Curriculum

Issue-based units

These materials were designed for high school science classes except for the MONARCH unit which was designed for 3rd grade.

Focal Issue: Genetic testing for Alzheimer’s disease
Science themes: Protein synthesis, transcription, translation, protein folding
Science practices: Computational thinking, modeling
Lead designer: Dr. Amanda Peel
Associated article: Peel, A., & Friedrichsen, P. (2018). Algorithms, abstractions, and iterations: Teaching computational thinking using protein synthesis translation. American Biology Teacher, 80(1), 21-28.

Focal Issue: Taxation of obesogenic foods
Science themes: Nutrition, biochemical pathways, energy systems

Science practices: Constructing explanations, argumentation
Lead designer: Dr. Jaimie Foulk
Associated article: Foulk, J. A., Friedrichsen, P. J., & Sadler, T. D. (2020). Science in socio-scientific issues: Teaching with a timeline activity. The Science Teacher, 87(7), 35-39.

Focal Issue: Genetically modified foods
Science themes: Gene expression, genetic modifications
Science practices: Computational thinking
Lead designer: Dr. Amanda Peel

Focal Issue: Construction of a groundwater-based ethanol plant
Science themes: Ecological interactions, climate change, nutrient cycling, water cycling

Science practices: Modeling, argumentation
Lead designer: Dr. Andrew Kinslow
Associated article: Kinslow, A. T., & Sadler, T. D. (2018). Making science relevant: Using socio-scientific issues to foster critical thinking. The Science Teacher, 86(1), 40-45.

-This unit was designed for 3rd grade

Focal Issue: Habitat loss and reduction in butterfly population
Science themes: Ecosystems, habitats, environmental change, life cycles
Science practices: Modeling
Lead designer: Dr. Laura Zangori

Focal Issue: Emergence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria
Science themes: Natural selection

Science practices: Modeling
Lead designers: Dr. Pat Friedrichsen, Kerri Graham & Dr. Troy Sadler
Associated articles: Friedrichsen, P., Sadler, T. D., Graham, K., & Brown, P. (2016). Design of a socio-scientific issue curriculum unit: Antibiotic resistance, natural selection, and modeling. International Journal of Designs for Learning, 7(1), 1-18.

Williams, M., Friedrichsen, P., Sadler, T. D., Brown, P. (2018). Modeling the emergence of antibiotic resistance in bacterial populations. American Biology Teacher, 80(3), 214-220. DOI: 10.1525/abt.2018.80.3.21

Focal Issue: Climate change and its effects on ecosystems
Science themes: Ecological interactions, climate change, biodiversity
Science practices: Modeling, argumentation

Lead designers: Dr. Pat Friedrichsen, Kerri Graham, Dr. Andrew Kinslow, Dr. Troy Sadler
Associated article: Kinslow, A. T., Sadler, T. D., Friedrichsen, P., Zangori, L., Peel, A., & Graham, K. (2017). From global to local: Connecting global climate change to a local ecosystem using a socio-scientific issue approach. The Science Teacher, 84(7), 39-46.

Focal Issue: Regulation of vapes/e-cigarettes for teens
Science themes: Homeostasis, body systems
Science practices: Modeling, argumentation
Lead designer: Clayton Elmy, Dr. Pat Friedrichsen, Dr. Amanda Peel, Jordan Rockett, Brandon Wagner, Laura Zangori
Associated article: Peel, A., Rockett, J., Friedrichsen, P., Zangori, L., Elmy, C., & Wagner, B., (2020). Is vaping harmful? The Science Teacher, 9(1), 51-57.