Learning and teaching biotechnology is not for the faint of heart! Students must simultaneously grasp complex biology concepts, master advanced technical skills, and execute challenging experiments. However, the impact of biotechnology in the classroom can be profound. Classroom experiments transform learning, sparking engagement and enthusiasm. They foster critical thinking, deepen biological understanding, and boost active involvement. AND they build confidence and ignite a passion for science like nothing else. That’s why we’re always looking for new tools to make this rewarding and demanding terrain easier for both students and teachers.
One of our newest tools is Story Tiles. These fall under the ‘small but useful’ category. Think of them as the contour lines on a trail map—not earth-shattering or experiment-changing, but they add depth and clarity, making the learning journey more understandable and engaging.
What are Story Tiles?
Think back to your finger-painting preschool days, when you may have been asked to put a series of pictures in the correct order. Early childhood educators call these sequence cards, and they help young children learn to chronologically order events and develop their narrative abilities.
Story Tiles are our science-savvy upgrade of this concept, designed to help students see and explore the biology behind the advanced technologies they’re harnessing during experiments. (We’ve changed the name because ‘sequencing’ already has a particular meaning in the biology circles.) While these tiles might seem like an unlikely tool for a high school or college lab, they are incredibly effective in reinforcing the biology underlying experiments.
In biology classrooms, especially molecular biology and genetics classrooms, experiments are engaging, but the intricate details of the underlying biology can be missed without a microscope! Meanwhile, textbooks provide detailed and often amazing figures illustrating the unseeable. But they often lack the interactive element needed for deeper understanding. Story tiles cover this gap – bringing molecular steps to life and turning abstract concepts into interactive, visual puzzles.
How do I add Story Tiles to my Classroom?
Head over to our Guide & Lesson Plan page and navigate to the bottom left section labeled “Story Tiles.” There, you’ll find Story Tiles for PCR, Transformation (two), and ELISAs (two). Download and print the PDFs as needed. To streamline the process, you can simply number the cards in their correct order, skipping the cutting and taping steps. However, arranging the cards can enhance understanding, so having scissors and tape available is recommended.
This activity typically takes 5-30 minutes, depending on the technique and students’ familiarity with the concepts. Use the exercise before an experiment to build familiarity, or after to reinforce and confirm understanding. They’re also great for an in-class group activity, particularly during experiments with multiple or long incubation steps. If you’re on the lookout for new experiments to complement the Story Tiles, explore our collections of PCR, Transformation, and ELISA experiments.
Why use Story Tiles?
Here are a few key benefits of Story Tiles:
- Interactive (and Fun) Learning: Students actively engage with and shape their understanding through interactive play.
- Easy Classroom Integration: A fast and effective lab complement that requires only paper, scissors, and tape.
- Deep Thinking: Encourages students to slow down and thoroughly analyze the molecular interactions driving an experiment.
- Enhanced Understanding: Helps students connect the dots in a way that is both revealing and memorable.
- Supporting Diverse Learners: Ideal for visual and kinesthetic learners.
- Efficient Assessment: Provides a powerful and quick method for assessing student comprehension.
Once you use Story Tiles let us know how it goes! Or let us know what simple tools you use (or would like to use) to guide your students to a deeper, more interactive understanding of their experiments!
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