Student travel is more than just a break from the classroom, it’s a direct connection to on-site experts and interactive programming. Visit Huntsville knows that students gravitate towards hands-on experiences that require careful planning.
That’s why Visit Huntsville collaborated with area educators when developing Educational Escapes, a free field trip planning service for student group leaders. This service offers a wide array of curriculum-based immersive experiences crafted by experts to minimize planning headaches and focus on fun.
Spotlight on HudsonAlpha Institute for BioTechnology & STEM Learning
Located in Cummings Research Park, the HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology is a nonprofit genome research institute and is home to some of the world’s leading scientists, entrepreneurs and educators who are passionately exploring the knowledge and possibilities of genomics to improve human, plant and animal life.
Through the Educational Escapes program, field trips to the HudsonAlpha Institute for BioTechnology have been carefully curated. HudsonAlpha Teaching Lab has workspace for up to 32 students and could be the perfect location for your next student travel adventure. See some of the designed field trips detailed below:
COURSES EXPLORING ENZYMES
In this investigative activity, students will learn about enzyme specificity, discuss the role of enzymatic reactions during digestion of a fast food meal, evaluate several enzymes used in the production of apple juice and even create their own cheeses using enzymes produced by biotechnology.
- Length of course: 1.5 hours
- Grades: 6-8
KITCHEN DNA WITH A TWIST OF INQUIRY
Students take DNA extractions to the next level by creating their own extraction solutions using common household items. Students will learn how cell structure impacts the extraction process and discuss why scientists extract DNA.
- Length of course: 1.5 hours
- Grades: 6-8
CYTOGENETICIST FOR THE DAY
Taking on the role of a cytogeneticist, students will examine patient samples for chromosomal anomalies and learn how karyotypes are produced. Using HudsonAlpha’s Disorder Detectives® kit, students will also work through one of 15 patient case studies to create a karyotype.
- Length of course: 1.5 hours
- Grades: 9-12
GENES & CONSEQUENCES
This computer-based activity will allow students to dive into the Central Dogma and gain experience with DNA sequencing, while looking at how changes in regions of DNA can cause disease. Using one of 15 case studies, students will practice DNA base pairing, transcription and translation, and also create protein folding models to discuss how changes in amino acid sequence may impact protein function.
- Length of course: 5 hours
- Grades: 9-12
Find more of these expertly crafted field trips and additional resources designed to take planning off your plate in our Educational Escapes Guide.
