Rough draft.This research track is under review with Dr. Atit's lab. Content and sequence may still change.
Craniofacial Research Track
Session 18The Whole Patient, FebruaryLens: Human Body Systems
Why a cleft affects hearing
Discovery question
Mateo's lip and have been repaired, so why does his audiologist still check his ears at almost every visit?
A of the changes how a small muscle opens the Eustachian tube, so fluid builds behind the eardrum and sound is muffled. Hearing is part of the cleft story, not a side note.
The plan
Prerequisite check
Before this page, you should know
- edits affect only the treated person; edits change egg, sperm, or and pass to future generations.
- effects are unintended edits at sites that resemble the target, and they are a central concern.
If not, review
Today's new idea is only
A of the changes how a small muscle opens the Eustachian tube, so fluid builds behind the eardrum and sound is muffled. Hearing is part of the cleft story, not a side note.
Learn first
What to learn
Goal: Trace the path from the muscles to the Eustachian tube to the , and explain why a child with a palate is at higher risk for fluid behind the eardrum and conductive hearing loss.
Know by the end
- The tensor veli palatini is a muscle that pulls open the Eustachian tube when we swallow or yawn.
- The Eustachian tube drains the and equalizes its air pressure with the throat.
- When the tube does not open well, fluid collects behind the eardrum; this is .
- Fluid behind the eardrum blocks sound from passing through the , which causes conductive hearing loss.
- A of the disrupts how the tensor veli palatini attaches and pulls, so children with cleft palate have this hearing risk even after repair.
The plan
Guided notes
1
The muscle that opens the tube
Model start: The tensor veli palatini sits in the soft , and when we swallow it tugs the Eustachian tube open for a moment so the can drain.
- Label the tensor veli palatini on a simple diagram of the and throat.
- In one sentence, write the job this muscle does each time we swallow.
2
From tube to eardrum
Model start: The Eustachian tube runs from the down to the back of the throat, so a working tube lets fluid out and lets fresh air in.
- Draw the path: , Eustachian tube, then where it empties into the throat.
- Explain what happens to air pressure and fluid in the if the tube stays closed.
3
Why the cleft matters for hearing
Model start: A of the changes how the tensor veli palatini attaches and pulls, so the Eustachian tube does not open well and fluid stays trapped.
- Complete the sentence: A of the changes the ____, so the Eustachian tube does not ____ well.
- Predict how trapped fluid behind the eardrum would change the way Mateo hears a soft voice.
Explore
Reading the Research
What to read
Read the overview section at the top of the page only. How the ear and Eustachian tube work; otitis media
Why this source matters
This is the published evidence behind today's idea: A of the changes how a small muscle opens the Eustachian tube, so fluid builds behind the eardrum and sound is muffled. Hearing is part of the cleft story, not a side note.
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 every detail on the page. Stay with the parts that connect to Mateo.
Your output
Write one claim-evidence sentence: what this source claims, and the one piece of evidence that backs it up.
Lab day
Using the database (what to capture)
MedlinePlus
Open the tool Plain-language explanations of a gene or condition, written for patients and families.
When you use this: Use this when a research paper is too dense, or when you need to explain a finding to Mateo's family in everyday words.
What the screen looks like
Step by step
- 1Open medlineplus.gov/genetics and search the gene or condition (IRF6).
- 2Read the summary written in everyday words.
- 3Note the conditions the gene is linked to at the bottom of the page.
Capture these fields
- Topic: IRF6 gene
- Plain-language summary: IRF6 helps the tissues of the face join correctly before birth.
- Linked conditions: Van der Woude syndrome; nonsyndromic cleft
How to read it: Start here when a research paper is too dense. MedlinePlus gives you the gist in everyday words so you can go back to the harder source knowing what it is about.
Lost? About MedlinePlus GeneticsLearn 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 the path from the palate muscles to the Eustachian tube to the middle ear, and explain why a child with a cleft palate is at higher risk for fluid behind the eardrum and conductive hearing loss.
How this is graded (rubric)
For: Trace the path from the palate muscles to the Eustachian tube to the middle ear, and explain why a child with a cleft palate is at higher risk for fluid behind the eardrum and conductive hearing loss.
| 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 the path from the palate muscles to the Eustachian tube to the middle ear, and explain why a child with a cleft palate is at higher risk for fluid behind the eardrum and conductive hearing loss.".
- 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.