Mississippi Science GEN.3.1
The Standard
- GEN.3
- Students will investigate biotechnology applications and bioengineering practices.
Explain and demonstrate the use of various tools and techniques of DNA manipulation and their applications in forensics (e.g., paternity and victim/suspect identification), agriculture (e.g., pesticide or herbicide resistance, improved yields, and improved nutritional value), and personalized medicine (e.g., targeted therapies, cancer treatment, production of insulin and human growth hormone, and engineering insect vectors of human parasites).
2026 Mississippi College- and Career-Readiness Standards for Science · Biotechnological Applications
Teacher's field guide
What This Standard Means
What Students Need to Do
- Students model how scientists cut, copy, separate, and change DNA. They use DNA patterns to compare samples and explain how gene changes affect crops or guide medical treatment.
What Mastery Looks Like
- A student can compare gel bands to identify a sample worth further testing without calling the match proof. They can explain how an added gene changes a crop trait and how a tumor mutation can guide a drug choice.
Common Misconceptions
- Students may think one matching gel band proves a suspect's identity. They may confuse copying DNA with changing it, or assume a targeted cancer drug works for every tumor.
How to Assess It
- Exit ticket: Evidence and suspect A have bands at 3, 6, and 9; suspect B has bands at 3, 5, and 9. Which suspect needs further testing, and why is the gel not proof of guilt?
Lesson moves
Ways to Teach It
Cut paper DNA strips at marked sites, then sort the fragments by size to build a model gel for comparing evidence and suspects.
Give students two tumor test results and a drug target; ask them to write which patient might benefit and why.
Have pairs race to arrange cards showing how a human insulin gene is placed in a bacterial plasmid and expressed.
Show a fact sheet for herbicide-tolerant soybeans; have students sketch how the changed gene helps the plant survive spraying.
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Printable GEN.3.1 Worksheet
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Related Standards
- FB.4.5
Research and report on genetic technologies that may improve the quality of life (e.g., genetic engineering, cloning, gene splicing, DNA testing).
- BIO.3C.4
Research and identify how DNA technology benefits society. Engage in scientific argument from evidence over the ethical issues surrounding the use of DNA techno...
- GEN.2B.5
Enrichment: Use an engineering design process to research the current status of genetic technology and personalized medicine, then propose and test targeted med...
- BIO.3C.5
Enrichment: Investigate current biotechnological applications in the study of the genome (e.g., transcriptome, proteome, individualized sequencing, and individu...
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