A2O-Lancaster Farming, Saturday, May 23, 1998 CHEVY CHASE, Md. - An innovative curriculum to boost student enthusiasm and inter est in the burgeoning field of biotechnology has been launched through a partnership involving National 4-H Council, Monsanto Corporation, and Pioneer Hi-Bred International. The new curriculum, called "Fields of Genes, Making Sense of Biotechnology,” is intended for students in Kindergarten through the 12th grade. The 96-page leaders' guide is designed to help elementary and high school teachers provide their students with a basic understanding to the biotech nology field today as well as its future direction. "We are concerned about con tinuing and recent reports which show that only a small percentage of Americans have a grasp of basic scientific ideas," said Dick Sauer, president and CEO of National 4-H Council. "We hope this new curricu lum will help make science and agriculture come alive for youngsters across the country. Programs such as Fields of Genes can help American stu dents become more 'science liter ate,’ while also allowing them to better understand the impact of science on the food that they eat CRAFT-B! LT CONSTRUCTION, INC. MANHEIM, PA (717) 653-4023 Pre-Engineered Buildings Lifetime Design Warranty Dairy *LESTER Equine Self-Storage Commerical 4-H Program Offers Biotechnology Curriculum and the world in which they live.' "Biotechnology is now an accepted part of agriculture in the United States, and gradual ly is being adopted by farmers in other parts of the world, because it provides wonderful tools to help feed a growing world popu lation better food grown in a more sustainable way," said Arnold W. Donald, senior vice president, Monsanto Corpor ation. “Any new technology, no mat ter how valuable, requires understanding before it*ean be used appropriately and to the full benefit of everyone. The stu dents of today are the food pro ducers and consumers of the future, so it is important that they understand this technology, and Fields of Genes, we believe, is a great vehicle to further that understanding.” John Soper, Ph.D., director of Sunflower Research at Pioneer Hi-Bred International, said “Biotechnology offers tremen dous potential for improving the productivity of the world’s agri cultural producers as we move into the next millennium. “As with many new technolo gies, the scientific fundamentals of biotechnology are poorly understood by many and a num ber of complex issues have arisen from its use. Fields of Genes explores basic scientific principles which form the foun dation of biotechnology.” It is our hope that Fields of Genes will equip students with an ade quate scientific foundation to make better informed decisions as they deal with emerging issues regarding the use of biotechnology.” The new curriculum teaches students about the wonders and complexity of life, from the smallest one-celled protozoan to the multi-billion-celled human, in the context of agriculture and biotechnology. Curriculum activities for stu dents in the primary grades focus on understanding the liv ing and nonliving parts of their world. Fields of Genes exercises help children begin to develop the knowledge base on which they will build values, skills and actions. Middle school children con tinue to explore and understand genetics, biotechnology, and genetic engineering, while high schoolers are encouraged through exercises in Fields of Genes to plan environmental stewardship activities related to biotechnology and the environ ment. Each chapter of Fields of Genes contains information and activities about different aspects of biotechnology, from focusing on habitats and organisms’ requirements for life to applica tions of biotechnology and genet ic engineering. Each chapter contains background informa tion for leaders and each activi ty contains how-to information, such as materials needed, and time involved to complete the project. Other aspects of the Fields of Genes curriculum include rec ommendations on how to adapt activities for older/younger chil dren, relevant project ideas suit able for science, county and state fairs and groups discussion topic recommendations. The curriculum was produced by National 4-H Council’s Environmental Stewardship program, which encourages youth to make a commitment to use natural resources responsi bly for the sake of their commu nities and the world around them. Reporters wishing to receive a complimentary copy of Fields of Genes, Making Sense of Biotechnology, should call 301-j 961-2833. The public can order copies by calling National 4-H Supply Service at 301-961-2934 and asking for product number E 50046. The cost is $5 plus shipping and handling. Orders may also be placed by fax at 301-961- 2937. National 4-H Council is a non-profit organization that partners with 4-H, the Cooperative Extension System, and other organizations to pur sue its vision and accomplish its mission... to realize the transfor mational power of youth and adults learning together to address life’s critical challenges, and implement its strategies. National 4-H Council pro vides hands-on, co-educational programs and activities that involve youth as partners, estab lish youth as resources in their communities, and provide lead ership training and experience to ensure their success. More than 5.6 million youth, ages five to nineteen participate in the 4-H program nationwide.
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