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Middle schoolers demonstrate 'Medical Detectives' STEM elective to Bemidji school board
Summary
Bemidji Middle School presented its STEM elective 'Medical Detectives' March 17. The 9-week course uses labs, case files and a mock outbreak project to teach vital signs, epidemiology and the nervous system, the teacher said.
Assistant Principal Kyle McMartin introduced the Bemidji Middle School STEM program to the board on March 17 and praised STEM teacher Jeff Ostrom for developing sustained community partnerships and rigorous student work.
"He's been a part of helping our staff, make sure that they're at the top notch in the technology world," Kyle said, noting Ostrom's long-term role supporting online instruction during COVID and his work bringing outside resources into classrooms.
Ostrom told the board that the "Medical Detectives" elective is a nine-week course built around three units: Disease Detectives, Mysteries of the Human Body and Outbreak. In Disease Detectives, students measure vital signs (pulse, temperature, respiratory rate, blood pressure), design experiments such as how jumping jacks affect respiration, and use a "disease dictionary" and lab findings to identify infections and test antibiotics. The Mysteries unit focuses on the nervous system, including building 3D neuron models and a sheep brain dissection. The Outbreak unit has students analyze epidemiology reports and food logs, narrow suspect toxins, run confirmatory lab tests and write a press release to inform community leaders and the public.
Students staged a brief mock news segment to demonstrate their work, with student presenters describing how their team identified a hypothetical toxin in a local food source and recommended precautionary measures. Board members praised the program and asked about student choice in projects; Ostrom said the curriculum is guided for rigor but offers flexibility in presentation format and media.
The board expressed appreciation for the program as an option for high-achieving students and as a way to build real-world skills in science and communication. The presentation was described as an "abbreviated journey" through the elective; board members and the student presenters closed the segment with applause and brief comments of support.
