Unit Guide

Exposing Students to Healthcare through Film

Renee Allen

In this unit, students will learn how to view videos to determine their implied “big ideas” by identifying professional characteristics of healthcare workers and then expanding these characteristics into other healthcare concepts. Guiding questions will include: What does it mean to be a professional or to act in a professional manner? What are the essential characteristics of a healthcare professional? How are these characteristics conveyed to the patient or client? Why is it important to act in a professional manner in a healthcare setting and in your relationships with others? This unit begins by identifying unwritten concepts or messages in text-based materials by identifying images in print advertisements, finding patterns or connections among the images, and finally drawing conclusions about the “big idea” message that is being conveyed through the advertisement. Students will then apply these skills to short commercial videos and ultimately to television episodes and feature-length movies involving healthcare topics. Graphic organizers and intermittent questions are used to focus students’ attention on appropriate concepts and maintain engagement. Although the activities in this unit are geared toward health science students, with modifications the basic skills taught can be adapted for any subject area.