2010 DNA & Health Conference Workshops

Title:                 Biodiversity Bites Back

Presenter:       Terri Stern

Affiliation:        Curriculum Specialist, Science Educator, Yale Peabody Museum

This one hour workshop will offer a lesson from Yale Peabody Museum's engaging new curriculum on biodiversity and vector-borne disease. The complete 5-lesson module includes everything from raising mosquitoes in the classroom to creating public spaces with low risk of contracting Lyme disease or West Nile virus.

Title:               Forensic and Clinical DNA Typing 

Presenter:     Jennifer Elliott

Affiliation:      American Red Cross

In this workshop, participants will be introduced to forensic and clinical applications of Short Tandem Repeat (STR) Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) DNA technology.  The workshop will begin with a brief introduction explaining what STR PCR technology is and will provide examples that can be brought back to the classroom. For example, just how a  "match" is determined when comparing crime scene samples to standards of known individuals or how bone marrow transplants are monitored using this same technology.  Biology and chemistry teachers, as well as other interested individuals, are encouraged to attend.

Title:                It’s Easy Being Green!  Integrating Sustainability in the Classroom and Lab

Presenter:      Ed Brush,

Affiliation:       Department of Chemistry, Bridgewater State College

“Sustainability” is the new buzzword in teaching.  From global warming to climate-gate, recycling to waste reduction, there are numerous opportunities for engaging students in discussion on relevant real-world topics.  Participants in this workshop will outline class projects designed to engage students in green school initiatives involving commuting, recycling, and food services.  Included is a hands-on laboratory component where participants will make biodiesel from waste veggie oil, and use this exercise to initiate discussion on alternative energy and green chemistry.

Title:               MacGyver Biotechnology: Building and Using Homemade Biotech Equipment

Presenter:      Don Salvatore

Can’t afford the high cost of biotech equipment? Why not make it. In this workshop, you will learn to make equipment such as an incubator, hot water bath and centrifuge for a fraction of the cost of the professional models. In performing a few simple labs, you will also learn of some grocery-store substitutes for more expensive reagents.

Workshop Handouts

Title:               “Models for Disease”, a high school level bioinformatics course

Presenter:      David Form

Affiliation:       Science Teacher, Nashoba Regional High School

In “Models for Disease”, high school students learn to use computers to research the roles of genes and proteins in various “model” genetic and infectious diseases, including AIDS, cholera, and cystic fibrosis. With the availability of online genomics databases and bioinformatics tools such as BLAST and various 3-D protein modeling programs, bioinformatics can readily and cheaply be introduced to high school students. The curriculum for this course will be presented along with strategies for implementing bioinformatics into pre-existing high school biology curricula. We will examine examples of student work as well as specific activities that can be readily incorporated into biology classes.

Workshop Handout

Title:                 Stem Cells and Biotechnology:  Activities for the classroom

Presenters:     Maribeth Leary and Kimberly Stencel

Affiliation:        Training Coordinators, Center for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine,

                          Training and Education Division, University of Massachusetts Medical School

In this presentation, the audience will see a power point that reviews the different types of stem cells that scientists use. We will compare and contrast the different types and discuss the current research that is being done. The presentation will also discuss why there are ethical concerns with some types of stem cell research. The material will be presented and shown how it can be brought into most science classes.

Each participant will receive a packet with the stem cell presentation, a jigsaw activity and a bioethics lesson that can be used in the classroom.  Each exercise can be modified to accommodate classes from middle school to the college level.

Biology Boot Camp

Future Scientist Competition

Graduate Course Info