The GENETICS Project: Goals

Fostering excellence in K-12 genetics education through
teacher professional development and instructional design

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The GENETICS project has four main goals. Click on each for additional information further down the page.

1. Create genetics instructional modules.
2. Provide professional development in genetics to teachers.
3. Develop a genetics curriculum framework.
4. Foster genetics learning communities.

Goal 1. Instructional Modules.
Create genetics instructional modules at the elementary, middle, and high school levels that are inquiry-driven and align with state and national science education standards.

• High School. Because a number of excellent instructional resources exist for teaching genetics at the high school level, our efforts in year 1 (1999-2000) of the project centered on resource identification and adaptation. In 2001, we created and piloted a new module called "The Genetics of Taste," an inquiry-driven series of activities and a culminating open-ended, student-designed experiment. We are continuing to revise this activity for broader dissemination. We also use a case study module on Sickle Cell Disease that we have modified in conjunction with its author, a local high school teacher.
• Middle School. We have begun to identify useful middle school resources and develop some of our own. In 2001, we piloted several activities at a series of middle school science club meetings. A flagship activity that teaches basic principles of inheritance in the context of environmental science is "Toothpick Fish." These activities will receive further testing when we preesnt them at a middle school teacher workshop in 2001 at the National Association of Biology Teachers (NABT). In 2002, the refined activities will receive a broader dissemination at the first year of what we hope will be an annual summer workshop in genetics for middle school teachers offered at the University of Washington.
• Elementary School. In contrast to the situation in high school, at the elementary level there is a dearth of good materials, despite a mandate from national and state standards to cover genetics and allied concepts such as cells. In response, we are developing a linked series of genetics activities for K-6 students. Genetics activities at this level are piloted and disseminated through events for teachers, students, and parents through the Seattle area programs, Family Science and the Seattle Partnership for Inquiry-based Science, and through teacher workshops offered at NABT and the Washington Science Teachers Association. A sample activity that teaches basic principles of inheritance for 5th and 6th grades is called "Pasta Genetics."
  
  Note: Sickle Cell Case Study, Toothpick Fish, and Pasta Genetics activities can be downloaded in PDF format from our download page.

Goal 2. Professional Development.
Foster regional implementation of our genetics instructional modules, other excellent genetics curricula, and inquiry-based instructional strategies through professional development workshops for teachers.

We have presented several workshops at the elementary or high school levels and are now expanding into the middle school level. Some of our workshops are presented in partnership with other science education outreach programs. List of past and future workshops.

Goal 3. Curriculum Framework.
Develop an articulated K-12 life science curriculum framework.

Because school districts have primary responsibility for developing their own frameworks, our contributions are largely advisory.

Goal 4. Learning Networks.
Create and nurture a network of genetics learning communities that link K-12 teachers around the state with scientists and other genetics professionals.

Through our workshops, we have begun developing a network that includes teachers and university scientists.