Science NetLinks: Aging 1: The Science of Aging

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Aging 1: The Science of Aging

Purpose

To introduce students to the concept of aging and how scientists study human aging.

Context

This lesson is the first of two that relate to how scientists study aging. The lesson helps students understand factors that may affect aging. With advancements in health and medicine, along with a better understanding of the aging process, life expectancy for humans keeps increasing. It is probable that the life expectancy of today's middle-school students is going to be longer than the life expectancy of current adults.

There appears to be a maximum life span for each species, including humans. Although some humans live more than a hundred years, most do not; the average length of life, including individuals who die in childhood, ranges from as low as 35 in some populations to as high as 75 in most industrialized nations. The high averages are due mostly to low death rates for infants and children but also to better sanitation, diet, and hygiene for most people, and to improved medical care for the old. Life expectancy also varies among different socioeconomic groups and by sex. The most common causes of death differ for various age, ethnic, and economic groups. In the United States, for example, fatal traffic accidents are most common among young males, heart disease causes more deaths in men than women, and infectious diseases and homicides cause more deaths among the poor than among the rich. (Science for All Americans, p. 76.)

Students should begin to understand that there is both a physiological and emotional aspect to the aging process and that these two aspects are related. The aging process in humans is associated not only with changes in the hormonal system but also with disease and injury, diet, mutations arising and accumulating in the cells, wear on tissues such as weight bearing joints, psychological factors, and exposure to harmful substances. Sometimes diseases that appear late in life will affect brain function, including memory and personality. In addition, diminished physical capacity and loss of one's accustomed social role can result in anxiety or depression. On the other hand, many old people are able to get along quite well, living out independent and active lives, without prolonged periods of disability.

In this lesson, students will learn about some of the key factors that seem to keep people young. Also, they will review a website to learn about cross-sectional and longitudinal studies of aging.

This lesson should help students generally understand some of the factors involved in aging, but it is by no means comprehensive. Students can follow-up with the Science NetLinks activity, Aging 2: How Scientists Study Aging, which explores how scientists are studying the relationship between aging and caloric restriction.

Planning Ahead

Materials:

The Science of Aging student sheet
The Science of Aging teacher sheet

Motivation

Introduce students to the concept of aging with a general discussion. On chart paper, or on the chalkboard, record students' answers to the following questions:

Why do you think some living creatures have a long life span, or live longer than others? (Remind students to consider both animals and plants.)
Name several species that you think have the longest average life span. How long?
Name several species that you think have the shortest average life span? How short?

Next, have students play the Life Span activity on the Secrets of Aging website, which is produced by the Boston Museum of Science. After students have finished the game, continue the discussion by asking the questions below. Have students record their answers in their science journals. At the end of the lesson, students will be asked to review and revise their answers. Questions to ask:

Were you surprised by which species had long life spans and which had shorter life spans? Why?
How would you define aging?
How old is old?
What comes to mind when you think of an old person? A young person? (Note whether students bring up physiological or emotional characteristics.)
Do you think you can have any control over how you age? What might influence whether a person shows the characteristics of aging sooner or later?

Development

Begin this part of the lesson by discussing briefly how scientists might study aging. Ask students to brainstorm some questions they think that researchers might study. List these on the board.

Sample questions might include:

What effect does genetics have on aging?
What effect does nutrition have on aging?
What effect does marriage have on aging?
What effect does living in an urban or rural area have on aging?
What effect does education have on aging?
What effect does income have on aging?

Distribute the Science of Aging student sheet. Have students explore How Do Scientists Study Human Aging? on the Secrets of Aging website. (Students should not follow the links at the bottom of the page.)

Ask students to take notes related to the questions in Part 1 of the student sheet.

Then, lead students through a discussion about aging by asking the questions from the student sheet. (Please refer to the Science of Aging Teacher Sheet for the answers to the questions.)

Next, have students explore the section called Aging All-Stars on the Stealing Time website, which is produced by PBS Online.

As students read about Mehli Mehta, Ernst Mehr, and Mary Fasano, they should take notes related to aging by completing Part 2 of the Science of Aging student sheet. Students can use their notes during the class discussion.

Lead students through a discussion about what lessons we can learn about aging from the lives of Mehli Mehta, Ernst Mehr, and Mary Fasano by asking the following questions:

Discuss the key factors that Mehli Mehta, Ernst Mehr, and Mary Fasano have in common which seem to contribute to keeping them young. (Key factors mentioned include working hard, staying active, being disciplined, taking on new challenges.)
What type of mental and physical activities do the three Aging All-stars perform? (They are all intellectually active, studying, researching, and writing. Mehta is the only one who emphasizes the physical nature of conducting as an important factor.)
Are there any aspects of their lives that have become more difficult as they aged? (Remembering certain things is more difficult. They all have to work harder to do things.)
What conclusions about aging can be drawn from the three stories? (Continuing to stay mentally and physically active, working hard, and being disciplined will help to keep you younger for a longer time.)

Assessment

After students have completed the Development section of the lesson, ask them to revisit their answers to these questions from the Motivation section:

How would you define aging? How old is old?
What physiological or emotional characteristics come to mind when you think of an old person? A young person?
Do you think you can have any control over the aging process? What influences whether a person shows the characteristics of aging sooner or later?

Have students list any evidence they found in their explorations that prompted them to change their answers.

Extensions
To further explore topics related to science and aging, continue with the following Science NetLinks lessons:

Aging 2: How Scientists Study Aging helps students learn how scientists study aging by reviewing experiments related to the affect of caloric reduction on aging.
Nearsightedness helps students develop an understanding of why scientific investigations may yield varying results. This lesson gives students the opportunity to examine the nature of scientific research in the context of research pertaining to myopia, or nearsightedness.

The following Internet resources can be used to further explore the topics related to science and aging:

Stealing Time on PBS also discusses topics such as the History of Longevity, Calories that Count, Age with Strength, and Precious Memory. There is also a series of lessons on aging that complement the online presentation.
Life Expectancy, a learning module from the World Bank, contains learning activities that look at life expectancies around the world. It discusses why life expectancy has risen in many countries but not all in others.

Created :01/28/2002