Treasure Hunt on Genetically Modified Crops

Balve G. Granido
Misamis Oriental General Comprehensive High School
Cagayan de Oro City
abetgrans@yahoo.com


Introduction

Have you eaten a GM (Genetically Modified) Crops? Can you name some GM crops? And can you make one?

In this treasure hunt, you will know what a GM crop is and how it is made.
Here is how the treasure hunt works: In groups of three or four, look for the answers to the questions below in the websites listed. Simply click on the website URL or address to be able to open and read it. Read each website carefully. Write your answers to the questions neatly on a separate answer sheet with the names of group members written on it.
After answering all of the small questions, proceed to the Big Question. Be sure to work as a team.

Questions
1. What is a Genetically Modified Crop/Plant? How a Genetically Modified Crop does differ from a normal or ordinary crop?
2. List down at least 3 foreign GM crops and 3 local (Philippine) GM crops
3. How plant is genetically modified?
4. How Bt Corn is introduced in the Philippines?
5. Enumerate the steps in making Bt Corn.
6. In what ways GM crops benefited the people?
7. Is GM crops safe for human consumption?

Web Resources
· Title: Asia's First: The Bt Corn Story in the Philippines Title (Video)
URL: http://www.isaaa.org/kc/inforesources/videos/btcorn/default.html
· Title:How a plant is genetically modified
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/spl/hi/pop_ups/03/sci_nat_how_a_plant_is_genetically_modified/html/1.stm/
http://cls.casa.colostate.edu/TransgenicCrops/animation.html

· Title: Global Status of Approved Genetically Modified Plants
URL: http://www.agbios.com/dbase.php?action=Synopsis
· Title: How are GM crops made
URL: http://www.bcp.org.ph/faq/faq03.html
· Title: Documented Benefits of GM Crops
URL: http://www.isaaa.org/kc/inforesources/pocketk/default.html

· Title: Scientific Facts on Genetically Modified Crops
URL: http://www.greenfacts.org/gmo/index.htm#4
· Title: Genetically Modified Crops
URL: http://books.google.com/books?vid=ISBN1860943535&id=sFIYtf6d-gkC&pg=PA86&lpg=PA86&ots=JFs-FIRdz3&dq=GM+crops+in+the+philippines&sig=ZJpT9CK9XN59UVmk_B0s-_TZzFM#PPA86,M1
· Title: Video on GMO
URL: http://www.ualg.pt/anuncios/Divulgacao/JRC/txt_v/contents/videos.htm


The Big Question
The group will make a (hypothetical) Genetically Modified Plant of their choice. Then the group will do the following (based on their own work):
Ø Illustration/drawing showing how they make their GM crop (Manila Paper)
Ø Enumerate the steps involved in making their own GM crop
Ø Identify the desired gene
Ø Identify the undesired gene
Ø Name the GM plant made
Ø Cite the contribution of the GM plant made
The group will report and submit their work tomorrow. Please indicate the specific task done by each member. Assign one to facilitate the reporting but everybody should be involved in the question and answer portion.

(April 10, 2007)



Template adapted from Tom March, http://www.ozline.com/templates/hunt.html

List of references for the topic "Central Dogma"

Tour of the Basics (genetics)
http://gslc.genetics.utah.edu/units/basics/tour/
Central Dogma
http://stardec.ascc.neu.edu/~bba/CBIO3580/DOGMA/DNA_CenDog.html
DNA structure “animated”
http://www.johnkyrk.com/DNAanatomy.html
DNA Replication
http://www.sascurriculumpathways.com/
Instruction:
1.click on subscriber log in
2.then type this password for student....ghs05sis
3. click science
4. scroll down...click biology
5.click molecular biology
6.click interactivity, DNA replication
7. then click launch BIOSCOPE
8. click replicating DNA, then DNA machinery

http://www.ncc.gmu.edu/dna/replicat.htm
DNA replication “Animated”
http://www.johnkyrk.com/DNAreplication.html
Transcription “animated”
http://www.johnkyrk.com/DNAtranscription.html
Translation “animated
http://www.johnkyrk.com/DNAtranslation.html
DNA Interactive
http://www.dnai.org/a/index.html

city cell webquest

http://usiweb.usi.edu/fall2006/educ467/2/Project%203/Cell%20City%20WebQuest.htm

List of Researchable topics

SUGGESTED AREAS FOR POSSIBLE RESEARCHES:

I. Solanaceous Crops like eggplant, tomato and bell pepper
Ø Cultivation using conventional nutrition and protection program against fully organic application;
· Analysis of harvest yield such as taste, volume, quality of fruits of plants grown in coastal areas
Ø Concoct your own pesticide from indigenous plants
II. Ornamental Plants
Ø Can plants absorb pollution? What are these plants? How much amount pollution is absorbed by a certain species of plants? Visit NASA website.
Ø How to package dragon fruit in order to preserve its taste?
Ø How to process dragon fruit in order to make it more palatable?
Ø How to extract sugars from flowers? From “tuba”? From plant sap and juices?
Ø Which flowers contain more nectar?
Ø Effects of butterfly cast as fertilizer, disinfectant, repellant, insecticide, hormone, etc.
Ø Effects of mristematic juice on the growth of certain plants
Ø Cultivation from bud Eyes of Pineapple or Bromeliad Plants: Survival and growth rate
Ø Formulation of beauty products from common plants
III. Banana
Ø Banana flour production; and its products (e.g. cookies)
Ø Banana catsup production
Ø Treatment of Fuarium disease in Banana Plants
IV. Food Processing
Ø Using calamansi peels (and other peelings) as candies
Ø Production of Pectin from calamansi seeds
Ø Wine production from Camote, Cassava or Watermelon
Ø Extraction/ Production of Sugar from Certain Fruits
Ø Comparison of food packaging materials
Ø How safe is our drinking water?
Ø Detection of pathogenic microbes in fishballs, or any other street foods
Ø Is heated bottle of mineral water safe to drink?
Ø Detection of pathogenic bacteria in salted eggs
Ø Rice cookies fortified with vegetables such as malunggay and carrots
Ø Herbal tea production with Stabia leaves
Ø Vegetable base for ice cream using squash, etc.
Ø Vegetable cookies or pies
Ø Effects of Cutting Stem Tips on the Sweetness of Sweet Corn
Ø Effects on Ripening Temperature on the Color of Tomato and Other Fruit Vegetables
Ø Comparison of the Two Methods of Vinegar Fermentation on the Quality of Vinegar

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