This is a 10 to 12-day unit around exploring the phenomenon of whey protein and its impact on exercise variables. The driving question is “Why might someone who exercises consume whey protein?” As students enter into the phenomenon, they complete a card sort and establish consensus around the phenomenon and generate a list of questions to future explore. Students write an initial explanation of their ideas about the driving question.
Next students will conduct experiments to test various “health foods” for the presence of macromolecules, such as carbohydrates, lipids, and proteins. They will generate an explanation that incorporates their experimental data to support their claims related to the unit driving question and the phenomenon about why an athlete might consume whey protein.
Students will conduct an experiment to determine what pre-workout containing whey protein does to the body during and after exercise. Students will measure different homeostatic mechanisms in the body and compare their results to a control group to see if consumption of whey protein has any effect on those measurements. Using their new understanding, they will generate an explanation that incorporates their experimental data and connect it back to the phenomenon.
To conclude the unit, students will generate their final explanation of the unit driving question “Why might someone who exercises consume whey protein?”. Students will engage in making a protein product for consumption and create a presentation to share their new understanding and learning with their peers. Teachers also have the option to have students create the physical product of their choice as a fun, hands-on activity to demonstrate their understanding of the phenomenon.
Lesson Line-up