Garden
Genetics: Teaching with Edible Plants
Ellie
Rice
2002-2004 Fellow
Developed
through Ellie's work with CSIP classes, this book presents
ways of teaching core genetic concepts in ways that are
fun for students and fresh for teachers.
The
two-part set (a teacher edition and companion student
edition) is adaptable to biology students at all levels,
including AP. It uses a series of activities and experiments
with familiar foods to teach genetics while helping students
make connections to ecology, evolution, plant biology,
and even social science.
What
makes Garden Genetics unique is its emphasis
on inquiry-based activities using modern food plants.
For example, to learn about Punnett’s squares, students
taste variations in bitterness in cucumber seedlings and
then design experiments investigating the surprising role
that bitterness plays in protecting plants from insects.
To learn about plant breeding, students re-enact a trial
in which farmers sued seed companies to compensate for
$1 billion in U.S. corn crop losses caused by genetic
uniformity. Designed to be flexible, you can use each
chapter as a unit or teach the book as a whole. Most important,
the innovative content emphasizes the problem-solving
skills demanded in today’s cutting-edge science
classes.
Garden
Genetics was published by the National Science
Teachers Association and is available from their online
store.
