Delaware EPSCoR Education

Bill Hall, marine education specialist at the University of Delaware, shares new classroom activities in biotechnology with Delaware middle-school teachers.

The average secondary science teacher in Delaware has contact with approximately 150 students each week. By focusing a portion of our EPSCoR outreach efforts on teachers, we effectively reach a much larger audience of students as well. Biotechnology is an important component of Delaware's newly revised state science curriculum and standardized testing program. The challenge is that many concepts in biotechnology are as new to teachers as they are to students.

Bringing teachers up to speed in biotechnology is the primary goal of in-service workshops sponsored by Delaware EPSCoR. The workshops provide both the content background and the materials teachers need to present the subject clearly and effectively in the classroom. At the workshops, teachers learn from scientists active in the field and have a chance to try hands-on activities that bring the concepts to life. They gain a sense of how biotechnology may be used to understand and monitor environmental health and a clearer picture of the economic importance of biotechnology in our region and worldwide and the employment opportunities awaiting their students.

Follow the links below for more information about upcoming workshops:

Biotech Weekend

Who: Science teachers, grades 6–12
Where: Delaware Biotechnology Institute, Newark, Delaware and Virden Center, Lewes, Delaware
When: February 20-22, 2009
Coordinator: Bill Hall (bhall@udel.edu)

The EPSCoR biotech workshop for middle and high school teachers (6-12) offers a unique opportunity to learn about biotechnology at all levels. This workshop will introduce you to methods of instruction for biotechnology in the classroom including: its historical roots; current human and agricultural applications; classroom applications of content; hands-on laboratories and the latest "gee-wiz" research applications. Biotech is an important part of the revised state standards and DSTP testing. This workshop addresses current curricular needs of teachers and their students, as biotech is a major contributor to our changing society as well as our quality of life. Participants will receive texts and materials needed to incorporate biotech into their curriculum.

Participating teachers will have the opportunity to:

Meet industry and research scientists and graduate students solving real-world problems through biotechnology.
Experience state-of-the-art, hands-on biotech labs that are directed towards the state standards and the DSTP.
Receive biotechnology books and materials to support classroom implementation of biotechnology content and laboratories.
Learn about relevant local examples of biotechnology applications.
Meet with people in the industry and academia that are resources for their classroom needs.
Learn how to adapt relevant biotechnology applications to their classroom lessons.