Outreach Events - Past
Learning International Networks Consortium (LINC) 2016 Pre-conference Workshop
Workshop 4: Teach Cell Biology Concepts with MIT’s Kinesthetic DNA, RNA and Protein Models
Description: Join us to explore how these MIT models can help your students experience what DNA, RNA and protein molecules do, not just what molecules look like. We will be manipulating models to perform the cell processes of DNA replication, mRNA transcription and tRNA translation. Chains of amino acids will be produced and then folded into working protein shapes.
Participants will be organized into teams of two. They will work together to do the activities taken from both of the basic and advanced booklets with the DNA/ RNA and protein kits. The models do the teaching of the cellular processes. The MIT protein models are also excellent for introducing protein structure, including all four levels of protein folding. With this kind of detail, it is possible to illustrate how a change in the DNA can alter a protein’s shape, which may in turn affect the protein’s ability to function. All the while, workshop leaders will demonstrate how to meet the needs of learners of different ages and abilities. This can be affected by using the same versatile models and adjusting the level of detail and vocabulary presented to the students.
Goals:
- For scientists who have not had a chance to learn modern cell biology yet, this workshop offers the goal of learning the key concepts about DNA structure, function and protein synthesis in a very enjoyable and memorable way.
- To provide biologists an opportunity to experience the effectiveness of these tools for teaching molecular biology.
Cambridge Science Festival
“A Closer Look at Exposures”
As part of the week-long Cambridge Science Festival, this exhibit for families at the popular Science Carnival on Saturday is the result of a longstanding collaboration between the MIT CEHS and Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health CEHS outreach programs. Here is the event description: Ever wonder why some environmental exposures are bad for your health? Come check out our exhibit! You can measure your airway health, inflate lungs and see what smoking causes, build a DNA strand using LEGO® and replicate it, learn how UV rays and smoking damage your DNA, and lastly--- build a model of air using LEGO® bricks and create the common air pollutants too!
A Tactile Toolkit for Teaching Molecular Biology
Seminar in Occupational and Environmental Research sponsored by the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, this talk is part of a series entitled New and Nifty Harvard/MIT Inventions in Occupational Safety and Environmental Health.
Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, 677 Huntington Ave, Boston, MA 02115 https://www.hsph.harvard.edu
The Dorchester Air Quality Network (DAQSS)
Seminar in Occupational and Environmental Research sponsored by the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, this talk is part of a series entitled New and Nifty Harvard/MIT Inventions in Occupational Safety and Environmental Health.
Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, 677 Huntington Ave, Boston, MA 02115 https://www.hsph.harvard.edu