How to Use Citizen Science in Your Educational Program
Science is everywhere! Here are 4 tips to help you incorporate outdoor learning in your summer or afterschool program. Looking for ways to get your curious middle schoolers outdoors? The Science Action Club (SAC) is a series of three classroom kits–Bird Scouts, Bug Safari, and Cloud Quest–that inspire wonder about the natural world and foster […]
The Genome Age: Exploring Human Variation and Evolution
Allow students to use their own DNA differences (polymorphisms) to explore human variation, relatedness, and evolution. Why the mitochondrial genome? This experiment examines single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the nucleotide sequence of a portion of the mitochondrial (mt) chromosome. The mt chromosome is an oddity in the human genome. It retains several features of the […]
The Genome Age: The Genetics of PTC Tasting
Explore the molecular genetic basis of PTC tasting. An assay for a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) that predicts the ability to taste the bitter compound phenylthiocarbamide (PTC) is introduced to educators and students. This experiment links genotype to phenotype and puts a contemporary spin on an old standby of classic genetics. The History of PTC […]