| (a) Implementation. The provisions of this section
shall be implemented by school districts beginning with the 2023-2024
school year.
(1) No later than August 31, 2023, the commissioner
of education shall determine whether instructional materials funding
has been made available to Texas public schools for materials that
cover the essential knowledge and skills identified in this section.
(2) If the commissioner makes the determination that
instructional materials funding has been made available, this section
shall be implemented beginning with the 2023-2024 school year and
apply to the 2023-2024 and subsequent school years.
(3) If the commissioner does not make the determination
that instructional materials funding has been made available under
this subsection, the commissioner shall determine no later than August
31 of each subsequent school year whether instructional materials
funding has been made available. If the commissioner determines that
instructional materials funding has been made available, the commissioner
shall notify the State Board of Education and school districts that
this section shall be implemented for the following school year.
(b) General requirements. This course is recommended
for students in Grades 11 and 12. Prerequisite: one credit in biology.
Recommended prerequisites: Principles of Bioscience and one credit
in chemistry. This course satisfies a high school science graduation
requirement. Students shall be awarded one credit for successful completion
of this course.
(c) Introduction.
(1) Career and technical education instruction provides
content aligned with challenging academic standards, industry-relevant
technical knowledge, and college and career readiness skills for students
to further their education and succeed in current and emerging professions.
(2) The Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics
(STEM) Career Cluster focuses on planning, managing, and providing
scientific research and professional and technical services such as
laboratory and testing services and research and development services.
(3) In Biotechnology I, students will apply advanced
academic knowledge and skills to the emerging fields of biotechnology
such as agricultural, medical, regulatory, and forensics. Students
will have the opportunity to use sophisticated laboratory equipment,
perform statistical analysis, and practice quality-control techniques.
Students will conduct laboratory and field investigations and make
informed decisions using critical thinking, scientific problem solving,
and the engineering design process. Students in Biotechnology I will
study a variety of topics that include structures and functions of
cells, nucleic acids, proteins, and genetics.
(4) Science, as defined by the National Academy of
Sciences, is the "use of evidence to construct testable explanations
and predictions of natural phenomena, as well as the knowledge generated
through this process." This vast body of changing and increasing knowledge
is described by physical, mathematical, and conceptual models. Students
should know that some questions are outside the realm of science because
they deal with phenomena that are not currently scientifically testable.
(5) Students are expected to know that:
(A) hypotheses are tentative and testable statements
that must be capable of being supported or not supported by observational
evidence. Hypotheses of durable explanatory power that have been tested
over a wide variety of conditions are incorporated into theories;
and
(B) scientific theories are based on natural and physical
phenomena and are capable of being tested by multiple independent
researchers. Unlike hypotheses, scientific theories are well established
and highly reliable explanations, but they may be subject to change
as new areas of science and new technologies are developed.
(6) Scientific inquiry is the planned and deliberate
investigation of the natural world using scientific and engineering
practices. Scientific methods of investigation are descriptive, comparative,
or experimental. The method chosen should be appropriate to the question
being asked. Student learning for different types of investigations
include descriptive investigations, which involve collecting data
and recording observations without making comparisons; comparative
investigations, which involve collecting data with variables that
are manipulated to compare results; and experimental investigations,
which involve processes similar to comparative investigations but
in which a control is identified.
(A) Scientific practices. Students should be able to
ask questions, plan and conduct investigations to answer questions,
and explain phenomena using appropriate tools and models.
(B) Engineering practices. Students should be able
to identify problems and design solutions using appropriate tools
and models
(7) Scientific decision making is a way of answering
questions about the natural world involving its own set of ethical
standards about how the process of science should be carried out.
Students should be able to distinguish between scientific decision-making
methods (scientific methods) and ethical and social decisions that
involve science (the application of scientific information).
(8) Science consists of recurring themes and making
connections between overarching concepts. Recurring themes include
systems, models, and patterns. All systems have basic properties that
can be described in space, time, energy, and matter. Change and constancy
occur in systems as patterns and can be observed, measured, and modeled.
These patterns help to make predictions that can be scientifically
tested, while models allow for boundary specification and provide
a tool for understanding the ideas presented. Students should analyze
a system in terms of its components and how these components relate
to each other, to the whole, and to the external environment.
(9) Students are encouraged to participate in extended
learning experiences such as career and technical student organizations
and other leadership or extracurricular organizations.
(10) Statements that contain the word "including" reference
content that must be mastered, while those containing the phrase "such
as" are intended as possible illustrative examples.
(d) Knowledge and skills.
(1) The student demonstrates professional standards/employability
skills as required by business and industry. The student is expected
to:
(A) demonstrate knowledge of how to dress appropriately,
speak politely, and conduct oneself in a manner appropriate for the
profession;
(B) show the ability to cooperate, contribute, and
collaborate as a member of a group in an effort to achieve a positive
collective outcome;
(C) present written and oral communication in a clear,
concise, and effective manner;
(D) demonstrate time-management skills in prioritizing
tasks, following schedules, and performing goal-relevant activities
in a way that produces efficient results; and
(E) demonstrate punctuality, dependability, reliability,
and responsibility in performing assigned tasks as directed.
