Putting DNA to Work
Genetic Disease - Teacher's Section
 Teacher’s Introduction and Instructions for use in a Classroom
This webquest, designed for high school and undergraduate students, is an ideal introduction to the concepts of bioinformatics, genetic diseases, and potential careers in science fields. The activity can be used in conjunction with a visit to the Koshland Science Museum’s exhibit: “Infectious Disease: Evolving Challenges to Human Health,” or as a stand-alone lesson.
The webquest is easily adaptable to fit the needs of your classroom. It is recommended that students be divided up into groups of four, so that each student can assume the role of one of the medical investigation team members. This encourages cooperative learning in the student groups and also gives students a chance to work as a team, much the way a real-world investigative team might do. Alternatively, the webquest can be completed by students individually, investigating all four roles on their own. Either way, emphasis should be placed on students communicating their findings by creating a presentation, using multimedia tools whenever possible.
This webquest is designed to take approximately one week. However, it is also possible to shorten the activity to one class period by completing only the bioinformatics section
Background - Background information on the cystic fibrosis gene.
Flowchart and worksheets - Graphical flowchart of student activities and corresponding worksheets.
Science Education Standards - The National Science Education Standards relevant to this activity.
Evaluation - Rubric for evaluating student acheivement
Alternative Activities - Other suggestion of activities you can do in your classroom related to this webquest.
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