Embedded Files
This final section is tailored to maximize the educational impact of the bioreactor curriculum package. In this module, you will discover a curated collection of outstanding resources, handpicked to complement the DNA Fingerprinting lab and Dr. Michelle Soupir's woodchip bioreactor research. These resources are not just supplementary; they are integral in enhancing the depth and breadth of your students' learning journey. You will:
Learn to select and effectively use a variety of curated resources, including interactive digital tools and in-depth reading materials, to complement and enhance the DNA Fingerprinting lab and woodchip bioreactor curriculum.
Gain skills in creating more comprehensive and engaging learning environments, utilizing diverse materials to deepen students' understanding of scientific concepts.
Be equipped to facilitate an experiential learning approach, ensuring that students not only learn scientific concepts but also experience the excitement and relevance of scientific discovery.
"From Here to There with Woodchip Bioreactors"
"From Here to There with Woodchip Bioreactors"
What to Expect
The information, activities and assessments included in these curriculum modules aim to tell a story. This storyline will help students learn the basics of denitrification and the nitrogen cycle to make sense of our anchor phenomenon - the Gulf Dead Zone. Students will learn that local conditions and actions can have a significant impact on global issues. The activities with which students will engage constitute a meaningful pathway to understanding and are not intended to be used in isolation. As you make plans for how these modules will be used, carefully consider the connections and interdependence of the activities, which make it difficult to separate the activities and is not advised.
Each module consists of two or three activities. Each activity provides opportunities to develop and use specific elements of the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) science and engineering skills and practice(s) to make sense of phenomena and/or to design solutions to problems. They also provide students with the chance to use conceptual understanding that spans scientific disciplines and develop deep understanding of core ideas and content.
Finally, please maintain your own sense of curiosity as you use these materials. Resources and ideas for classroom implementation are included at the end of this guide. Consider your own professional growth an integral part of implementation - always value your own learning, as well as that of your students.
<<< Click on the image to download the booklet <<<
Destination Biotech Podcast: Episode 2
Destination Biotech Podcast: Episode 2
Michelle Soupir discusses her journey as an engineer and scientist interested in learning about and improving many facets of water quality. She outlines some basic tenets of water quality science, and she delves into her favorite edge-of-field practice: woodchip bioreactors!
Woodchip Bioreactor Station Activity
Woodchip Bioreactor Station Activity
In this activity, students use various forms of data to determine the relative effectiveness of several woodchip bioreactors. The results from gel electrophoresis (DNA fingerprinting), water quality sampling, and general information about the bioreactor are used to do this. Students visit four different stations (bioreactors) where they collect relevant information about the bioreactor’s activity and effectiveness in removing nitrates from flow-through water.
Click HERE to access the station activity
Click HERE to request the activity-in-a-bag from our lending program
(available only to teachers who have participated in BOEC programming)
Woodchip Bioreactors Lending Kit
Woodchip Bioreactors Lending Kit
Available through our BOEC lending program, this kit includes everything students need to complete two hands-on investigations (bench-scale bioreactor experiment AND electrophoresis of bacterial DNA).
The full kit includes: Containers, fill materials, fertilizer mix, test strips (quantities vary depending on the number of classes), blueGel electrophoresis system (2), 2-20uL pipettors (6), pipette tips, DNA, loading dye, SeeGreen tablet (1), centrifuge tubes, TBE powder.
Click HERE to request the bioreactor kit from our lending program
Available only to teachers who have participated in BOEC programming
What's Wrong in Waterville Promo Video.mp4What's Wrong in Waterville?
What's Wrong in Waterville?
The Waterville storyline represents the BOEC’s first foray into the world of elementary learning. This curriculum was developed with a variety of influences, including Iowa State University Department of Education faculty, pre-service elementary educators, NGSS standards, and current ISU research. We hope that the efforts put into this project have culminated into a meaningful experience for educators and students alike.
<<< Watch the video <<<
In this curriculum, elementary students are both empowered and challenged to encounter a phenomenon, construct an explanation, and design a solution. Students work with a team of water quality scientists to investigate the issue of the fish population in the pond by Franny’s Farm. As the activities progress, students learn about the relationship between fertilizer runoff and aquatic ecosystem health. They are then challenged to design an experiment to test the efficacy of different water quality improvement techniques for nitrate removal. Lastly, students work with their groups and the imaginary town to implement the best solution to meet the town’s needs and budget.
Click HERE to access the What's Wrong in Waterville curriculum package
Click HERE to request the Waterville kit from our lending program
(available only to teachers who have participated in BOEC programming)
Authentic Science: Science & Engineering Practices
Authentic Science: Science & Engineering Practices
A magazine-style publication that explores the Next Generation Science Standards Science and Engineering Practices (SEPs) through the work of Dr. Michelle Soupir, featuring insights from Abby Schaefer. Both researchers discuss how the practices and scientific habits of mind impact their research in water quality.
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