Saturday, April 12, 2008
4:00 – 7:00pm
at Moss Landing Marine Laboratories

Join us for a celebratory presentation of science lesson plans created by teachers.

The Marine Biotechnology & Bioinformatics (MBB) project will host a Showcase of teacher-produced lesson plans on Saturday, April 12, 4:00-7:00pm, in the Seminar Room at Moss Landing Marine Laboratories, Moss Landing, CA [Yahoo! map]. View the promotional announcement.

The Showcase is a presentation of standards-based, science lessons created by
high school and middle school teachers using cutting edge knowledge and
skills acquired during the Marine Biotechnology and Bioinformatics 2007-08
program. Lesson topics include marine science, DNA analysis, and molecular
biology with associated technology and career components.
[See 2006 Participants' Showcase photo gallery]

Also featuring special guest speaker:

Dr. Kenneth Coale
Director, Moss Landing Marine Laboratories

Marine Environmental Literacy, the Key to Our Future

You are invited to join us for this special event! Light refreshments will be served.

Overview
Finishing its second year, the Marine Biotechnology & Bioinformatics for Teachers project is funded by the National Science Foundation and led by faculty from Moss Landing Marine Labs, San Jose State University, and CSU Monterey Bay. Teacher participants spent three weeks in the summer working on a marine biotechnology research project and then prepared lessons during the academic year based on that experience. The Showcase features slideshow presentations of the lesson plans that highlighted their curriculum innovations for integrating biotechnology and the associated information technology into the secondary classroom.

Project Description
During the summer of 2007 the MBBT teacher participants used “DNA Barcoding” to track mussels invading from the Mediterranean along the California coastline and replacing the native California mussels. Scientists are concerned that while the invading mussels are successful now, there may be periodic conditions to which they are not adapted that could lead to a massive population collapse of mussels and adversely affect other species that depend on mussels. By amplifying marker genes using the polymerase chain reaction, MBBT teachers collect novel data and compare gene sequences to international databases to estimate levels of diversity, hybridization, and replacement in local mussel populations. 

MBBT is funded through the Information Technology Experiences for Students and Teachers (ITEST) program at the National Science Foundation. ITEST is designed to increase the opportunities for students and teachers to learn about, experience, and use information technologies within the context of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), including Information Technology (IT) courses. It is in direct response to the concern about shortages of information technology workers in the United States. Supported projects are intended to provide opportunities for middle and high school children and teachers to build the skills and knowledge needed to advance their study, and to function and to contribute in a technologically rich society.