Grades
5-6
Clean water: sense it & solve it
A modular clean-water unit: students debate real contamination sources, see how an engineered biosensor detects a specific toxin, then design, test, and improve their own water filter. It connects synthetic biology to a local issue and to real iGEM research. Run one part or all three, depending on how much time you have.
What students do
- Debate what makes water unsafe (natural vs. human causes)
- See how an engineered biosensor detects a specific toxin (arsenic)
- Design, test, and improve their own water filter
What you'll need
A cut 2-liter bottle, activated charcoal, sand, gravel, cotton balls, and food coloring + soil for the "polluted" water. About $15-25 a class. Modular: run one part or multiple.
Full quantities and costs are in the materials & cost sheet.
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