What is the Genetics Education Partnership?   Why should we teach genetics through elementary, middle, and high school?   Who are the partners in this project?   What did the GEP accomplish?   What additional needs were identified by the GEP?	About the GEP: Project Summary
		What did the GEP Accomplish? A. The retreats. During two two-day retreats in March and June of 1998, a dedicated group of 45 teachers, scientists and genetics professionals met at the University of Washington. Together we explored key concepts in genetics and examined when the Washington State Essential Academic Learning Requirements prescribe that these topics should be taught. We also examined and evaluated a wide variety of instructional materials, including textbooks, short books, laboratory guides, videos, and laser disks that are useful for teaching genetics at different grade levels. During one of the most popular sessions, participants shared 'cool tools', the visual and kinesthetic models and activities they use to demonstrate genetics concepts in their class-rooms. Three teachers at the elementary, middle school, and high school levels presented more extended vignettes of how they integrated the teaching of genetics into their curriculum in an age-specific way. We also learned about various outreach education programs in Washington State that support genetics education, and we brainstormed about ways to start local genetics learning communities by involving local genetics experts.

B. The K-12 Genetics Education Guide. The Guide is a 90-plus page document that presents the work accomplished and conclusions reached by the GEP during its two 1998 retreats. The Guide includes: Genetics concepts. To help with our discussions, we defined nine major genetics concepts that form the crux of what students should learn about genetics from kindergarten through 12th grade. Map of Concepts to Essential Learnings. As a prelude to establishment of a more comprehensive genetics education concept framework, we mapped each of the genetics concepts to the Washington Science Essential Learnings. The resulting map contains information on the concepts encompassed by each relevant Essential Learning and specifies by which benchmark (4th, 7th, or 10th grades) they should be taught. Map of Concepts to Instructional Materials. An at-a-glance map was devised to enable teachers to quickly determine which instructional materials are appropriate for teaching which genetics concepts at the elementary, middle, and high school grade levels. Instructional Material Reviews. A review is provided for each of the instructional resources evaluated during our retreats. Genetics Classroom Activities. "What works" in teaching genetics is illustrated in the Guide's genetics teaching vignettes and 'cool tools'. C. Development of a Project Website. The program helps: 1) disseminate our findings to a wider audience, including Washington State school districts not initially part of the GEP; and 2) enable discussions among GEP participants and others interested in genetics education, whether from Washington or other states, or anywhere else in the world. The site has the following features: On-line presentation of the Genetics Education Guide, including all of the above elements with web-friendly hyperlinks to one another. An annotated list of web sites of use to teachers of genetics and their students. Advice on forming local genetics learning communities, as well as a list of human resources, including outreach education programs and local genetics experts who might serve as classroom resources. Chatboard for discussion of genetics-related issues as well as notification of upcoming events, seminars, and workshops. Future developments, pending project continuation might include: a) on-line courses; b) highlights of interesting developments in the fields of genetics and genetics education; c) a special topics area that allows discussion of featured genetics issues with other teachers, students, and genetics experts.

D. Workshop at the 1998 Regional NSTA Meeting. At the regional National Science Teachers Association meeting held in Seattle in October 1998, GEP organizers presented a workshop for teachers on K-12 genetics education. The workshop was part of the well-attended biotechnology strand that debuted at this meeting. At the workshop, teachers learned about the Genetics Education Guide and how to use it; participated in three genetics vignettes presented by GEP teachers from the elememntary, middle, and high school levels; and heard about one example of a local genetics learning community--a partnership between a middle school teacher and a Weyerhaeuser tree scientist.