Community and Health - ACUPUNCTURIST

Is Western Medicine superior to Eastern Medicine?

 Secondary

Australian Curriculum General Capability: Literacy

Australian Curriculum General Capability: Ethical Understanding

Australian Curriculum General Capability: Intercultural Understanding

Australian Curriculum Cross Curriculum Priorities: Asian Priority

Philosophy

1. "An objective comparison of Eastern and Western approaches to medicine is necessary to further evaluate the validity of Oriental medical techniques such as acupuncture. The development of medicine in Western nations follows the way of hypothetical deduction and the Eastern approach uses the inductive method. The Western approach clearly divides the health from the disease, yet the Eastern approach considers health as a balanced state versus disease as an unbalanced state. The Western approach tends to change the environment and the Eastern way is to prefer to adapt to the environment." (Source: NIH 1978)

Is this still the case? Is one approach superior to the other?

Analyse the following articles from 2012.... Have things changed?

The Conversation 28 January 2012	The Conversation 10 October 2012
Compare and contrast with the following article 5 years later: The Conversation 19 June 2017 Audio file

Consider:

• The differences in each article and the time frame

• Are there "lesser universities" in Australia?

• Who appoints the "best" universities?

• Does Science have all the answers?

• Is Acupuncture a placebo?

• Detail the "evidence"! Is evidence the most important focus in elevating pain? Discuss

2. In pairs, investigate the following videos about Acupuncture:  

YouTube: What is acupuncture?  
https://youtu.be/GE00QG4hgDA

YouTube: Acupuncture explained
https://youtu.be/xditVrxA9Wc

YouTube: An Easy Way to Understand how Acupuncture Works to Heal the Body
https://youtu.be/JQA1HC2YmMY

3. Look at the following websites:

Friends of Science in Medicine	Western Sydney University: The National Institute of Complementary Medicine

What further considerations have you made from these websites?

4. Could Western Medicine benefit from Eastern Medicine including Acupuncture? How?

In groups of 4 - 5, discuss the following question:  

"Should Western Medicine practitioners consider themselves superior to Eastern ones?"

Knowledge of Acupuncture and Medical History: Cornell Note-taking Method

Secondary

Australian Curriculum General Capability: Critical and creative thinking

Australian Curriculum General Capability: Literacy

Australian Curriculum Cross Curriculum Priorities: Asian Priority

Cooperative Learning Activity

1. You are going to investigate this article and create questions about it. After using the Cornell Note-taking method to analyse, you are going to make a presentation using Prezi to be shown to a similar or younger age group studing Biology or History.

In groups of 3 - 4 students, read the following article from The Conversation 2 September 2020.

2. Re-read this article individually and create notes using the Cornell Note-taking Method (by hand).

Use the elements of Cornell Note-taking Method:

Here is an English example:

3. Share with your group, your analysis and questions. Colloborate to summarise the group's notes.

4. Use Prezi to create a presentation on this article and what you have learnt.