A Healthy Dosage of Learning

What causes Down’s syndrome, attention deficit disorder, stress or leprosy?

Those were some of the questions La Paz Intermediate School seventh-graders explored Thursday at the third annual Health Fair.

From a pig’s cancerous lung and pictures of movie stars with anorexia nervosa to teen suicide statistics, the health exhibits intrigued those who walked by.

“It’s the deadliest cancer in the United States. . . . It kills 120,000 a year,” said Ryan Holladay, 12, about lung cancer, the subject of his project. “So many people smoke, we just wanted them to know.”

Thanks to a state grant, several years ago the campus was able to divide into small, intensive “villages,” each with five teachers to establish a “school within a school” atmosphere, said seventh-grade teacher Linda Kiel. “We can focus on the kid and give them extra attention,” Kiel said.

As part of that team approach, subjects such as health are taught through lectures, activities and interviews that incorporate mathematics, science, English, social science and physical education.

To create health projects, students worked in small groups, using math skills to chart statistics and calling upon social studies knowledge to research their topic.

For five months, they interviewed experts, created informational brochures, wrote reports and devised activities related to the subject.

The results were reviewed by the student body during the day and by parents and the community Thursday night during open house.

“We had a lot of fun doing it,” Purwa Bansod said of her booth about schizophrenia. “I learned a lot.”