Genetic modification is a hot topic in the science and political world. A complete unit gives learners an opportunity to research genetic modification, play an interactive genetic engineering simulation, and interact with the information...

In this STEM group of 10 activities, lesson two focuses on the question, "Just because we can, should we?" when considering genetically engineered food. Classes hear a scenario and, as young scientists and geneticists, must determine if...

Lois Lowry's The Giver is one of the most engaging and thought-provoking works of literature in the middle school curriculum. Round out your novel unit with a collection of reading activities, comprehension questions, memoir and...

Biotechnology is big! Introduce the uses of biotechnology to science scholars with a fascinating, fact-filled unit. The first installment in a series of four biotechnology units covers the role biotechnology plays in human and...

A tutorial on genetic engineering. Students work their way through illustrations and animated tutorials about how genetic modification works and the ethical issues surrounding this scientific practice. The last two sections have...

Come along with Tiki the Penguin as he discovers what makes you a human or him a penguin! This site details some of the major issues relative to genetics - such as genetic engineering - in a way that is interesting and relevant to kids.

In this lab, students will transform E. Coli bacteria to be resistant to ampicillin and to glow green. Students will use genetic engineering techniques to insert plasmids into the bacteria. The site contains background reading,...

Excellent site where students are challenged to read several case studies and make choices about what they would do in the situation. After they choose they are presented with some of the consequences that their decision may produce in...

[Free Registration/Login may be required to access all resource tools.] The majority of the corn in the United States is genetically engineered. Corn syrup is used to sweeten many things, like Coke. Corn is also fed to the cows. Learn...

Renowned paleontologist Jack Horner has spent his career trying to reconstruct a dinosaur. He's found fossils with extraordinarily well-preserved blood vessels and soft tissues, but never intact DNA. So, in a new approach, he's taking...

[Free Registration/Login may be required to access all resource tools.] Cloning is the process of creating an exact replica of an organism. The clone's DNA is exactly the same as the parent's DNA. Bacteria and plants have long been able...

Investigate an issue related to genetic engineering, energy, working landscapes or water quality. Write several articles that define the issue, describe the different views on the issue and explain why people should be interested in this...

Students learn about the fundamental importance of water, soil, and agriculture in sustaining the human standard of living; and the heavy toll that current agricultural practices take on water and soil resources.

Discover the purpose of genetic engineering in agriculture. Explore the pros and cons of genetic modification.

At DNA from the Beginning, choose from classical genetics, molecules of genetics, genetic organization and control. Each concept is explained through animation, an image gallery, video interviews, biographies and links.

A complete, student-paced lesson on genetics and inheritance. Students work their way through illustrations and animated tutorials, and answer review questions along the way. There is a self-checking quiz at the end of the lesson.

This WebQuest is designed to help students answer the question, "Should genetically modified food crops be specifically labeled for consumers and why? In answering this questions students will also draft a law and explain their...

In this online mini-course learners distinguish between the structure, functions, and processes involved with DNA and RNA.

Recombinant DNA technology has made it possible to gain insight into how genes work. This concept is further developed in this article with an animated explanation, art gallery, audio/video interviews, biographies, and an interactive...

[Free Registration/Login may be required to access all resource tools.] Describes some of the ethical, legal, and social issues of biotechnology.

Examples of using DNA for forensic purposes is discussed here, as well as uses to unravel historical puzzles, trace the history of a species and answer health problems.

Surgeon Anthony Atala demonstrates an early-stage experiment that could someday solve the organ-donor problem: a 3D printer that uses living cells to output a transplantable kidney. Using similar technology, Dr. Atala's young patient...

An in-depth look at the technology involved in the pharmaceutical industry. Students work through interactive learning material, answering review questions along the way.

This lesson focuses on cloning. Plants can make identical copies of themselves by asexual reproduction, for example by tubers and runners. Humans have been cloning plants for years and have recently started to develop techniques to clone...