Following is a sampling of biotechnology resources for K-12 educators, available either online or by contacting the designated organization. It is not a comprehensive list. The IFIC Foundation has not conducted a teacher-led evaluation of the resources; therefore, the listings below do not indicate endorsement of the resource or its content.
Curricula, Lesson Plans, and Classroom Activities and Demonstrations
Access Excellence @ the national health museum
- “Dining on DNA: An Exploration into Food Biotechnology”
“Students will gain an appreciation for the age and diverse scope of biotechnology by observing applications to food items throughout a long history of humankind's utilization of living systems in food preparation and production.”
AgBiosafety, University of Nebraska- Lincoln
- “The Education Center has educational materials with the goal of teaching the science of crop biotechnology. If you are new to the topic of agricultural biotechnology or want to learn the foundations of the science you may be interested in Biotechnology Basics section. This section has reference information, movies, and interactive modules pertaining to the basics of agricultural biotechnology and food safety. If you are an educator the Curriculum section has all the resources you need to teach biotechnology in your classroom. The Curriculum section has lesson plans, case studies, and self-assessment instruments for use in both college and high school level classrooms. Sections of the Education Center are frequently updated so be sure to periodically check our site for new content.”
American Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture
- “Bringing Biotechnology to Life” is a fast-paced 20-minute video designed for students in grades 7-12. The video provides a comprehensive overview to introduce the topic of biotechnology, including uses in medicine, fuel production, nutrition, and feeding a hungry planet.
- “Seeds for Success” is a biannual newsletter for AITC
- Ordering information for classroom resources is available at http://www.ageducate.org/resources/.
American Phytopathological Society
- “The K-12 web-site was constructed to assist science and biology teachers in the K through 12 grades interested in developing interactive laboratories and demonstrations that teach the basic principles of science and the scientific method.”
- Articles of interest
- Lesson plans and lab activities
- Continuing education workshops
Bay Area Biotechnology Education Consortium
- “The Bay Area Biotechnology Education Consortium (BABEC) is a regional network of local education partnerships based in the San Francisco Bay Area. BABEC is dedicated to
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- increasing student understanding of key concepts in molecular biology, and
- raising student awareness of applications of the derived biotechnology.”
- Downloadable lab guides for PCR amplification experiments, including background information, the experimental procedure (textual and graphical explanation), and a list of questions to follow each experiment.
Biotechnology Institute
- Teacher and student workshops
- Handouts for classroom use
- BioGENEius Challenge
- Links to Other Resources
International Food Information Council
- IFIC has updated the highly popular speaker's manual, Food Biotechnology: A Communications Guide to Improving Understanding. The 2003 edition includes a PowerPoint® presentation on CD; speaker tools, including discussion guide, reproducible handouts, and a pre/post knowledge assessment quiz; summary of key food biotechnology issues; history of food improvements and developments; "Myths and Facts"; "What the Experts Say"; Language of Food Biotechnology; and a list of domestic and international resources and contacts.
Iowa State University, Biotechnology Outreach Education Center
National 4-H Council
- “Field of Genes, Making Sense of Biotechnology in Agriculture”
“This leaders' guide is designed to help elementary and high school teachers, non-formal educators, and volunteers provide youth with a basic understanding of the biotechnology field today as well as its future direction…This material was designed for use with youth aged 5-18.”
Oklahoma State University
- Biotech-Adventure
“An educational Web site designed to present the factual information regarding biotechnology in a way that will entertain and hold the interest of students and adults. Also, educational illustrations and animations are provided in a format that can be downloaded by teachers and other educators for use in their curriculum.”
Scope: Science Controversies On-Line: Partnerships in Education
- University of California, Berkeley, University of Washington, American Association for the Advancement of Science; National Science Foundation grant
- SCOPE curriculum projects are operated online by WISE at UC Berkeley: “TheWeb-based Inquiry Science Environment (WISE) is a free on-line science learning environment for students in grades 4-12, supported by the National Science Foundation. In WISE, students work on exciting inquiry projects on topics such as genetically modified foods, earthquake prediction, and the deformed frogs mystery. Students learn about and respond to contemporary scientific controversies through designing, debating, and critiquing solutions—all on the World Wide Web!”
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University of Nebraska- Lincoln, Library of Crop Technology Lesson Modules
- “This library site was developed by educators at several land grant universities with leadership and hosting provided by the University of Nebraska Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources.”
Lessons reviewed by the American Society of Agronomy (ASA) and the Journal of Life Sciences and Natural Resource Education (JLSNRE). - Self Study/ Lesson Plan Modules: Crop Genetic Engineering; Nutrition Technology
- High School Site
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- Self Study/ Lesson Plan re: Crop Genetic Engineering (DNA Extraction, Cloning, Design, Transformation, Breeding)
- Teacher Resources (Lesson Plans on Food Safety, Transgenic Drift, Ethics, Monarch Butterfly)
University of Utah, Genetic Science Learning Center
- Teacher Resources
“Guides to Genetic Science Learning Center interactive web activities, Print-and-Go™ activities and wet labs.” (DNA Extraction, Concept Maps on Cloning, etc.)
Links to Educational Resources & Searchable Resource Databases
Agriculture in the Classroom
- “This site is sponsored by the USDA Cooperative State Research, Education, Extension Service Agriculture in the Classroom Program, and Higher Education Programs and is managed through a cooperative agreement with Utah State University.”
- National Resource Directory
Council for Agricultural Science and Technology, Education Resources
- Teacher Tools: Lesson Plans, Lab Experiments, Classroom Demonstrations, and More
- Non-majors and majors: textbooks and supplemental reading
- Background Information
- Presentation Aids: Photos and Slide Presentations
National Science Teacher Association
- Webwatchers Science Guides
Grades 9-12/ Biotechnology/ Genetic Engineering: “DNA for Dinner? is a webquest developed by William E. Peace. Students take on the role of Congressmen with the task of drafting a law addressing labeling of genetic foods.
Supplemental Resources for Teachers
Purdue University
- “…Purdue University School of Agriculture and the Cooperative Extension Service have developed [an] introductory course in biotechnology to be delivered via distance education.”
