This resource from the 11-01-2019 Scout Report remains a great tool for educators and learners searching for an accessible avenue to explore genetic technologies.
Biology educators and students, as well as those curious to learn more about genetics, may want to check out DNAdots, a free educational resource created by the team at miniPCR bio. DNAdots offers its visitors "bite-sized, simple explanations of modern genetic technologies," making them excellent ways to gain a better understanding of topics such as personal genetic ancestry testing, DNA barcoding, and gene drives. They are organized into four categories: Sequencing, Gene Expression and Physiology, Genome Editing, and Synthetic Biology. Each DNAdot includes a concise, approachable explanation of what the technology is, how it works, and what it means in a practical sense. For those interested in reading more about a particular topic, links to several related articles (also written for general audiences) are included at the end of the explanations. Additionally, DNAdots provides several review questions to check understanding as well as critical thinking and discussion questions. Teachers interested in using DNAdots in their classroom can request answer keys for these questions via email, and each DNAdot can be downloaded as a well-formatted PDF.
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