Biotechnology: A Comprehensive Curriculum Guide for a One Semester Course at the High School (grades 11-12) or Community College Level

I love the ability/space to take notes in the margin. We are in the process of starting a biotechnology class within the district that I teach. This has been a great reference tool to have as we begin writing the curriculum and I plan out our year.

This very short book is a waste of time and resources unless you are a complete novice in the field of biotechnology. I had hoped that it would have lesson outlines and resources for the day-to-day running of a semester long class, but this was a very short introduction to the equipment needed in a biotech lab as well as some suggestions for experiments to run. It's also super short - 45 pages total, most of which has text on only one side of the page. Not worth it.

I was shocked when I received this very thin paperback book. There are a total of 44 pages in this book, but half of them (every other page) are simply lines for notes you might write down. So you are paying for 22 pages (not all of them full pages) of very large type with a minimum of information on each page. I do not understand the previous reviews--they must be related to or know the author! Don't waste your money. There is no information in this book you can't find online for free.

This manual has been my guide in my first year teaching a biotechnology course. It was so helpful in helping me design the curriculum and understand the logistics of running a biotech class. The manual gives specifics about the types of equipment that are necessary including details on cost, suppliers and quality. After I read this I felt I could confidently spend the large sum of money necessary to run this class. This manual was a great starting point in terms of determining the sequence of units and the applicable worksheets and resources. It is also current with a variety of websites that I used often with my students. As an experienced teacher new to biotechnology, I felt confident enough to teach this course using this manual as my guide.

This is a "must-have" guide for any teacher or school in the process of starting a biotechnology course or broadening a pre-existing biology curriculum. The biotech industry is growing rapidly and becoming increasingly familiar to students, whether through the forensic techniques shown on "CSI" or news of breakthroughs--and debates--on cloning. The author is able to compile a tremendous amount of practical information about the equipment and resources required to teach the fundamentals of the field. His own experience and success with the classroom and lab curriculum is apparent in the helpful tips and hints throughout. Many text and web-based references are cited as well, giving teachers an opportunity to tailor the course to their school's strengths and resources.