(2) The student, for at least 40% of instructional
time, asks questions, identifies problems, and plans and safely conducts
classroom, laboratory, and field investigations to answer questions,
explain phenomena, or design solutions using appropriate tools and
models. The student is expected to:
(A) ask questions and define problems based on observations
or information from text, phenomena, models, or investigations;
(B) apply scientific practices to plan and conduct
descriptive, comparative, and experimental investigations and use
engineering practices to design solutions to problems;
(C) use appropriate safety equipment and practices
during laboratory, classroom, and field investigations as outlined
in Texas Education Agency-approved safety standards;
(D) use appropriate tools such as microscopes, thermocyclers,
pH meters, hot plate stirrers, glass bulb thermometers, timing devices,
electronic balances, vortex mixers, autoclaves, micropipettes, centrifuges,
gel and capillary electrophoresis units, cameras, data collection
probes, spectrophotometers, transilluminators, incubators, water baths,
laboratory glassware, biosafety cabinets, and chemical fume hoods;
(E) collect quantitative data using the International
System of Units (SI) and United States customary units and qualitative
data as evidence;
(F) organize quantitative and qualitative data using
laboratory notebooks, written lab reports, graphs, charts, tables,
digital tools, diagrams, scientific drawings, and student-prepared
models;
(G) develop and use models to represent phenomena,
systems, processes, or solutions to engineering problems; and
(H) distinguish between scientific hypotheses, theories,
and laws.
(3) The student analyzes and interprets data to derive
meaning, identify features and patterns, and discover relationships
or correlations to develop evidence-based arguments or evaluate designs.
The student is expected to:
(A) identify advantages and limitations of models such
as their size, scale, properties, and materials;
(B) analyze data by identifying significant statistical
features, patterns, sources of error, and limitations;
(C) use mathematical calculations to assess quantitative
relationships in data; and
(D) evaluate experimental and engineering designs.
(4) The student develops evidence-based explanations
and communicates findings, conclusions, and proposed solutions. The
student is expected to:
(A) develop explanations and propose solutions supported
by data and models and consistent with scientific ideas, principles,
and theories;
(B) communicate explanations and solutions individually
and collaboratively in a variety of settings and formats; and
(C) engage respectfully in scientific argumentation
using applied scientific explanations and empirical evidence.
(5) The student knows the contributions of scientists
and recognizes the importance of scientific research and innovation
on society. The student is expected to:
(A) analyze, evaluate, and critique scientific explanations
and solutions by using empirical evidence, logical reasoning, and
experimental and observational testing so as to encourage critical
thinking by the student;
(B) relate the impact of past and current research
on scientific thought and society, including research methodology,
cost-benefit analysis, and contributions of diverse scientists and
engineers as related to the content; and
(C) research and explore resources such as museums,
libraries, professional organizations, private companies, online platforms,
and mentors employed in a STEM field.
(6) The student explores the emerging field of biotechnology.
The student is expected to:
(A) define biotechnology and provide examples of biotechnology
products such as recombinant proteins, fermented foods, biopharmaceuticals,
and genetically modified foods;
(B) compare applications of bioinformatics such as
deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) barcoding, sequencing, National Center
for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) tools, ClinVar, Genemonon Mastermind,
genetic testing, phylogenetic relationships, and the use of online
databases;
(C) research and identify career opportunities in genetics,
bioinformatics, and in fields such as molecular, forensic, medical,
regulatory, and agricultural biotechnology;
(D) identify significant contributions of diverse scientists
to biotechnology and explain their impact on society;
(E) define bioethics and evaluate the applications
of bioethics;
(F) evaluate different points of view about issues
and current events in biotechnology;
(G) identify applications in agricultural biotechnology
such as genetically modified organisms (GMOs), plant propagation from
tissue culturing, and aquaculture hydroponics;
(H) identify applications in medical biotechnology
such as vaccines production, stem cells therapy, gene therapy, pharmaceutical
production, pharmacogenetics, genomics, synthetic biology, and personalized
medicine;
(I) identify applications in forensic biotechnology
such as capillary electrophoresis, real-time polymerase chain reaction,
DNA fingerprinting, restriction fragment length polymorphisms (RFLP)
analysis, toxicology, and serology; and
(J) identify solutions to waste through bioremediation
and non-biotechnological standard solutions such as landfills, incineration,
absorbent materials, and catalytic materials.
(7) The student summarizes biotechnology laboratory
procedures and their applications in the biotechnology industry. The
student is expected to:
(A) identify the major sectors of the biotechnology
industry such as medical and pharmaceutical, agricultural, industrial,
forensic, and research and development;
(B) identify the biotechnology laboratory procedures
used in each sector such as selective breeding, genetic engineering,
DNA analysis, and protein analysis; and
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