Agricultural Biotechnology Resources for Teachers

Visit ucbiotech.org <http://ucbiotech.org/> ­ Science-based information and
resources on agricultural biotechnology, developed by the UCANR
Biotechnology Workgroup. Some activities and informational handouts
available for download. All resources are available on loan; some are
available in Spanish. If you are interested in booking any of these
materials, or have questions, please contact Barbara Alonso, at
balonso@nature.berkeley.edu.

Educational displays - "Foods: Past and Present" and "Genes, Genomics and
Diversity².
"Fun & Games with Foods & Genetics² - Display (baseball ­style) cards and
teacher handout available in Spanish and English.
Tic Tac Grow Game ­ a game designed to help players make connections between
seeds, plants and foods.
GENEie Juice Bar - mimics contemporary juice bars and can be used as a
stand-alone activity or can accompany the Foods display and cards. Includes
all materials needed for DNA isolation.

FW: To post

Serving the good stuff

Battle of the Books: How can we call ourselves Media Teachers if we're not
geeking on the "good stuff" just as hard as the kids. In addition to
twitter, myspace and facebook, check out how these teens took the "battle
of the books" to a new level.

http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/article/CA6655243.html?nid=2413&source=l
ink&rid=274017822

Place-based Learning

Great educators know that learning must be relevant and nothing is more
relevant than collecting real-data and interacting with real-life
environments and local communities. We've done our jobs as educators when
students have the skills, knowledge, understanding and attitudes to act upon
what they've learned and make the world a healthier, safer, more beautiful
place for us all. Check out this KPBS article then go outside!
http://www.pbs.org/teachers/mediainfusion/

We're back

Thanks to a sick day at home, I decided to revive this resource. I want to keep Community Narratives more focused on community and service so I'll post the cool educational links here. Thanks for staying tuned. I'll try to post more often ok. Send me your educational ideas and resources to post. I'll always give you credit if I use it.

Comparing Holocaust to Native American Genocide

Helping students to make connections is so important. As a member of the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum's teaching fellows program, Robin Levin is completing a curriculum that draws parallels between the Nazi’s systematic extermination of the Jews during the 1930s and 1940s with the U.S. government’s treatment of Native Americans. Read the article in School Library Journal:

Religion and the Public School Setting

Is there a place for interfaith discussions at public school. Eboo Patel says there's a need for students to discuss their own religions with one another. Can we do this in a public school setting? How? View his video then chime in with your comment. http://www.ifyc.org/about_movement

"It's not the time for anger, this is the time...to build the beloved
community." Dr. Martin Luther King

No matter what you're religious beliefs or ethnic background you are or
are not, you might be interested in viewing and listening to the ideas and
solutions of Eboo Patel.

"We need to find ways for people from different backgrounds to get to know
each other." He poses that brotherhood and understanding is the key to
disarming conflict, especially the conflicts and wars that are born from
religious misunderstandings. He says that too often it's children and teens
that are fighting wars around the world so it's important that we build
opportunities for children and teens to talk across the borders of faith,
especially as America's original policies were based on the ideals of
freedom and tolerance.

Patel shares that America is a nation where people from the four corners of
the world come together and it's our nation where open dialogue and
discussion is allowed happen. He tells the story of a man and his son
reflecting on their internment during WWII, "...[A]nd by your people I don't
just mean the Japanese, never let American forget about this, because
America is too good for what it did to us. [Japanese Internment]" The reason
there is freedom in America is due to the diversity that protects this
freedom. It's up to all of us to embrace our differences and learn about
each other so we have peace and tolerance instead of mistrust and conflict.

The Interfaith Youth Organization webpage says "Imagine a world where people
from different religious backgrounds come together to create understanding
and respect by serving their communities. This is the world we are
building."

Powerful stuff and a message that I personally had never considered,
especially in the public school setting.

Listen to his intelligent, inspirational and enlightening video from his
speech at Cincinnati's Freedom Center. What does this mean for public school
students? Can we have these discussions in school? What do you think? Feel
free to send me your comments after listening to his video in its entirety.
http://www.ifyc.org/about_movement

Bill Strickland Serves the Good Stuff

Talk about changing the world. Check out Bill Strickland's video and then go buy his book Making the Impossible Possible. He offers training, dignity and hope to people-in-need in Pittsburgh, PA.