Wednesday, February 17, 2010

Macromolecule Project



We are researching Lipids, Carbohydrates, Proteins and Nucleic Acids and then presenting what we find to the class.

Go to the Biology Links page to find the template for the PowerPoint presentation as well as the research sheet, if you need it.

Monday, February 8, 2010

Lorenzo's Oil RAFT Letter assignment

Remember, RAFT stands for Role, Audience, Format and Topic.

Your Lorenzo's Oil RAFT assignment should be set up as follows:

ROLE: Lorenzo's Parents
Audience: The doctors who are working on ALD
Format: A business letter
Topic: Why ALD boys should go off the proscribed diet and start taking "Lorenzo's Oil"

A business letter is written in "block style," so rather than indenting for paragraphs, you need to skip a line between paragraphs. Be sure to include the date, the salutation (Dear Fred,) and the signature at the end.

A good example of a business letter can be found on Purdue University's web site.

http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/653/2/


Here is a sample letter to the ALD doctors to get you started:

02/09/10


Dear Doctors,


We are the parents of a boy named Lorenzo. He has a rare disorder called adrenoleukodystrophy (ALD). As many of you know, this disorder leaves the body unable to break down big fat molecules, either ones the body makes itself or ones that enter the body through food. The diet that many of you are prescribing is not working. We want to tell you why ALD boys need to go off the diet and start taking “Lorenzo’s Oil.”

We think the diet you are prescribing is not working because…. (explain how removing fats from the ALD boys’ diets is causing their bodies to create more of the harmful long chain fatty acids like C24 and C26)

Lorenzo’s Oil is made of Oleic Acid (C18) and Erucic Acid (C22)….(explain that Lorenzo’s oil prevents the body from creating extra long chain fatty acids like C24 and C26)

We know that you are trying to help ALD children, but we believe the diet is harmful and that the oil we have developed... (Thank the doctors for taking the time to read the letter and ask them to take action.)


Sincerely,




Agosto and Michaela Odone
Washington, D.C.

Tuesday, February 2, 2010

Lorenzo's Oil - Some people make their own miracles.




The movie Lorenzo's oil is the true story of how one family uses science to find a way to treat their son when he gets the debilitating disease adenoleukodystrophy (ALD). The research the doctors were doing was taking too long, so Lorenzo's parents identified the problem which caused the disease and tested their hypotheses about how the disease could be treated. Boys who get ALD now use the treatment that Lorenzo's parents invented.

If you were absent during the movie you can watch it for free on HULU
http://www.hulu.com/watch/94073/lorenzos-oil


Here are a couple of obituaries of Lorenzo Odone who passed away the day after his 30th birthday... 22 years after the doctors predicted he would die.

http://neurologicalillness.suite101.com/article.cfm/lorenzo_odone_dies_at_30

http://www.myelin.org/lorenzo/