Biotechnology

Biotechnology lab - Spherical Image - RICOH THETA

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9th Grade

Academy 

• Bioethics: Bioethics is a full-year course designed for students to explore the underlying ethical issues surrounding biotechnology, the environment, research, life and death choices, and medicine. Students will be asked to consider multiple perspectives as well as deepen their understanding of downstream repercussions of decisions regarding ethical issues. This course gives students the opportunity to grapple with some of the most challenging and engaging problems our society is facing as consequences of advances in the life sciences.
• Experimental Design: Much of the lessons that take place in science classes at the secondary level are limited in their ability to accurately represent some of the most critically important realities of real science and true inquiry. These realities are aptly termed the “Nature of Science (NOS)” in science education research and NOS lessons are seldom intertwined into science curricula. This is often due to a lack of time, as content coverage historically trumps ancillary concepts like NOS. In Experimental Design, NOS is at the forefront of the course and serves as the very foundation of the entire curriculum. The course is divided into two halves split over four units. The first half serves to answer the driving question of, “What does it mean to ‘experiment’ in science?” This question cannot be answered unless students understand what the nature of science is and thus, NOS is explored over the first unit, Unit 1: NOS. In Unit 2: Literature Review, students continue to look at what it means to experiment, but this time, in the specific context of real-life, seminal experimental designs of the past. Students explicitly connect how past scientists and previous scientific research exemplified the aspects of NOS covered in the previous unit. The latter half of this course is based on answering the second driving question of, “What does it mean to ‘design’ an experiment in science?” With a thorough understanding of NOS and prior experiments at hand, students can now start to explore the more technical aspects of design, with an initial exploration of standard lab procedure (Unit 3: Lab Technique). Upon successfully learning common biotechnological lab techniques, students are tasked with designing their own novel experiments in which they will collect data and formally present their conclusions (Unit 4: Design).

Core Courses:

• English 9
• Algebra I, Geometry, or Algebra II
• Biology 
• Health and Physical Education 9
• World History
• World Language 
• Financial Literacy/VPA Elective

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10th Grade

Academy 

• Introduction to Biotechnology (Semester 1): Throughout the course, students will be using real-life cases to introduce a core set of ethical considerations on each topic that are important for analyzing ethical issues in medicine and the life sciences. Design elements emphasize key bioethical concepts and analytic methods, cutting-edge science content, and real-world scenarios. Activities promote active and collaborative learning to help students develop their ethical reasoning and critical thinking skills.
• Applied Biotechnology (Semester 2): Applied Biotechnology is a laboratory-based course that builds upon the knowledge and skills students bring from Introduction to Biotechnology. While allowing the continuation of skill and content knowledge building in biotechnology, the course focuses student learning around the central idea that biotechnology can be applied to feed, heal, and sustain the world we live in. Therefore, the course explores the application of biotechnology in two major industries, agriculture, and medicine. These areas of study will allow students to explore technologies used to grow crops for food, develop medicine, and produce alternative fuels. Engineering concepts will be used to develop student understanding of the role of synthetic biology in the healthcare industry and to prototype solutions of their own. As in Introduction to Biotechnology, students will also continue to explore an independent research topic in the lab and demonstrate skills in communication and presentation as they share their results.

Core Courses:

• English 10*
• Geometry*, Algebra II* or Pre-Calculus*
• Chemistry*
• Health and Physical Education 10
• US History I*
• World Language
• Financial Literacy/VPA Elective

*Honors courses available and determined by grades and teacher recommendation

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 11th Grade

Academy 

• Special Topics in Biotechnology (10 Credits): 

  Special Topics in Biotechnology is a laboratory-based course that builds upon students' knowledge and skills from their 9^th and 10th-grade Biotechnology coursework. Therefore, this next course continues to explore the application of biotechnology in multifaceted ways while building students’ career-ready skills. Students will continue to explore and engage in new topics, such as environmental biotechnology. They will develop their communication and collaboration skills as they work together to explore cell and tissue culture dynamics or the intricacies of industry regulatory mechanisms. Students will lead their peers through challenging engineering and design problems and develop workable solutions to complex issues. Students will also grow as scientists, engineers, and STEM leaders by continuing to work on and share their independent research projects in the laboratory with others.

Core Courses:

• English 11*
• Algebra II*, Pre-Calculus*, Calculus
• Physics*
• Health and Physical Education 10
• US History II*
• World Language
• Elective

*Honors courses available and determined by grades and teacher recommendation

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 12th Grade at MCST

Career and Technical Education (Academy):

• Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) Certification Program - Partnership Program with Atlantic Training Center (10 credits, offered in the Fall Semester)
• Career and Technical Education Elective (i.e. Virtual Enterprises International, Computer Science Principles, Unmanned Aerial Vehicles)
• Independent Study
• OR CCM for Academy coursework

Structured Learning Experience (Graduation Requirement):

• All Seniors must complete 120 hours of an approved internship in their respective career fields.

Core Courses: 

• English 12* (required)
• Health and Physical Education 12 (required)
• Calculus, Statistics, Foundations of College Math
• Environmental Science, Anatomy and Physiology I
• World Language*

*Honors courses available and determined by grades and teacher recommendation

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12th Grade at County College of Morris

Eligible Seniors may complete their Senior coursework in full or in part at County College of Morris. See the School Counseling Department for more information.

Required Courses:

FALL

• English Composition I (ENG111)
• Lifetime Wellness (HED128) or PE (labeled HES)
• Academy Course (1) ** Students attending County College of Morris may still participate in the EMT Program at MCST (described above)

BIO 102 Anatomy & Physiology II
BIO 121 General Biology I
CHM 125 General Chemistry
CHM 126 Gen Chem Lab (4cr)
COM 104 Interpersonal Communications
COM 109 Speech Fundamentals
CMP126 Computer Applications (all but CIS students)
CMP128 Computer Science 1 (all but CIS students)
BUS 112 Introduction to Business (all but FIB students)
ACC 110 Elements of Accounting (all but FIB students)

SPRING

• English Composition II (ENG112)
• PE or Lifetime Wellness (whichever was not taken in the Fall)
• Academy Course (1) (see above list)

*See Guidance (School Counseling) Department for additional information on CCM courses

Structured Learning Experience

All Seniors must complete 120 hours of an approved internship in their respective career fields.