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Experience 1:
Biotechnology Through Time
Using the computer or books from the library, students travel back in time to research the history and development of agricultural biotechnology. Students complete the Biotechnology Through Time handout to organize thoughts, define vocabulary terms, record data and make drawings.
Indiana's Academic Standards:
Science
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Standard 1: The Nature of Science and Technology (6.1.1, 6.1.5, 6.1.9,7.1.5, 7.1.6, 7.1.9, 7.1.10, 8.1.8) |
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Standard 2: Scientific Thinking (6.2.7) |
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Standard 4: The Living Environment (7.4.10) |
Social Studies
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Standard 1: History (6.1.21) |
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Standard 5: Individuals, Society and Culture (6.5.5, 7.5.4, 8.5.7) |
Language Arts
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Standard 1: Reading - Word Recognition, Fluency, and Vocabulary Development (6.1.4, 7.1.2) |
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Standard 4: Writing - Writing Process (6.4.1, 6.4.2, 6.4.5, 6.4.6, 7.4.1, 7.4.4, 7.4.5) |
| Teacher Preparation: |
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Check to see if any of your students has food allergies and adapt accordingly. |
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Review the agricultural biotechnology time line on The Children's Museum Website. You may choose not to have students research Barbara McClintock due to the advanced level of genetics involved with her discoveries. |
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Prepare a student sign-up sheet to include scientists, topics and events from the time line. |
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Set up computer lab time in advance. |
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| Procedures: |
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Create a Bio-Fest by displaying and sharing root beer, assorted cheeses, bread and yogurt for the students. |
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Encourage them to make observations about the foods they are tasting by using all of their senses. |
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While eating the different foods, ask students: |
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How are cheese, yogurt and root beer made? |
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What makes bread rise? What gives root beer its fizz? |
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What do all of these things have in common? |
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What other foods have been created with the help of living organisms? |
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How has the process of making foods changed over time? |
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Explain to students the legend about cheese and how living things can change food over time. |
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Write the word biotechnology on the board and elicit from students a definition for biotechnology. Discuss their definitions. |
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Break the word into three parts and explain their meanings.
Bio - living
Tech - tools
Logy - study of |
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Define biotechnology as the process by which humans use living things as tools to make new products. |
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Write the word agriculture on the board and elicit from students a definition for agriculture. |
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Break the word into two parts and explain their meanings.
Agri - field
Culture - cultivate, till |
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Inform students they are going use computers to travel back in time and research the history of agricultural biotechnology. Remind them about good note-taking and documentation techniques. Student research should mimic the way scientists work. Before starting an investigation, scientists first study what is known about a topic. |
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While browsing, instruct students to investigate the development of agricultural biotechnology over time. |
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Instruct students to choose one event, topic or scientist to research, and inform them they will eventually present their topic. |
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Allow approximately five minutes for students to investigate the time line. At the end of five minutes, have students select and sign up for a scientist, topic or event. |
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Distribute one Biotechnology Through Time handout to each student as they sign up. This will help guide their research and writing. Allow students to complete their handouts during the remainder of the class. |
The Legend of Cheese
For millions of years, people have been changing food to make it better. What about cheese? Does it just come naturally the way we buy it? No, it was "created" a long time  ago. There is an old legend about cheese. The story says that cheese was invented by a shepherd, carrying milk in a pouch made from a sheep's stomach. The rennet from the sheep's stomach lining and heat from the sun separated the milk into curds and whey. Rennet contains an enzyme that coagulates milk. Although the legend might be an exaggeration, cheese has been around for a very long time. Today cheese is still made from rennet, but now scientists make a genetically engineered enzyme, called chymosin, in a lab instead of taking it from an animal's stomach. The scientific process by which they make chymosin is biotechnology. Actually, this is the first product of biotechnology to be used in food production. See the museum's Website for more information: http://www.childrensmuseum.org/biotech/cheese.htm |
Assessment:
Check the students' progress while they are researching on the computers. Students should be using their handout to organize information and improve note-taking skills. Each student should be able to name the scientist, event or topic he or she has chosen and the related time period. Students' handouts should include important facts about their scientist, event or topic. |
