INTEGRATING ACADEMIC AND TECHNICAL
EDUCATION: BIOLOGY/BIOTECHNOLOGY
CURRICULUM UNITS
Description
The two curricula are designed for high school students
but are appropriate for various grade levels. Both units integrate
biology and biotechnology. Microbe Detectives: Solving
a Medical Mystery, covers molecular biology. A
Genetic Puzzle: The Search for a Solution, covers
genetics, and some environmental topics.
Read
about the goals of the curricula
| The
curricula were developed with support from the National
Science Foundation. |
 |
Microbe
Detectives
comprises five booklets of a student curriculum and
a comprehensive Teacher Guide.
The
curriculum follows a story line about the outbreak and spread
of an infectious disease (epidemiology), explores the molecular
biological causes of the disease (DNA structure and function,
and protein synthesis), and examines natural and technological
ways to prevent or cure the disease (immunology and disease
control). As students work to identify and treat the disease,
they conduct labs or activities that include a gram stain,
protein electrophoresis, building DNA, transformation, and
replicating DNA.
A Genetic Puzzle is comprised of four booklets of
a student curriculum and a comprehensive Teacher Guide.
The
curriculum follows a story line about a young teenager - Amanda
- who has familial hypercholesterolemia (FH), a genetic disease
that causes dangerous levels of cholesterol buildup. The unit
follows Amanda as she learns about her condition, its genetic
determinants, and both traditional and emerging technological
methods for dealing with genetic diseases, including her own.
The unit covers topics such as chromosome structure and functions,
karyotyping, meiosis, inheritance, mutations, analysis techniques
(protein electrophoresis), Punnett squares, change over time,
and pedigree analysis.
Both units also contain (click to see examples):
- Readings
about science concepts, facts and history;
- Laboratories
that use real protocol, equipment and supplies;
- Activities
to model scientific processes;
- Historical
Connections to curricula content;
- Interviews
with real practitioners relate to each section's focus;
- News
articles about current, real-life issues expand on the unit
content;
- Ethical
dilemmas ask students to consider real-life dilemmas
related to the unit content;
- Career
Descriptions related to the subject content;
- Independent
research project guidelines;
- "Did
You Knows?" that present interesting information;
- A
timeline of related historical events;
- Resource
Lists of web sites, books, videos, and other sources offering
additional information;
- "Pulling
it all Together" charts illustrate section themes
and concepts;
- Icons
in the text margins alert students to related ideas and
resources.
Embedded
analysis questions and scenarios for each section are provided
for teachers to assess students' understanding. The Teacher
Guide contains additional questions for each section.
for
information about purchasing Microbe Detectives and/or A Genetic
Puzzle
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