A high school molecular biology unit for honors introductory biology students in a constructivist classroom

The purpose of the molecular biology unit was to teach basic DNA science to ninth and tenth grade honors biology students. The unit introduced DNA structure, an historical overview of DNA research, DNA replication, translation, transcription, recombinant DNA technology, and the ethical implications of such technology.;A comparison of pre-test and post-test scores, evaluation of student journal entries, student-prepared concept maps, Vee-heuristic diagrams, entry/exit polls, and cooperative learning group reports showed that student learning was enhanced by the tactics utilized. The students were enthusiastic learners who constructed their own knowledge of molecular biology.;The unit was built around four laboratory activities, four modeling exercises and one class project. The instruction sought to incorporate the elements of constructivist philosophy. An additional goal of the unit was to promote student understanding of metalearning and metaknowledge.