Coming in to my Kenan Fellows internship, I knew that my product would need to be curriculum-based. There is very little common knowledge about epigenetics, much less coverage in the NCSCOS. The challenge with my lab experience, however, was making the graduate-level biochemistry accessible to the average teenager. Using a series of models, simulations, and analogies, my hope is that students better understand the concept of epigenetics, as well as the impact that their lifestyle choices may make on their genome, and that of their future children.
A lot of what I’m doing in the lab–Western Blots, Peptide Pulldowns, Purifying Protein from E. coli–are activities that a) are not relevant to any current high school curriculum and b) are a series of steps that only tangentially relate to the bigger picture of “epigenetics.” Don’t get me wrong–I would LOVE to be able to perform some of these laboratory activities with my own students, but ethically and logistically, being able to provide such activities may prove impossible, if not a waste of time.
Which leads me to the assessment for my epigenetics unit: a community engagement project in which students serve as liaisons, translating difficult lab science into a presentation on epigenetics that anyone with a middle school education can understand. The overall plan is to have students create a presentation (using technology) that can be shared with an audience of at least three people, to educate audience members about 1)’What is Epigenetics?,’ 2) Specific examples of epigenetics, and 3) relevancy to the community (human health, lifestyle choices, etc.). The audience can be members of the student’s church or community center, students in another classroom, or a group of students and teachers at a conference or the NC Science Festival.
I’ve got most of my unit plan written at this point. Right now, I am trying to figure out how to provide students with more tangible products (personal chromatin models, epigenetics foldables, etc.) so that they can better understand these difficult concepts, as well as completing the unit with little-to-no technology in my classroom. I’m excited about our 2nd PD session on grant writing. I think that knowledge will be really valuable in helping to make my curriculum product dream a reality! I may be in over my head, but I’m really excited about where this product is headed!
Sounds like you’ve made a lot of progress so far on your product. Thanks for sharing.