Science Education Partnership

Kit Loan Program

SEP Teachers! Are you looking for kit descriptions, lab protocols and resource links? Visit the SEPGuide.

 

SEP participants have access to the Kit Loan Program developed and maintained by SEP. Thanks to financial support from the Hutchinson Center and other funders, these kits are available at no cost.

Last year, over 12,000 students used SEP kits and supplies in their science classes.

These kits offer SEP teachers the opportunity to share hands-on laboratory experiences with students in their classrooms, giving students a unique chance to experience an authentic, problem-solving approach to science using the same tools and concepts used by research scientists. Kits contain the equipment and supplies necessary for experiments in such areas as DNA gel electrophoresis, bacterial transformation, fruit fly genetics, column chromatography, ELISA, and DNA extraction.

During the school year, SEP staff provide continuing advice and technical support for kit use. In addition, scientists from the Center and the community provide scientific equipment and supply donations to SEP, which are then made available to teachers.

Kits with SEP Lesson Plans Include:

Chromatography Kit: An introduction to separating molecules using paper and column chromatography.

DNA Extraction Kit: Offers students a chance to isolate and collect DNA from onions or strawberries.

Micropipet Kit: Teaches students to become proficient measuring very small metric volumes using micropipets.

Gel Electrophoresis Kit: Students use agarose gel electrophoresis to separate mixtures of molecules.

Elephant Trunk: Students discover how biomolecular research tools can help conserve the African elephant.

ELISA Kit: Teaches antibody structure with models and a simulated detection of avian flu influenza via an ELISA assay.

Bacterial Transformation Kit: Teaches students that DNA codes for instructions that give cells visible characteristics.

SEP Protein Modeling Kits:

Molymod® Model Amino Acid Kit: Explore amino acid structure and function by building them using fun Molymod® models.

Toober Model Kit: Students explore 3D protein folding by building and then folding their own protein.

Pizza Amino Acid Starter Kit®: This amino acid starter kit allows your students to explore how the unique chemical properties of the 20 amino acids help determine protein folding and shape.

Do It Yourself Kits and Lessons

Fly Lab: Students work with the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster, one of the best model organisms for studying genetics, development, and behavior.

The Private Eye®: The Private Eye® is about the drama and wonder of looking closely at the world, thinking by analogy, changing scale, and theorizing.

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