Language &
Life Sciences

A Forum Electronic Journal

Biotechnology is perhaps the most rapidly advancing area in science today. The Advances in Biotechnology volume has been created to provide language teachers with resources about breakthroughs in biotechnology. Each chapter of the volume highlights one aspect of research in the field of DNA and genetics along with its applications to and implications for society. The chapters feature relevant background information on each topic, interactive and communicative classroom activities, and a list of related print and Internet resources that will allow teachers to expand the lesson further.

For this volume, we have chosen to focus on both the promises and controversies surrounding research on DNA and genetics. In addition to explaining what DNA is and how it was discovered, the chapters in this volume examine how this knowledge is being broadly applied in fields ranging from medicine to criminal justice to agriculture. Each chapter takes a two-part approach to the topic, examining both the scientific mechanisms behind each scientific advance and the ethical dilemmas the new discovery raises.

Authors Donna M. Brinton, Christine Holten, and Jodi L. Nooyen each serve as experts in the English as a Second Language (ESL) field and have a thorough knowledge of best practices in writing and content based instruction. Read more about the authors(PDF).

Topics in Biotechnology Chosen for This Volume

Mapping the Human Genome
Controversial Issues in Gene Research
Biotechnology and Crop Engineering
Drugs of the Future

Each chapter is conceived as a self-contained unit.  We have sequenced the chapters according to our own perceptions of their difficulty level, but teachers may opt to use the materials in a different sequence or to use only those chapters that they consider most relevant for their classes.

• Introduction to the Topic and Background Information
• Classroom Applications
• Preliminary Lesson Planning
• Warm Up Activity and Transition
• Activity 1
• Activity 2
• Activity 3
• Cool Down Activity
• Possible Extensions
• Internet Resources
• References and Endnotes
• Appendices (includes Glossary and Classroom Materials)