Mississippi Science HAP.6.8
The Standard
- HAP.6
- Students will investigate the structures and functions of the nervous system, including the cause and effect of diseases and disorders.
Research and analyze the causes and effects of various pathological conditions (e.g., addiction, depression, schizophrenia, Alzheimer’s, sports-related chronic traumatic encephalopathy [CTE], dementia, chronic migraine, stroke, and epilepsy).
2026 Mississippi College- and Career-Readiness Standards for Science · Nervous System
Teacher's field guide
What This Standard Means
What Students Need to Do
- Students research nervous system and mental health conditions using reliable medical sources. They separate causes and risk factors from symptoms and long-term effects. They explain what evidence supports each link.
What Mastery Looks Like
- A student can compare stroke and epilepsy without treating a risk factor as a guaranteed cause. They can cite a source for a claim and point out an open question, such as what researchers know about CTE.
Common Misconceptions
- Students may think dementia is a normal part of aging or confuse it with Alzheimer’s disease, which is one cause of dementia. They may assume depression is a choice or that one concussion always leads to CTE.
How to Assess It
- Exit ticket: Choose stroke or epilepsy. Name one cause or risk factor, describe one effect on the nervous system, and identify a reliable source for your answer.
Lesson moves
Ways to Teach It
Give pairs a labeled brain diagram and a stroke case naming the affected area; have them link two symptoms to that area.
Ask students to write: How can brain changes and life experiences both shape depression? Cite one finding from a health agency page.
Use cards to match stroke, epilepsy, migraine, and Alzheimer’s disease with documented risk factors and symptoms; have students explain each match.
Read a school sports concussion policy alongside a health agency page on CTE; have students separate known risks from open questions.
Free download
Printable HAP.6.8 Worksheet
A ready-to-print activity worksheet aligned to HAP.6.8, with an answer key for the teacher on its own page. No account needed.
PDF, US Letter, prints cleanly in black and white.
Download the worksheetKeep exploring
Related Standards
- HAP.5.7
Research and analyze the causes and effects of various pathological conditions, (e.g., fibromyalgia, muscular dystrophy, cerebral palsy, muscle cramps/strains, ...
- HAP.12.5
Research and analyze the causes and effects of various pathological conditions (e.g., asthma, bronchitis, pneumonia, and COPD).
- HAP.9.3
Research and analyze the causes and effects of various pathological conditions (e.g., anemia, malaria, leukemia, hemophilia, and blood doping).
- HAP.11.7
Research and analyze the causes and effects of various pathological conditions (e.g., viral infections, auto-immune disorders, immunodeficiency disorders, and l...
Turn this exact standard into a lesson
Grade, subject, topic, and the complete standard are prefilled. Create one free, no account needed.
Also for this standard:Make a WorksheetMake a QuizMake a Sub Lesson