In order to reach out to younger students who are beginning to go more in depth into biology, we made a worksheet that covers the basics of CRISPR. The worksheet discusses what CRISPR is, how it's used, and the different perspectives on it, from an ethical standpoint.
The worksheet was given to students in honors biology classes and in biomedical classes as extra-credit. They would read the article and answer questions, provoking them to think of their own opinion on the ethics of CRISPR and other scientific developments.
This year, we presented our project and different aspects of synthetic biology to AP (Advanced Placement) Environmental Sciences students. Because our project relates to excess fluoride in water, which can come from many different natural sources, we focused on explaining how the problem of excess fluoridation arises and its effects. Also, because these students have a greater knowledge base in biology, we explained our solution.
Our goal for this presentation was to spark curiosity in new and developing fields, like synthetic biology. We also wanted students to look around them in their daily life, and see ways science could help solve problems, both local and global.
