Genetic Engineering

Has your class ever been astounded by the complexity of DNA analysis? Have they ever asked why genetic engineering has become so important to our daily lives? Young scientists perform DNA extraction on strawberries and explore how the...

Adaptations must be made as environments change. This fabulous presentation features Icelandic icefish, a transparent, scaleless specimen that even has colorless blood. Genetics and adaptations concepts are explored as scientists study...

Should genetic scientists be permitted to alter mtDNA to eliminate birth defects? That is the question examined in Rob Stein's article for NPR that explores the ethical issues raised by this research.

The concepts here cover the gamut of biotechnological engineering. Information is given about plasmids and genetic manipulation. After reviewing genetic engineering, this slide show would be useful to recap some of the main procedures.

An example of extreme genetic engineering is modified salmon, which are genetically altered to grow twice their size and swim twice as fast — and they're probably in grocery stores already! The video explores synthetic biology or the...

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...

Explore genetically modified foods through various experiments. For this biology lesson, students discuss the safety issues related to GMF's. They conduct a PCR analysis to identify the presence of genetic modification.

In The Hunger Games novel and movie, a futuristic, dystopian society is the setting. In it, a genetically engineered bird escapes control of the government. Using this as a starting point, teenagers examine the realistic possibility of...

Students identify relationships between scientific concepts and their historical roots. They discuss and debate issues of ethics in science, specifically on the concept of genetic engineering and describe the processes of cloning and...

Students investigate the pros and cons of genetic engineering. They watch a short Bill Moyers video, conduct Internet research, create a poster, participate in a pro/con debate, and write an essay expressing their personal feelings on...