logoGenetic Education Partnership


 
link What is the Genetics Education Partnership?
 
linkWhy should we teach genetics through elementary, middle, and high school?
 
link Who are the partners in this project?
 
link What did the GEP accomplish?
 
link What additional needs were identified by the GEP?
 

 
About the GEP: Project Summary
  What is the Genetics Education Partnership?
The Genetics Education Partnership (GEP) is a learning community of kindergarten through 12th grade teachers, scientists, and genetics professionals from throughout Washington state who are committed to genetics teaching. Through a Dwight D. Eisenhower Professional Development grant awarded in 1998 by Washington's Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction, this group worked toward developing an articulated framework for teaching genetics concepts in grades K-12 that is consistent with Washington's Essential Academic Learning Requirements. We also identified and evaluated instructional materials for teaching genetics concepts and biotechnology at different grade levels. At the partnership's two retreats (see below), participants discussed the various human resources, including outreach programs and professional organizations, available to teachers throughout Washington. The retreats also provided a forum for sharing ideas about genetics teaching and demonstrating successful classroom activities.

Why should we teach genetics throughout elementary, middle, and high school?
Advances in genetics, the Human Genome Project, and biotechnology will revolutionize biology, medicine, and industry in the 21st Century. As well as providing many benefits, genetics research and technology can at times create complex ethical and legal issues that impact individuals and society as a whole. Thus, we need to provide students with a comprehensive understanding of genetics and help them develop critical thinking and decision-making skills, so that as adults they are able to understand and evaluate related issues. From a teaching perspective, genetics and biotechnology are exciting topics for meeting the goals of state and national science standards for the following reasons:

  •  The understanding of how DNA functions as the information molecule of living organisms is one of the most significant scientific discoveries in the 20th Century and is critical to our understanding of inheritance, development of organisms, and diversity of species.
  • Genetics and biotechnology offer many avenues to explore scientific inquiry, as well as a variety of exciting career opportunities.
  •  The ethical issues raised by topics such as genetic testing, cloning of complex organisms, and advanced reproductive technology challenge students to consider the social ramifications of scientific discovery. In discussing these issues, students develop critical thinking and decision-making skills that are applicable to many aspects of their lives.
  • Genetics is a multidisciplinary topic that integrates biology, mathematics, social studies, and health. By teaching genetics as an interdisciplinary subject, we enable students to understand how concepts in science apply to many facets of life. 
Links to current GEP Partners  
Who are the partners in this project?
The ultimate goal of the GEP is to create a genetics learning community that includes all teachers, scientists, and health care professionals in the state of Washington who are interested in teaching genetics at the pre-college level. Participants in the pilot project include K-12 teachers and science coordinators from seven participating school districts from around the state, namely Seattle, Shoreline, Northshore, Lake Washington, Bellevue, Spokane, and ESD 112 (Vancouver). The other contributors include scientists from the High School Human Genome Program and the Integrated Science Partners (Education Outreach, Department of Molecular Biotechnology, University of Washington), the Science Education Partnership (Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center), the Program in Biology at Washington State University, the Science and Math Advanced Technology Education Center (Western Washington University), Eastern Washington University, and Immunex Corporation; and health care professionals from the Washington State Department of Health, Pacific Northwest Regional Genetics Group, and the University of Washington.