissues that turn into.
- Define in your own words and explain how it fills a .
3
Connecting cells back to Mateo
Model start: If too few cells reach a maxillary , it grows too little, so its edge never reaches the to fuse.
- Predict what Mateo's prominences would look like if too few reached them.
- Explain why a problem in cell , not just in , could leave a .
Explore
Reading the Research
What to read
Read the title and the abstract only, not the whole paper. Development of the face and palate (open textbook)
Why this source matters
This is the published evidence behind today's idea: Most of the face is built by a single travelling cell population. Cranial leave the neural folds, migrate into the prominences, and become the bone, , and there.
Words to unlock first
Reading moves
- 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.
Stop point
You do not need the methods or statistics yet. If a sentence is about lab technique or math you have not learned, mark it and skip it.
Your output
Write one claim-evidence sentence: what this source claims, and the one piece of evidence that backs it up.
Explore
Vetted links for this session
Learn first
Pick your level
Level 1, Guided
Use the sentence starters, a word bank from the vocabulary, a labeled diagram, and the exact source link.
Level 2, Collaborative
Complete a partly blank model or table and explain it.
Level 3, Independent
Make a claim from a new example or an unfamiliar entry in the same database.
The plan
Work as a research team
Team roles
- Manager: keeps the group moving
- Recorder: writes the shared model or table
- Evidence checker: verifies each claim against the source
- Reporter: explains the group's reasoning
Process reflection
- What evidence changed your thinking today?
- What did your group disagree about, and how did you resolve it?
- What question is still unresolved?
Check yourself
Demonstration of learning
By the end of this session, submit ONE of: a labeled diagram with a 2-sentence explanation; a claim, evidence, reasoning paragraph; a completed data table from a real database; or a one-question exit ticket using today's vocabulary.
Meets standard if your explanation correctly connects structure, timing, gene or protein function, or evidence source to Mateo's case: Trace cranial neural crest cells from the neural folds into the facial prominences and explain why too few or misrouted cells leave the prominences too small to fuse.
How this is graded (rubric)
For: Trace cranial neural crest cells from the neural folds into the facial prominences and explain why too few or misrouted cells leave the prominences too small to fuse.
| 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 "Trace cranial neural crest cells from the neural folds into the facial prominences and explain why too few or misrouted cells leave the prominences too small to fuse.".
- 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.