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Practical lab protocols for basic molecular biology, plasmid cloning, and titering and testing your viral preparations.
BABEC (Bay Area Bioscience Education Community) has a series of online lessons for at-home biotechnology learning. The “Lesson Resources” for each activity link to a Google Drive with word files that you can download and edit for your students.
This site allows you to create professional-looking scientific figures for presentations.
This site contains a collection of information about the various careers in biotechnology. Job descriptions include information about average salaries and minimum degree requirements. There is also a “Biotech companies” tab with an interactive map that you can use to identify biotech companies within a defined area.
You can also video all Things Explained episodes on PBS LearningMedia, which include standard-alignments and support materials
https://innovatebio.org/high-school-network
The High School Mentor Network is providing support and training for high school educators who are committed to biotechnology workforce development. Their website includes many career resources for teachers. Biotechnology teachers can also request to join the Facebook group (search on Facebook for InnovATEBIO HighSchool Mentor Network).
miniPCR has put together a resource page for teachers that includes webinars, COVID-19 related teaching resources, and DNADots, which are short summaries about genetic technologies like PCR and CRISPR.
https://www.minipcr.com/educational-resources/
miniPCR: Teaching the Science of mRNA Vaccines
miniPCR has compiled a list of their resources for teaching about mRNA vaccines:
https://mailchi.mp/35e7b082a7cf/teaching-the-science-of-mrna-vaccines
The 75 Best Virtual Museum Tours Around the World
This list includes virtual tours and online exhibits for some of the most popular Art, History, Science, and Technology museums from around the globe. https://upgradedpoints.com/best-virtual-museum-tours/
NASA Online Museum
NASA has published 35 online exhibits that are available on this Google Arts and Culture site. You can also view many photo collections that document the history of space exploration.
National Geographic has launched an online learning hub geared at K-12 students. The hub includes their Learn at Home portal, which has educational content labeled by grade level such as articles, lessons and activities. The hub also includes Explorer Classroom, which hosts live video talks at 2 pm Eastern every weekday featuring conservationists, scientists, filmmakers and more.
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/family/at-home-education-resources
You can request free materials, order at least 2 weeks in advance. Instructions for requesting free materials are below:
PBS offers NOVA interactive labs for biology topics such as Polar Climate, Evolution, and RNA. Students can walk through these labs and complete lab reports that they can email to you when they finish. Each lab has an “educator guide” that walks you through all available resources.
Marc and Tricia Pedersen of Paulding County High School, Georgia Bio’s 2017 and 2019 Biotechnology Teachers of the Year, have created a website where they share laboratory protocols and activities that they have created for biotechnology, biology, environmental science, physics, and more!
Request a Skype session with a scientist! The form on their website is designed for classrooms, but if requesting a session for your family, just answer to the best of your ability!
Portland resident Lindsey Murphy hosts Fab Lab Digital Daycare each weekday from 2 pm-6 pm Eastern time. This show is geared at kids from kindergarten to 5th grade, and consists of a science experiment, a pre-recorded exercise session, and a cooking session. After a lunch break (they run on Pacific time), they teach a new skill such as American Sign Language, then have coloring and drawing time, then a story in the Fab Lab Library. Check out Digital Daycare and all of Crazy Aunt Lindsey’s videos on the Youtube page:
All Levels
ECOGIG
ECOGIG’s mission is to understand the environmental impacts of hydrocarbon (oil and gas) input into the Gulf of Mexico. Learn more about their mission: https://www.ecogig.org/
A full list of their educational offerings is available at https://www.ecogig.org/get-educated
EcoReach
The EcoReach program at UGA seeks to connect researchers at the University with local classrooms to bring awareness of ecology and environmental issues to students. They have lessons for all levels that are aligned with state standards. The group will bring lessons to schools within a 30-minute drive of UGA.
Learn more and request a classroom visit at http://ecoreach.ecology.uga.edu/
Georgia Museum of Art
The Georgia Museum of Art at the University of Georgia offers extensive tour options for pre-K through 12th grade students and teachers.
Learn more about their offerings for schools here: http://georgiamuseum.org/learn/education-programs/school-and-teacher-programs/
UGA Radon Education
Radon is a natural byproduct of the decay of uranium, which is found in high concentration in granite formations. Radon exposure is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the United States, and kills nearly 800 Georgians per year. The UGA Radon Education team works to increase awareness of the prevalence of radon in Georgia and educate the public about the ways to treat homes with high concentrations of radon.
Contact Derek Cooper for more information about Radon programs that can be brought to your school.
Kindergarten
Athens Forest Kindergarten
https://www.athensforestkindergarten.org/
Elementary
Coral Reefs and Biodiversity
William Norfolk created a lesson focusing on biodiversity in coral reefs and highlighting the impacts of climate change and pollution within a reef.
Suggested for: Grades 3-8
Contact William at william.norfolk@uga.edu for more information about this lesson.
Elementary and Middle School
Grow It. Know It.
https://site.extension.uga.edu/growitknowit/
Convergent Evolution, Lizard Predators
Julia Frederick created a lesson that focuses on evolution, camoflage, and behavior of lizards. Julia also has a lesson based on her current research on ticks as vectors of human diseases, which focuses on insect preferences and how to be “less tasty” to biting insects.
Suggested for: 3rd and 7th grade
Contact julia.frederick@uga.edu for more information about these lessons.
Middle and High School
Engineered Crystal Growth of Magnesium Sulfate
Eman Abdelrahman and Matthew Seivert created a lesson centered around research on manganese blue crystals and crystal growth.
Suggested for: Grades 6-8 and 9-12
For lesson plans, please email Eman at ema88805@uga.edu or Matthew at mseivert@uga.edu.
High School Only
Pathogenic Pollution
This interdisciplinary unit looks at water as a resource with a constant and growing need that requires new processes for making clean water accessible to all people. It incorporates reading, writing, math literacy with science content and creativity through engineering design. This lesson was created as a GIFT internship product in Dr. Ding Xie’s lab at Georgia Tech by Chelsea Sexton and Laura Rogers.
Suggested for: AP Environmental Science and HS Environmental Science lessons
To access the lesson plans, fill out the survey at bit.ly/pathogenicpollution. Please do not share the lesson directly, only the survey link.
Electricity through a Capacitor
Faraz Ahmad has created a lesson focusing on power systems, capacitors and electricity.
Suggested for: Grades 9-12
Email Faraz at fa45056@uga.edu for more information about this lesson.
Global Change and our Ecosystems
Cece Working created a lesson based on research in disease ecology and community ecology in domestic and wildlife populations.
Suggested for: Grades 9-12
Email Cece at cworking@uga.edu for more information about this lesson.
Other
Athens Science Cafe
The goal of the Athens Science Café is to facilitate a connection between the scientific community of Athens, GA and the Athens community at large. They host scientists and Athens area residents to hold a dialogue about the scientist’s work. Check out the “Upcoming Events” tab on their website to learn about future events.
Ward’s is assembling a collection of resources for at-home learning. In the Ward’s shop, “Science Take Out” kits are available to order for distribution from school, and some lab supplies can be shipped straight to students’ homes.
National Geographic has assembled a collection of videos which feature women who are contributing to STEM fields. Videos are are appropriate for grades 5-12.
