BSCS Biology: A Molecular Approach

Unit 5: Responding to the Environment

WebQuest

Introduction
How much caffeine do you consume in a day? Caffeine is found in many common foods and beverages. Do you know which of the products have caffeine in them? Why do you feel the way you do after you drink a caffeinated beverage? Many scientists consider caffeine to be the world's most popular drug. In very large doses, caffeine is highly toxic and can be fatal. But in small amounts, caffeine is a powerful stimulant. It can improve your mood and make you feel more alert. In larger amounts, it can make you feel jittery and irritable and cause you to lose sleep. Scientists have begun to understand how caffeine works in the brain. Scientists have also done numerous studies to determine the health effects of caffeine consumption. The results are conflicting, and many doctors and scientists still do not agree about whether caffeine is good for you or not.

Task
Your job in this WebQuest is to learn about caffeine and develop an educated opinion about the health effects of caffeine. You'll discover why scientists consider caffeine to be a drug. You'll learn how caffeine works in the brain. You'll research the caffeine content of familiar foods and beverages. You'll examine research showing the health consequences of caffeine consumption.

Once you've done your research, you'll create an educational health brochure about caffeine. Your brochure will be written from the perspective of a health professional and will be targeted to a particular audience. Your brochure will be designed to educate your audience about the health aspects of caffeine use. Your goal will be to convince them that your conclusions about caffeine are correct, and to encourage them to use caffeine appropriately.

Resources
Look at the Web sites given here to find the information that will enable you to learn about caffeine.

http://home.howstuffworks.com/caffeine.htm

Go to this site to read about caffeine how it works in the brain.

http://www.cspinet.org/new/cafchart.htm

Go to this site from the Center for Science in the Public Interest to view a table listing caffeine content in common foods and drinks.

http://faculty.washington.edu/chudler/caff.html

Go to this site from Washington University to learn about caffeine and its effects on the body. Scroll down to see how much caffeine is in various foods and drinks as well as a worksheet to help you calculate your daily caffeine intake.

http://www.brainconnection.com/topics/?main=fa/caffeine

Visit this Web site to read about the history of caffeine and the effects of caffeine on the body.

http://www.sciencenews.org/pages/sn_arc97/5_24_97/fob2.htm

Go to this site to read about studies of brain chemistry in cats. Learn the relationship between caffeine and adenosine, a brain chemical that helps determine when it is time to sleep.

http://www.caffeineawareness.org/

Go to this site for articles about the negative health effects of caffeine.

http://apu.sfn.org/content/Publications/BrainBriefings/adenosine.html

Visit this site to read an article about research into how adenosine controls sleep.

http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2004-09-30-caffeine-usat_x.htm

Visit this USAToday site to read an article about studies showing the withdrawal effects of caffeine.

http://cerhr.niehs.nih.gov/genpub/topics/caffeine-ccae.html

This Web site by the National Institutes of Health gives an overview of research into caffeine's effects on fertility, pregnancy and breastfeeding.

http://www.healthfinder.gov/news/newsstory.asp?docID=519057

Read about a study showing that caffeine may reduce the risk of liver problems.

http://www.nichd.nih.gov/new/releases/caff99.cfm

Go to this site to read a study showing the effect of caffeine on miscarriage rates during pregnancy.

http://www.mayoclinic.com/

Visit this Web site from the Mayo Clinic to read several articles on the health of caffeine consumption. Type "caffeine" into the search box to find articles on caffeine and weight loss, blood pressure, caffeine and kids, and how to know if you should cut back on caffeine.

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_23669.html

Read about a study disputing the notion that caffeine can cause abnormal heart rhythms.

http://www.4woman.gov/pypth/articles/aa_decode_caffeine.html

Visit this site from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to read about possible health effects of caffeine. Find out what people should avoid caffeine.

http://archives.cnn.com/2000/HEALTH/05/23/parkinsons.caffeine/

Read about new research suggesting that caffeine consumption may decrease a person's risk for Parkinson's disease.

http://faculty.washington.edu/chudler/parkinc.html

Go to this site to read about research showing that caffeine may provide protection from Parkinson's disease.

http://cms.psychologytoday.com/articles/pto-20030107-000004.html

Go to this site by Psychology Today magazine and read the good and bad effects of caffeine on your health.

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2005/01/0119_050119_ngm_caffeine.html

Go to this site by National Geographic magazine and read about efforts to categorize caffeine withdrawal as a psychological disorder.

http://www.cspinet.org/nah/caffeine.htm

Visit this Web site from the Center for Science in the Public Interest to read about possible negative health effects of caffeine.

Use the following resources to learn more about how to write effective health education materials. These will be helpful as you plan your brochure.

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/etr.html

http://www.u-write.com/hints-content.shtml

http://www.agingincanada.ca/brochures_tips.htm

http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/healthliteracy/how_to/clear.html

Time
3 class periods for research; about 2 weeks at home to write the brochure.

Process
Now that you have completed your research on the Internet, decide what you think about the health risks and benefits of caffeine. Do you think that caffeine use creates health risks? Next, choose an audience for your brochure. Your audience might be teenagers, people with Parkinson's disease, pregnant women, women who are breastfeeding, parents of small children, people with hypertension, or the public at large. Your job is to inform your audience about the benefits and risks of caffeine use. Your brochure should include an explanation of what caffeine is and why it is considered a drug. You may wish to explain how caffeine works in the brain. You may also wish to include a short list of foods and drinks that contain caffeine and the amount of caffeine they contain. Your brochure should explain the health consequences of caffeine use for your particular audience, and give advice for how much caffeine use is appropriate for them. Your brochure should cite specific research whenever possible.

Conclusion
By completing this WebQuest, you've become informed about the effects of caffeine on human health. Your research has given you insight into why many scientists and doctors do not agree about the health effects of caffeine. You have learned how caffeine works in the brain, and why caffeine is considered a drug. You have learned the common foods and drinks that contain caffeine. You have read about various research studies showing the benefits and risks of caffeine, and you have formed your own educated opinion on this topic. You've put your knowledge and skills to use by writing a health brochure. You have learned how to write persuasively and back up your arguments by citing specific research.

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