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Lesson 2-1: Using Biotechnology to Conserve Species
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last edited
by mariaelizabethbunn@... 9 years, 9 months ago
Lesson 2-1: <Using Biotechnology to Conserve Species> How can genetics help conserve species?
~10-15 minutes
Student Version |
Teacher Discussion Notes
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Materials
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Questions provided could be used for a class discussion or you could have students answer on blank paper and submit.
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Ask students to recall their Biotechnology WebQuest (Lesson 1-3). Here are some suggestions for a few probing questions:
- What species do conservation geneticists usually focus on? (ANSWER: The organisms that conservation geneticists study usually belong to endangered or threatened populations)
- What questions do scientists ask in order to develop ways to help these populations? (ANSWER: Scientists ask two questions: What has brought these populations to the brink of extinction, and what steps can we take to reverse this trend?)
- How does gathering genetic information about organisms help scientists? (ANSWER: Information about the genetic diversity of the organisms under study helps scientists and managers form strategies to preserve and protect the diversity of plants and animals worldwide.)
- How have we tried to conserve species prior to advances in biotechnology? (ANSWER: Past conservation efforts have addressed populations from a mathematical, evolutionary, or taxonomic point of view)
- How do our advances in genetics help conservation efforts? (ANSWER: Modern efforts include genetic studies, giving conservation scientists and ecological managers much more information about the diversity among the individuals in a population. Without genetics, we may conserve the wrong population or waste valuable resources on a population that isn't endangered!)
After Review, show the video "Conservation Genetics and the Luikart Lab". This video gets a little promotional after minute 4, so it's best to stop it at that point. This brief video is about the conservation of Salmonids in Montana, but is a good launching point for talking about what research is happening locally (Lesson 2-2) and introducing UW's work with elephants.
After the video, ask the discussion questions:
- What is conservation genetics?
- What species is Dr. Luikart researching?
- How can hybrid fish be identified?
- Why is this field of study so important?
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Lesson 2-1: Using Biotechnology to Conserve Species
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