Classroom Presentations

 

Two types of classroom presentations are available. A one-hour review, designed for students who have attended a field trip during an earlier grade, takes place during the 5th grade. Two hour presentations are available for classes who have not had earlier contact with the program. These presentations is available from 3rd-7th grades.

 

The presentations for previous field trip participants are designed to remind them of the positive experience they had on the university campus and generate further interest in science. The tone of the presentation is fun and interactive. Colorful PowerPoint slides and objects for the class to look at and pass around keep student's attention. A volunteer, improv skit puts students in the roles of farmers and crops making agriculture fun. The topic comes back to DNA and the connection between DNA and agriculture is explicitly taught. A game then provides the chance for students to process the infomation covered. Teachers typically schedule the visit when they are covering genetics or heredity as part of the 5th grade curriculum. Dates in late January, early February are in high demand, so it is important to book early.

 

A Gene-ius Day staff member can also visit your classroom for a shorter version of the fieldtrip. Depending on the grade level, students do a selection of activities including traits, DNA extraction, plant cell microscopy, corn genetics, and Punnet Squares. Again, all activities are built around an agriculture focus. Teachers prepare their students for the visit by showing a movie or assigning homework that introduces traits.

 

Fees are based on the activities included in the visit, the number of students, and the distance. Please contact us for more details.