9-12

Understanding the application of DNA technology is a complex and dynamic process.  It’s also one of the Biology Essential Standards, and here at MCHS, students recently incorporated this process into their STEM personal learning framework by becoming genetic engineers. Combining the use of the revised Bloom’s Taxonomy (rBT)with the Engineering Design Cycle (EDC), our Biology PLT teachers created a robust and relevant experience for the students. 

Mr. Warren, one of our Honors Biology teachers, shared the process for guiding the students through the project. Students were introduced to the topic-what genetic engineering is, the terminology used, and its current applications (rBT-Knowledge, EDC-Ask). They then wrote a short position paper backing up their arguments by referencing what they learned in class.  (rBT-Comprehension, Application, Analysis, EDC-Imagine, Plan, Create). They were then grouped according to their general stance-pro or con for genetic engineering-and given the opportunity to debate the issue and reflect (rBT-Analysis, Evaluation, EDC-Create, Improve).

With a solid background, the students moved into their project stage, with the objective of genetically engineering a significant trait into an organism of their choice, with applications for agriculture, industry, pharmaceuticals, etc.  (Grand Challenge-Advance Personalized Learning). Within the project, they had to explain the process of creating the recombinant DNA needed to produce the desired organism (rBT-Comprehension, Application, Analysis, Synthesis, EDC-Ask, Imagine, Plan). * *They also had to create a physical example of their creation (rBT-Application, Analysis, Synthesis, EDC- Imagine, Plan, Create), and then share their model/prototype with the class (rBT-Evaluation, EDC-Create, Improve).

These are examples of two different student perspectives as they worked through the process of the EDC in relation to their objective:

(Ask)
-“Dogs get fleas that irritate the dog and can spread diseases to other animals, and can bite humans as well. How can we create a gene to take care of this?”
-“What trait could be taken from one organism and put into another to benefit society?

(Imagine)
-“Fleas can be exterminated and prevented easily if skin cells in dogs contained a toxin that killed fleas when they bite.”
-“I imagined some possibilities and came up with the idea of taking the ability to perform photosynthesis and put it into a cow.”

 (Plan)

-“We can obtain a toxin only fatal to fleas, bedbugs, and rice bugs and splice that gene for the toxin into the dog’s DNA.”
-“I planned out the cow’s system, and now he would deal with the new energy source. I also planned how I would display my idea.”

(Create)

-“Using restriction enzymes, we will take the gene for the toxin out of a bacteria cell and into a vector to put into the dog.”
-“I will create a drawing and label certain traits that are changed by his new capability.”

(Improve)

-“Are there ways I could improved the product?  I will need to look at the drawbacks and their solutions as well.”

Visualizing the Prototype 

** The prototypes took many forms.  This Prezi by Amy O’Connell shows how she used engineering habits of mind to help us visualize the answers to such questions as:  What would a photosynthesizing cow look like? How could you genetically engineer this to happen?  What’s the point?  Take a look at this and you’ll be convinced that Amy might just have a world-changing idea!

The Middle Creek High School Algebra II Team, consisting of Mr. Griffin, Mr. Peri, Ms. Chandler, Ms. Grugett, and Ms. Voorhees, created a life-sized version of the video game, “Angry Birds”.  The purpose of this fantastic, real-world example of parabolic trajectory allowed students to manipulate the “slingshot” (cargo net and exercise bands attached to our goal posts) to shoot the “birds” (exercise balls with half of a Nerf football for a beak, and hand-painted angry eyes) at the structure (cardboard box building) to knock down the “pigs” (green lanterns decorated with pig eyes and noses)!  Students timed the flight path of the bird and then measured the distance travelled. Their follow-up activity consisted of the group calculating the velocity, using the data they gathered on the field, for each of their four trials. They had to write the four equations that modeled their four launches using gravity, velocity, and height of launch point.  They then had to graph their model, and answer the following questions:  1.  At what time would the bird be at its highest peak? 2.  What would be the maximum height of the bird?  3.  At what time would the bird hit the ground, and 4.  When would it reach the same height it was launched from?  Students were able to combine a familiar cultural icon in a meaningful way, using the Engineering Design Cycle to discover real-world applications of STEM. Just another day at the Creek!

Listen to our podcast Angry Birds 3113!