This document provides links to research articles and creative commons licensed images of some ancient vegetables and fruits.   It was the basis for the display referenced in the case "A curious display."

Activity that explores implicit knowledge, alt-text, and long descriptions using images of chromosomes as example content.  This was used to help teachers see how images could be helpful in diagnosing misconceptions as well as the teachers' own implicit knowledge.  Images are Creative Commons licensed and can be modified for educational uses. 

Case study introducing GMOs

In this activity, students will design new genetically modified bees that are able to cope with the new changes in our climate. Students will choose three traits from multiple bee species to make a superpollinator. 

Go to website and sign up as a teacher to get access to this program and its resources.  We are going to get an introduction to the head of the Ambassador's Kit leadership. SO be on the lookout for email from us for more info and hopefully free resource kits.. 

A young boy wonders why his twin sister can roll his tongue, but he cannot. 

Case centers on meiosis.

The case "A Curious Display" references some images of fruits and vegetables before humans began to change them through normal means of plant breeding, and includes links to some research articles on these.  

Using readily available materials, students can see DNA that they extract from strawberries.  Strawberries have eight sets of chromosomes, making the DNA very plentiful.  Frozen strawberries and 70-90% isopropyl alchohol, salt and colorless dish detergent are used.  To make this an inquiry lab, students could modify the given recipe to see what affects how much DNA can be extracted.  

Background: Scientists use a technique called gel electrophoresis to look at a DNA fingerprint.  The DNA separates into bands and these bands form different lengths.  Every organism, with the exception of identical twins, has a different DNA fingerprint.

Goal: To understand how DNA is separated into a fingerprint by using a chromatography activity to simulate gel electrophoresis.

Learning Objectives: Students will…

• Follow directions to complete a gel electrophoresis simulation
• Use a color-separation technique to separate individual colors from two sample solution
• Use the results of the separation to infer whether the sample solutions are identical or not

Students will be presented with information, in the classroom, for developing effective search terms related to the topic of their assignment (GMO, in this case). Then, students can complete the Websource evaluation worksheet - either as a classroom activity or as a homework.

Activity

Choose how you would like to engage your students in the subject of GMO’s and how that is related to protein production in organisms.  We do not suggest that you give them this entire list!  You should choose the resources that will best fit your students and your learning outcomes for your course. In our session we will consider how you might fit in these items with your curricular goals and to make the learning process accessible for your students, with a focus on the science of GMO’s and not on the controversy of GMO’s.

Teach the concepts of the central dogma of biology with a hands on activity of building cute creatures (bug babies) from candy!  Participants will practice transcribing DNA into RNA from a template, and then use the RNA sequence to build amino acids. Using a “protein decoder” will allow for translation of RNA into specific traits.  Bug babies will then be built using marshmallows and other household supplies; demonstrating firsthand how the alteration of a few nucleotides can result in very different organismal phenotypes.

Students construct paper recombinant plasmids to simulate the methods genetic engineers use to create modified bacteria. They learn what role enzymes, DNA and genes play in the modification of organisms. For the particular model they work on, they isolate a plant herbicide resistant gene and combine it with a bacteria's gene sequence (plasmid DNA) to engineer crops' resistance to herbicide Roundup.

Use the Case Analysis Sheet as a scaffold for students when they begin a new case study (or read a newspaper article). This sheet  will help students generate questions and reflect on what they already know about the topics in a case, as well as identify types of resources to use as they learn more.