DEMONSTRATION MODULES FOR APPLICATIONS OF BIOTECHNOLOGY FOR HIGH SCHOOLS

IT IS SIMPLY A FACT THAT MANY HIGH SCHOOL SCIENCE LABORATORIES CAN NOT PROVIDE FOR DETAILED CHEMISTRY, PHYSICS, AND BIOLOGY DEMONSTRATIONS. HIGH SCHOOL SCIENCE COURSES WILL BENEFIT BY THE INCLUSION OF SOME OF THE LATEST CURRENT TECHNOLOGY AT A LEVEL THAT PROVIDES BASIC INSIGHTS AND TRANSMITS TO STUDENTS THE EXCITEMENT OF SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNOLOGICAL WORK IN AREAS RELEVANT TO SOCIETAL NEEDS. WE HAVE CHOSEN TO FOCUS ON "BIOTECHNOLOGY" BECAUSE IT CURRENTLYATTRACTS MEDIA (AND THEREFORE STUDENT) ATTENTION, AND BECAUSE IT CUTS ACROSS MANY CAREER FIELDS AND IS MOST OFTEN INTERDISCIPLINARY. WE PROPOSE A PHASE I/II/III PROGRAM TO ADMINISTER AND MANAGE A PROGRAM IN MODERN BIOTECHNOLOGY WITHTHE COMMERCIAL RESULT OF DEMONSTRATION MODULES FOR USE IN HIGH SCHOOL CLASSES. THE PHASE I PROJECT INCLUDE ORGANIZING AND ADMINISTERING ONETWO-WEEK SUMMER WORKSHOP WHICH BRINGS TOGETHER HIGH SCHOOL TEACHERS, UNIVERSITY FACULTY, AND INDUSTRY EXPERTS WITH A FOCUS ON EXPLORING CLASSROOM DEMONSTRATION MODULES IN BIOTECHNOLOGY THAT MAY HAVE COMMERCIALIZATION POTENTIAL. PHASE II WILL INVOLVE TWO SIMILAR SUMMER SESSIONS FOR HIGH SCHOOL TEACHERS AND AN ACADEMIC YEAR SESSION FOR HIGH SCHOOLSTUDENTS DURING WHICH DEMONSTRATION MODULES ARE TESTED AND REFINED IN CLASSROOM SETTINGS. IT IS PLANNED TO DEVELOP, DOCUMENT AND VALIDATE 5-10 INSTRUCTIONAL MODULES ("KITS") DURING THE TOTAL PROJECT PERIOD AND SET THE STAGE FOR THE NATIONWIDE DISSEMINATION OF THIS PROGRAM ("PHASE III" COMMERCIALIZATION).