This project will develop 15 modules for high school students that connect biology, computation, and mathematics with corresponding teacher materials and professional development activities. The project will build on the extensive experience of and be conducted as collaboration among Rutgers University (New Brunswick), the Center for Discrete Mathematics and Theoretical Computer Science (DIMACS), the Consortium for Mathematics and its Applications (COMAP), and Colorado State University. The modules will draw on an approach to biological phenomena as involving information processing, in three illustrative areas conducive to learning at the high school level: Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, Mathematical Methods in Epidemiology, and Mathematical Methods in Ecology. These areas are likely to bring excitement about contemporary interconnections between the biological and mathematical sciences to the high school classrooms, hence increase student motivation to study both subjects. The modules will include self-contained text and problem situations (including web-based interactive materials) that can be used separately in high school mathematics courses or biology courses, as well as in Bio-Math integrated courses. Most modules will include about ten 40-minute class meetings, whereas a few will include 1-2 lessons that can be inserted into the existing curriculum. All modules will be developed within a four-phase process that includes pilot testing by teachers who are also involved in module development, field testing by teachers who received training workshops (at least five schools), evaluation and dissemination. Modules will be made available to high school mathematics/biology teachers, free of charge, during the first three years of the project (print and electronic formats). Both formative and summative evaluation will be conducted to examine the merit/impact of the project.
Bio-Math Connection (BMC) was a pioneering project linking biology and mathematics in the high schools. The principal goal of the BMC program was to provide teachers with curricular materials that highlight the interconnections between the mathematical and biological sciences. In addition, a secondary goal was to provide help for teachers in using these new materials and understanding the interface between the two disciplines. Thus, the main product of this project was a set of fifteen high quality bio-math modules, including teacher support materials that can be flexibly adapted for use in a variety of courses at a variety of grade levels in either biology or mathematics or both. The modules are self-contained text and problem materials that can be used in high school mathematics or biology courses or both, individually or team taught. The modules include web based interactive materials, which provide additional interactive opportunities for teachers and students to learn the material both inside and outside of classrooms. The completed modules are available in both print and electronic formats. A Collaborative Learning Website aimed at preparing teachers to use the materials is operational. Through the BMC program and the materials it developed, students interested in biology have come to realize the importance of understanding modern mathematics and computer science. New horizons have been opened for those who find mathematics interesting, but wonder how it might be useful. Rapidly developing opportunities for further study have been revealed and new career opportunities have been suggested. Ultimately, introducing high school students to these interconnections enhances the study of both disciplines and should continue to do so long after the project has ended. The modules have been tested in a variety of diverse mathematics and biology classrooms in rural, suburban and urban school settings in over 42 states. All modules have been reviewed by outside experts. The modules are published in paper and on CD-Rom. They include: Genetic Inversions: In this module students explore the basic concepts of DNA and chromosomal inversions. Spider Silk: This module invites students to pose and answer the fundamental question: "What alignment of two sequences is biologically most meaningful?" Evolution by Substitution: In this module students relate DNA changes and resulting amino acid substitutions to evolution. Array of Hope: This module is written as seen through the eyes of a doctor, who has a patient diagnosed with melanoma, and who wants to find the best treatment for this patient using a microarray. Evolutionary Games: The Game of Life: Students examine the role that behavior plays in evolutionary fitness, and develop an understanding of natural selection as organisms compete for limiting resources (e.g. food, water, space, mates, safety, etc.). Computer Modeling of Disease Outbreaks: This module uses two hypothetical infectious disease outbreaks, which students simulate, to introduce and develop mathematical models for disease spread. Pass it on! Disease Competition: Students gain an understanding of how different methods of pathogen reproduction can greatly affect the fitness of a disease, by examining infectious diseases from the perspective of evolutionary biology on a basic level. Imperfect Testing: This module uses an interrupted case study approach to answer the following two questions: What do the results of an imperfect medical test actually mean? How does this information affect public policy or personal decision making? Genetic Epidemiology: Students work to identify the genetic risk factors and consider potential solutions, including using patterns of allele frequencies to classify individuals into genetically homogeneous groups. Food Webs: Students model species’ relationships in a community using an abstract representation called a food web to identify interactions, cost of a species becoming extinct, keystone species, species’ trophic levels, status, dominance, and others. Help! I’m Surrounded by Squirrels- Habitat Selection: This module has students develop a mathematical method to infer habitat preferences based upon species abundance measures and uses this method to predict changes in population distributions as land use changes over time. What’s My Ecological Impact? This module enables students to be more aware of humans' roles in threats to the environment and enables them to make more informed decisions about behaviors that have an impact on the environment, using a tool called ecological footprinting. Drawing Lines: Spatial Arrangements of Biological Phenomena: This module examines a single underlying principle governing the partitioning of a space in a wide range of biological contexts. Home Range Analysis: This module explores how data for prairie dogs, black footed ferrets, pronghorn antelopes, and curlews is collected and analyzed to determine the home range of each species. CrIME: Criminal Investigations Through Mathematical Examination: This module uses the forensics of fingerprint analysis to introduce students to some of the basic mathematical concepts and the biological concept of individual identification and its underlying genetic mechanisms.
