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Genetics Classroom
Activities
Genetics abounds with complex and abstract
topics that can be a challenge for students to grasp. How can
some of these difficult topics be taught in the classroom? The
1998 GEP retreats provided a forum for teachers to share their
genetics teaching expertise in the form of Genetics Teaching
Vignettes and shorter Cool Tools. Teachers participating in professional
development workshops sponsored by our sister program, The
GENETICS Project, also contribute their tools to the collection
presented here.
Genetics Teaching
Vignettes
Three teachers from the elementary,
middle school, and high school levels presented extended vignettes
of how they teach genetics in their classrooms in an age-specific
way. These vignettes range from using sickle cell anemia as a
case study at the high school level, to an extended population
genetics exercise involving "toothpick fish" at the
middle school level, to a demonstration of how basic genetics
concepts can be integrated into the set curriculum that is part
of the science kits approach that many elementary schools in
Washington State have adopted.
Cool Tools
Cool tools include the visual and
kinesthetic models and activities that teachers use to demonstrate
genetics concepts in their classrooms. Sometimes a great article
may be a cool tool. Or a zipper that demonstrates DNA base-pairing.
Or an everyday analogy that can make an abstract concept crystal
clear. Or a simple hands-on activity. Tools are sorted alphabetically,
by grade level, or by type (models, analogies, activities). If
you would like to submit a cool tool for inclusion in our on-line
collection, please e-mail mtbrown@u.washington.edu.
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