3 Body System Disease and Disorder Projects to Try in Anatomy

June 29, 2022

I love having my students do projects in anatomy involving body system disease and disorders. It brings in so many anatomy topics because diseases and disorders are the malfunctions of the body’s physiology. So for students to understand what went wrong, they must understand how it is supposed to work. Plus, projects are a fun way to learn rather than a lecture format.

Looking for more ways to engage your anatomy students?

Human Body System Disorders

You can literally do a project for each and every unit that involves a body system disease or disorder. I am sharing with you 3 of my most successful projects so that you can try them out too.

ONE | Skin Disorder

The skin disorder project covers the most commonly seen disorders. Students sign up for a disorder they would like to research. I make this an individual project, but you could turn it into a group project if you’d prefer. Once students have their topic, they must research and create a presentation. Typically the presentations are PowerPoint or google slides, but I encourage students to get creative. Some students have turned in videos, posters, and even Flipgrid. I love seeing how creative they are when given the opportunity.

Students collect information such as a detailed description of the skin disorder/disease. Basically, they explain what it is along with the signs and symptoms. They must include the cause(s) of the disorder/disease along with statistics (% of the population afflicted; where is the disease most prevalent; mortality rate; etc.). In their presentation students must also mention the duration of the disorder, meaning how long it lasts. Possible treatments/cures/preventions should be discussed and lastly, between 3-5 pictures of the disorder (not too graphic).

During the presentations, the students watching will fill out a Disorders chart that will become their notes for the exam in which I do include some of the disorders that were presented.

TWO | Endocrine System Body Map

This truly is the MOST CHALLENGING project I do in my anatomy classes, but the outcome is tremendous! Students every semester tell me that it was hard and “hurt their brains”, but they knew that system better than any other system once it was completed. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard from students that this project was their favorite assignment we did in class. They love the fact that it is a creative assignment, is done in small groups, and is different from the daily grind of lectures.

Once they have pushed past the initial struggle of figuring out what they are doing, it goes on seamlessly. Students are pulling out their notes, using the diagrams in their textbook, and even searching for extra information to add to their body maps. This project could easily be differentiated for your classes regardless of whether you teach on-level or honors anatomy.

Typically, I will go over the organs and the hormones they secrete in class with the students using the PowerPoint notes. Once we have covered the basics, then I assign this project for them to really learn about the hormones that are secreted and their effect on their target organs.

THREE | Blood Cell Analysis

The purpose of the Blood Cell Analysis Project is to introduce the student to a diagnostic test called the differential white blood cell (WBC) count. Upon analyzing this test data, the student will use the information to identify the disorder that is affecting their patient. Students are broken into small groups and given a differential white blood cell (WBC) count for their patients.

From there, students must research the WBC levels and see if they are within or outside the normal range. After they have determined which one is in an abnormal range, they must then start researching. In order to help with pinpointing the patient’s illness, a list of possibilities is provided. Once the illness has been discovered, students will create a presentation to present their findings to the class.

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