Teachers....anyone...help

TogetherForever Posted: Jan 05, 2004 04:36 PM

Teachers....anyone...help

OK...I'm doing a guided reading lesson tomorrow with my fifth grade class. I feel like an idiot...but I'm confused about something. The story is about a boy who has asthma. One question says: 'What are the SIGNS and SYMPTOMS Andrew experienced?' Arent signs and symptoms the same thing?

swags1016 Posted: Jan 05, 2004 04:41 PM

Re: Teachers....anyone...help

Yes, I agree but you can also interpet signs as outward displays that someone might see and not realize that they are symptoms. EX- maybe he was paler or maybe he got winded more easily than other children.

TogetherForever Posted: Jan 05, 2004 04:44 PM

Re: Teachers....anyone...help

ok...So, maybe him not being able to sleep is a sign and a symptom is him not being able to breathe?

swags1016 Posted: Jan 05, 2004 04:47 PM

Re: Teachers....anyone...help

I guess, what keeps poping in my mind is when someone is choking a sign that they are choking is reaching for their throat and not being able to talk. The symptom would be not being able to breathe- I think.

TogetherForever Posted: Jan 05, 2004 04:55 PM

Re: Teachers....anyone...help

Thanks swags.....I needed another opinion... I'm so happy u responded. I think just to play it safe, I'm gonna change the question.
But....I will take any other opinions!!

swags1016 Posted: Jan 05, 2004 07:32 PM

Re: Teachers....anyone...help

I wish I could have helped more. I hope it works out.

Smolokoff Posted: Jan 05, 2004 07:45 PM

Re: Teachers....anyone...help

I used to be an EMT and we were always taught that a sign is something you can see as being wrong with a patient. The pale thing was a good example. Symptoms are anything the patient says they feel. You can't see the arm hurting because it's a symptom they tell you about. You can see the patient holding their arm, but that's just them 'protecting' themselves. Hope that helps.

Heidi

Sasha96 Posted: Jan 05, 2004 07:58 PM

Re: Teachers....anyone...help

Heidi had an excellent explanation. I think for the 5th grade level they aren't expecting the kids to differentiate, I think the aim was to expose them to the terminology and general meaning of the words as a phrase often used medically. I think it would be good to keep the question in and preteach the term with examples from easy to understand medical documents/statements relating to their world knowledge (i.e. colds, stomach virus, broken bone). This way they have prior knowledge and reference.

ETA...still, for this question I would consider coughing and wheezing a sign and tightness in the chest a symptom.