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Bringing the Human
Genome Project into the Classroom
Human Genome Project Unveils Multimedia Educational Kit for High School
Students and Public
The Human Genome Project
(HGP) has created a free multimedia kit to serve as an educational tool
for high school students and the general public. The kit, entitled The
Human Genome Project: Exploring our Molecular Selves, includes a multimedia
CD-ROM; an award- winning video documentary, The Secret of Our Lives;
a commemorative wall poster; and an informational brochure, Genetics:
The Future of Medicine.
"As we complete
the working draft of the human genome sequence, a critical tool to advance
biomedical research, we have a responsibility to provide the tools to
help the public, both old and young, understand how genomics will improve
health and affect our lives," says Dr. Francis Collins, Director
of the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI).
The kit was developed
to improve life sciences education in the nation's schools by ensuring
that science teachers throughout the country have better access to the
latest information about the HGP. The kit is designed primarily for high
school students in general or introductory biology classes, but it will
also be useful for college students, voluntary health organizations, and
the general public.
Awarded a gold medal
by the New York Film Festival, the video documentary, The Secret of Our
Lives, traces the development, evolution, and impact of the HGP and genomics
research. A visual montage of black-and-white and color film footage,
eye-catching graphics, and creative camera angles, the video is a far
cry from a typical, staid instructional video. With images ranging from
DNA expression microarrays to wriggling roundworms, the video provides
a venue for HGP leaders and scientists to explain in conversational dialogue
what human genome research is all about. This video documentary is closed-captioned
and available in both English and Spanish.
The CD-ROM opens with
video of two young boys, and as the camera zooms "inside" one
child's body, it transitions to a 3Dcomputer animation illustrating the
basics of molecular biology. The animation progresses from cells to the
nucleus, chromosomes to DNA, and the scale, structure, and function of
the human genome is portrayed. The mechanism of converting genetic instructions
into active proteins is explained through accurate 3D animation of the
processes of transcription and translation.
Included in the CD-ROM
is an interactive timeline of milestones in genetics, presenting more
than 90 key events and discoveries, from Charles Darwin's publication
of On The Origin of the Species (1859) to the sequencing of the human
genome. By clicking on any year in the timeline, the student can read
a short, illustrated story and often can find archival images and original
scientific publications. The variety of comprehensive information, together
with the "game-like" user interface and audio, makes exploring
the timeline fun and intellectually stimulating.
The CD-ROM also includes
the following segments: Genes, Variation, and Human History: This segment
consists of two interactive classroom activities, Genetic Variation in
Populations and Using Genes to Trace Human History. These activities address
what it means to be human -- as a species, as a population, and as an
individual. The student will learn how genetic variation allows the study
of similarities and differences among individuals and how to use genetic
data to compare human populations from various parts of the world.
How to sequence a
genome: This animated and narrated segment presents all the essential
steps in sequencing a genome. Produced in a self-contained format, it
can be downloaded onto a personal computer and used, for example, as part
of a presentation.
The future of research
and medicine: This segment includes two essays, Genomics and the Future
of Medicine and Implications of the Genome Project for Medical Science,
which highlight major research areas sparked by genomics and the impact
new genetic knowledge and technologies will have on the future of medicine.
Ethical, Legal, and Social Issues (ELSI): This segment opens with a video
that introduces current and future societal issues associated with genetics
and genomics. Then, seven case studies are presented. Each case study
includes a background section and information necessary to evaluate the
scenario, a short vignette raising an important ethical or societal issue,
a set of discussion questions, and web links and other resources to assist
those in search of more-detailed information.
Glossary: The CD-ROM
also includes an audio glossary of genetic terms. Consistent with the
multimedia presentation of material throughout the CD-ROM, the glossary
includes written definitions, related terms, illustrations, phonetic spellings,
and audio clips of scientists defining the terms. The kit is produced
by the National Human Genome Research Institute at the National Institutes
of Health, with co-sponsorship by the Office of Biological and Environmental
Research at the Department of Energy; Howard Hughes Medical Institute;
Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America; Nature and Science
magazines; and the American Society of Human Genetics.
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