Teacher Guide:
Career Exploration Activities
Learning Objectives
To introduce students to the variety of skills needed in biofabrication
To support student exploration and inquiry into careers in biofabrication - including careers that support biofabrication processes such as advanced manufacturing
To create opportunities for students to demonstrate skill attainment related to career readiness and exploration
Activity Structure
The following activities are divided into two levels:
Level 1 Activities
These activities can be embedded into any course and require little background understanding of biofabrication. Students can demonstrate career readiness skills through these activities.
Level 2 Activities
These activities are targeted and require some understanding of biofabrication. Students can demonstrate both technical and career readiness skills through these activities.
Level 1
What does the future of medicine look like?
Directions
Share the article Creating a Life-Saving Industry – Regenerative Manufacturing with your students.
Facilitate a discussion with your students using the following prompts:
What role has medicine played in your life?
Have you known or heard of anyone whose health has been impacted by the medical field?
How could regenerative medicine change the outcome of these circumstances?
In a mode of their choice, prompt students to reflect on Dean Kamen’s perspective:
Imagine if Kamen's four stages of treating disease became reality. How would it impact someone dealing an illness that currently has no cure?
Competencies
NH CTE General Competencies:
Use correct terminology, vocabulary, and appropriate language to communicate effectively in the workplace
NGSS Practices of Science and Engineering:
Asking questions (for science) and defining problems (for engineering)
Constructing explanations (for science) and designing solutions (for engineering)
Engaging in argument from evidence
Obtaining, evaluating, and communicating information
What technologies are used in biofabrication?
Directions
Share the video Human Organ Manufacturing Has Its Leader & Funding with your students.
Prompt students to make a list of all of the technologies shown in the video.
In the format of your choosing, prompt students to brainstorm around the following questions:
What are the possible careers pathways that are associated with the technologies you've identified?
What safety practices are related to the technologies you've identified?
Competencies
NH CTE General Competencies:
Use correct terminology, vocabulary, and appropriate language to communicate effectively in the workplace
Select and use safety appropriate tools, supplies, and equipment for a specific task or set of tasks
NGSS Practices of Science and Engineering:
Constructing explanations (for science) and designing solutions (for engineering)
Obtaining, evaluating, and communicating information
What jobs are available in biofabrication?
Directions
Show the video of Chief Scientist Dr. Jay Hoying discussing biofabrication to your students.
While watching the video, prompt your students to list the fields Dr. Hoying mentions are a part of the biofabrication industry.
Using the Department of Labor’s career resource O*NET Online, direct students to choose a related field and research further information about it.
Within the field they've researched, each student should choose one specific career and evaluate whether it would be a good fit for them based on the following criteria:
Detailed work activities
Work styles
Work values
With the class or in small groups, students can share information about the career they've researched and why or why not it might be a good career choice for them.
Competencies
NH CTE General Competencies:
Use correct terminology, vocabulary, and appropriate language to communicate effectively in the workplace
NGSS Practices of Science and Engineering:
Asking questions (for science) and defining problems (for engineering)
Planning and carrying out investigations
Analyzing and interpreting data
Obtaining, evaluating, and communicating information
Level 2
How is biofabrication impacting people today?
Directions
Prompt students to review the Patient Case Stories from Biofab Explorer:
Next, in small groups, students can conduct primary research into the applications of tissue regeneration currently being studied.
Each group should choose one example of a biofabricated tissue and create a presentation that addresses the following questions:
What part of the body will this application of tissue engineering impact?
How are injuries or diseases to this part of the body currently treated?
How would biofabricated tissues improve the course of treatment for these injuries or diseases?
Groups can share their presentations with the class.
Competencies
NH CTE General Competencies:
Use correct terminology, vocabulary, and appropriate language to communicate effectively in the workplace
Select and use safety appropriate tools, supplies, and equipment for a specific task or set of tasks
Employ effective time and project management strategies to complete work efficiently and proficiently
NGSS Practices of Science and Engineering:
Asking questions (for science) and defining problems (for engineering)
Planning and carrying out investigations
Analyzing and interpreting data
Obtaining, evaluating, and communicating information
What ethical issues arise with biofabrication?
