East Bay Biotechnology Program Workshops

Upcoming Workshops

Ethics of Biotechnology

Dave Stronck will be teaching a new unit on the ethics of biotechnology. The booklet on which it is based is in its final stages of completion through a grant from Monsanto. The booklet will be published and distributed through Project Learning Tree (PLT). The booklet emphasizes ethics but includes hands-on activities.

We are proposing the following dates for three Saturday workshops from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. At each workshop we hope to have twenty high-school science teachers. The workshops are free and will provide the teachers with free copies of the booklet and materials for doing the activities.

April 25, 2009 • Hayward campus of the California State University, East Bay
May 2, 2009 • Concord campus of the California State University, East Bay
May 9, 2009 • Lincoln High School in San Francisco

Sign up information will be forthcoming.

Workshop Descriptions

All EBBEP workshops focus on activities and labs that help convey the most accurate and up-to-date scientific information, best teaching practices, computer connections, and many other resources while addressing a range of levels from beginning to advanced. Each workshop will offer graduate level units from California State University East Bay, continental breakfast and all handouts. Workshops will be held on Saturdays at CSUEB's Contra Costa campus in Concord located at 4700 Ygnacio Valley Road.

All workshops will be held at CSUEB's HAYWARD Campus. I will send room numbers as I have them. I need to have at least 8 teachers for each workshop, so sign up as soon as possible. Please email me at sharyrosenbaum@gmail.com or call me to let me know that you will attend.

The fine print: If you are a teacher new to EBBEP, you must sign up for the Basic Skills day plus at least one other workshop. If you have done previous training with EBBEP, you can choose to do a workshop you have not previously experienced.

Graduate level credits from CSEUB Continuing Education are available:
1 quarter unit - Basic Skills plus one other workshop • 2 quarter units - all 5 workshops

Chloroplast Sequencing

Introducing the new Chloroplast Sequencing Curriculum and Lab! This includes a new protocol for DNA extraction as well as a cladistics activity and discussion of plant taxonomy and evolution. We will also discuss and go through the mitochondrial DNA sequencing protocol (human DNA). Workshop discussions will include the chemistry of sequencing, classroom activities for students, and applications to the standards. This workshop is for teachers who have already done PCR in EBBEP or BABEC workshops in the past.

Fluorescent Protein Labs
Introducing the new Fluorescent Protein Curriculum and Labs! Do a simpler transformation where students get one of six possible colors of transformants! There are new and less complex transformation and protein purification labs, as well as several additional classroom activities. There are 5 different curriculum pieces with different approaches including Updates to the Central Dogma, Mutations, and Ecology and Diversity. These will be great additions for units on transcription, translation, protein synthesis and biotech. All have strong applications to the CA Biology/Life Science Standards.

Restriction Digest and Plasmid Production
This lab can be an extension of electrophoresis using restriction digest of plasmids, or a great preview lab for pGLO and GFP where students produce the pGLO plasmid doing a restriction digest. These are labs that really enhance what we've been doing and are easy to implement.

Teaching Evolution and the Nature of Science
Like the original ENSI workshops, we will be encouraging teachers to teach evolutionary thinking in the context of a more complete understanding of modern science. Help your students understand how science is distinguished from other explanations. Activities/labs will range from geologic time and fossils to bioinformatics. Details of evolution as a biological process and culminating activities on human evolution (with materials to borrow for your classroom).

Teaching Genetics and Genetic Testing
From meiosis and simple Mendelian genetics to complex gene structure, modern genomics and gene control mechanisms. Learn the background science as well as great activities to present this content to your students. Learn ways to present the complicated ethical issues associated with genetic testing. Local scientists working in these subjects will participate as guest speakers.

Teaching Biotechnology
EBBEP's core labs (micropipetting, electrophoresis, bacterial transformation, protein purification and PCR), a new bioinformatics unit, and computer connections/lessons will be covered. This is a very intense week with a lot of material, but reviews from past years have been overwhelmingly positive. Participation make you eligible to use EBBEP biotech equipment and to receive all reagents for the labs at a reduced cost.