"Discovery Education" - 1 new article

Genomics is the study of an organism’s entire DNA. This knowledge can be applied in a number of ways to help solve important global challenges like fighting disease outbreaks, innovating agricultural advancements, and developing life-saving targeted therapies. You can introduce your high school students to this category of curriculum at the intersection of biology and technology, with digital resources from DNA Decoded.   

Developed in partnership with Illumina, DNA Decoded will show students the impact of DNA beyond ancestry or traits. Through student activities, digital lesson bundles and more, students can explore how genes interact with one another and the environment through the field of genomics, and experience first-hand how STEM professionals use genomics to fight diseases, such as sickle cell anemia and cancer. 

New and timely resources now available through DNA Decoded include digital lessons that help students connect the power of genomics to their everyday lives.   

• In The Microbiome and Mental Health, a digital lesson bundle featuring student activities and a complete lesson in PowerPoint, students will evaluate a growing body of evidence showing that the tiny microbes living in your gut may have a major influence on your brain. Ultimately, students will create a large 2-D informational graphic on a poster board that contains pictures, diagrams, and details explaining the connection to mental health and the microbiome. 

• Digital lesson bundle Breaking the Chain – Viral Transmission invites students to study how viruses infects cells and how data is used to track how viruses move through a population.  The activity includes reviewing current data about the genomic epidemiology of SARS-CoV-2 to identify and record data about transmission. Finally, students will brainstorm ways that the viral structure could be genetically altered to theoretically stop the transmission of the virus. 

• In two new classroom activities, students learn about the relationship between genes and athletics and discover how animals (like bats) spread disease. 

All of the resources are designed with flexibility in mind and are easily adaptable for both in-person and virtual learning. The accompanying PowerPoint presentations featured in the digital lesson bundles feature modification recommendations throughout and presentation notes on each slide for turnkey integration into any type of lesson, on any platform.  

The standards-aligned resources found in the STEM-based curriculum of DNA Decoded inspires teachers to unlock the power of genomics and prepare to impact the future. Introduce students to new ways to use technology to crack the genomic code and solve real-world problems today! 

Explore additional tools at DNADecoded.org or on the DNA Decoded channel in Discovery Education Experience.