EDUCATION FOR COMMUNITY GENOMIC AWARENESS
A 5 year Science Education Partnership Award entitled Education for Community Genomic Awareness was received in partnership with the Center for Public Health and Community Genomics.The award was given to further student and community understanding of molecular genetics and genomics.
As part of this project, we have developed a high school curriculum unit for 9th/10th graders intended to support students’ understanding of molecular genetics and genomics and promote students’ interest and engagement with their community and its concerns surrounding genetics. This curriculum is project-based and integrates content on proteins and genes. This unit is currently being used in biology classroom in rural and urban high schools.
Paralleling the activities in the schools are a series of activities engaging students, parents and other community members in the areas served by the schools. In conjunction with the enactment of the units in the spring of 2008, a “DNA Night” event was held in each of the two cities. At this event students listened to a presentation by a speak from the National Human Genome Research Institute and presented activities they had completed during the enactment of the unit to their peers and members of their community including parents, teachers, school and district administrators, and members of local community organizations.
Link to Educational materials for Genomics
Funder: National Center for Research Resources
Principal Investigators: Joseph Krajcik , University of Michigan
Co-Principal Investigators:
Partner Organizations: Center for Public Health and Community Genomics
Status: Ongoing