Directions
Share the Significance of Ethics TED Talk video with your students.
Divide students into 4 groups. Assign or have students choose one of the following ethical issues to discuss:
Safety: Bioprinting tissues and organs is a new field. Any new treatments are risky. What do you think will need to be done to ensure patient safety?
Equal Access to Treatment: Personalized medicine is expensive. What do you think should be done to ensure all people, not just the wealthy, have access to bioprinted limbs and organs?
Legality: Do you think it is ethical to use someone's tissues to bioprint organs and sell them on the open market? How should this be handled?
Human Enhancement: Do you think it would be OK to enhance lungs or muscles to become a better professional athlete? Discuss your opinions.
After discussing, prompt students to develop guiding ethical principles to address their ethical issues.
Each group can present their topic and recommended guidelines to the class.
Competencies
NH CTE General Competencies:
Use correct terminology, vocabulary, and appropriate language to communicate effectively in the workplace
Select and use safety appropriate tools, supplies, and equipment for a specific task or set of tasks
Employ effective time and project management strategies to complete work efficiently and proficiently
NGSS Practices of Science and Engineering:
Asking questions (for science) and defining problems (for engineering)
Constructing explanations (for science) and designing solutions (for engineering)
Engaging in argument from evidence
Obtaining, evaluating, and communicating information
Do I have the skills?
Directions
Share the video of Dr. Marcie Black discussing the skills needed for careers in biofabrication with your students.
Direct students to make note of which skills and qualities Dr. Black looks for in potential employees.
Working individually, students can consider which of the skills they needs to continue to build and improve for employability in biofabrication.
Next, students can visit the Career Clusters section of Biofab Explorer. Students can explore each cluster and determine which associated careers might best suit the skills they are building.
Students can share their findings through a mode of their choice.
Competencies
NH CTE General Competencies:
Use correct terminology, vocabulary, and appropriate language to communicate effectively in the workplace
NGSS Practices of Science and Engineering:
Asking questions (for science) and defining problems (for engineering)
Planning and carrying out investigations
Obtaining, evaluating, and communicating information
What does it take to become a Biological Technician?
Directions
Prompt students to explore the summary for Biological Technicians on O*Net Online.
Facilitate a discussion with your class about the job outlook for this career and the increasing need for technicians in biofabrication. Consider the questions:
How do technician roles factor into the field of biofabrication?
How will technicians help the biofabrication industry scale up?
Prompt students to individually complete the Career Exploration Action Plan for the Biological Technician career pathway.
In pairs, students can share their Action Plans and take turns discussing their findings and conclusions with their partner.
Competencies
NH CTE General Competencies:
Use correct terminology, vocabulary, and appropriate language to communicate effectively in the workplace
Select and use safety appropriate tools, supplies, and equipment for a specific task or set of tasks
NGSS Practices of Science and Engineering:
Asking questions (for science) and defining problems (for engineering)
Obtaining, evaluating, and communicating information
Industry Leaders in Biofabrication
Directions
Prompt students to explore one of the following ARMI member company profiles:
Advanced Solutions Life Sciences
Cellink
DEKA
Advanced Silicon Group
Next, working individually or in small groups, students can create synopses of the company they've researched including:
What problems they are trying to solve?
What types of roles do they hire for?
How are they funded? What is their business plan?
As a class, students can take turns sharing their results and comparing the companies.
Competencies
NH CTE General Competencies:
Use correct terminology, vocabulary, and appropriate language to communicate effectively in the workplace
Select and use safety appropriate tools, supplies, and equipment for a specific task or set of tasks
Employ effective time and project management strategies to complete work efficiently and proficiently
NGSS Practices of Science and Engineering:
Asking questions (for science) and defining problems (for engineering)
Planning and carrying out investigations
Analyzing and interpreting data
Constructing explanations (for science) and designing solutions (for engineering)
Obtaining, evaluating, and communicating information