Introduction:

The discussion forum topic is an assignment to be submitted for a grade.  This is the fourth of ten discussion forum topics to be submitted during the semester.  Read the directions carefully and read the Grading Rubric, which can be viewed by clicking the three vertical dots in the upper right hand corner of the assignment, and then by clicking the words Show Rubric, then compose your response and submit your response by clicking Reply.     

Directions: 

You have learned about the three stages of prenatal development in chapter 3, which are the germinal stage, the embryonic stage, and the fetal stage.  Now it is time to discuss the material.  Keeping the material from Chapter 3 in mind, complete the following tasks. 

Here are the prenatal stages:

Germinal stage

Embryonic stage

Fetal stage

Tasks: 

1. Identify which prenatal stage of development seems the most interesting to you.  
2. Explain why the stage of prenatal development that you chose seems the most interesting to you.  
3. Describe one aspect of physical development during the stage of prenatal development that you chose.   
4. Ask one question about the stage of prenatal development that you chose.  
5. Reply to two classmates’ responses by asking a question, answering a question, offering a suggestion, giving praise, agreeing, politely disagreeing, providing encouragement, sharing a story, or offering a comment.     

How to Complete the Assignment: 

Read the five task items, and then compose a response to each of the five task items in the order in which they appear.  Be as specific as possible.  The responses should show that you have an understanding of the concepts being addressed. 

How the Assignment will be Scored: 

The assignment will be scored using the Grading Rubric for the assignment, which can be viewed by clicking the three vertical dots in the upper right hand corner of the assignment, and then by clicking the words Show Rubric.  The Grading Rubric is based on the Task items, which are aligned with the Learning Objectives of the chapter, which are aligned with the Course Objectives that are on the Syllabus, and which are aligned with the Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs) for the course that are on the Syllabus.  If a response meets the criterion set forth in the Grading Rubric, then the response will earn 1 point.  If a response does not meet the criterion set forth in the Grading Rubric, then the response will not earn 1 point.  Each assignment is scored independently from previous assignments and each assignment is scored independently from future assignments.  

Where to Access the Score:  

The score for the assignment will be visible in the Grades area.  To view how the score was derived, you can view the points earned on the Grading Rubric by clicking the word Show Rubric in upper right hand of the page in the Grades area for this specific assignment.  If there is individual feedback on the assignment, then there will be individual feedback in the Assignment Comments area, which is right hand side of the page. 

Student Success Tip: 

Two Samples of Good Work are provided for students to use as a guide for how to gear their responses.  One sample is in a paragraph format and the other sample is in a numbered format.  Either format is acceptable to use when submitting your response.    

Samples of Good Work: 

Sample 1

The germinal stage is the most interesting stage of prenatal development, because the concept of cell division is fascinating to me.  The single-celled organism divides and continues to divide until it becomes a mass of cells.  One question pertaining to the germinal stage is what happens to the zygote if the mother does not receive prenatal care?    

Sample 2

1.   The fetal stage of prenatal development is the most interesting of the three stages.
2.   The reason why the fetal stage of prenatal development seems to be the most interesting stage, is because it is the longest stage of prenatal development.
3.   One aspect of physical development during the fetal stage is that the sense of hearing develops.
4.   A question about the fetal stage is: how can the parents-to-be provide the best environment for development during this stage?   

Alignment of Assignment to the Course:

This discussion forum topic ties into Student Learning Outcome (SLO) 1:

Student Learning Outcomes 1.  Students will be able to demonstrate an understanding of the theoretical constructs among the 4 main areas of human development (Physical, Cognitive, Social, and Emotional) throughout the lifespan.

This discussion forum topic ties into Course Objective 3: 

Course Objective 3.  Discuss key features of physical development across the lifespan, such as prenatal factors, heritability, puberty, hormonal changes, physical health, and biological aspects of mental health.

This discussion forum topic ties into Learning Objectives 1 and 2 for Chapter 3: 

Learning Objective 1.  Identify the stages of prenatal development.

Learning Objective 2.  Discuss key features of physical development during prenatal development.

Rationale for the Assignment:

The purpose of the discussion forum topic is to apply the course material to the real world and to your own life by giving examples that are from evidence-based research and that are meaningful to you, and to show an understanding and mastery of the material.  This is due by Monday night at 11:59 p.m.  Please see the Grading Rubric for the Discussion Forum Topic, by clicking the three vertical dots in the upper right hand corner of the assignment, and then by clicking the words Show Rubric.