Many of the high paying jobs in the future will be found in the field of biotechnology, so it is valuable to teach students about this career option. In this session, we present a module (that has been successfully used several times in a CTE course) to teach one aspect of biotechnology in a way that requires no prior expertise in the area. The module outlines how DNA microarrays can be used to rapidly identify DNA sequences. While this topic will be new to participants, emphasis is placed on making it easy to implement the module in a classroom setting.

A key aspect of this module is student participation. During a class, students work in teams to build models of DNA and DNA microarrays using Lego® bricks. Participants in this session will be taken through an entire classroom experience to demonstrate how the module may be used. Participants will also be given a starter kit which includes all of the electronic presentations materials, a movie showing an actual presentation, and enough Lego® bricks to teach the module to a small group of students. They will also receive a list of materials needed to extend the experience to a larger classroom.