HHMI BioInteractive Launches New Spanish Language Life Science Education Website with Free Multimedia Resources for Biology, Anatomy and Physiology, Earth, and Environmental Science Educators at the High School and Undergraduate Level

CHEVY CHASE, Md., Feb. 22, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- HHMI BioInteractive has announced the launch of a Spanish version of its award-winning BioInteractive website, featuring free, high-quality, scientifically vetted and field-tested classroom resources. HHMI BioInteractive is a leading provider of free educational resources for high school and undergraduate life science teachers. The new site broadens access to HHMI BioInteractive media through a growing collection of more than 70 Spanish-language resources including short documentary films, 3-D animations, interactive features, and hands-on activities that bring important stories of scientific discovery into the classroom and engage students in the scientific process.

"Providing science teachers with the tools, training and resources to inspire tomorrow's scientists, is central to our mission," said Sean B. Carroll, vice president for HHMI's Science Education Department. "We are pleased to make our educational materials accessible to a broader and more diverse community here in the U.S. and around the world."

The HHMI BioInteractive collection of resources in Spanish is appropriate for biology and earth science educators and students at the secondary and college levels. The resources are aligned with common curriculum frameworks such as the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) and AP® Biology. Users can toggle seamlessly between the English and Spanish websites with the click of a button, which provides additional flexibility for teachers seeking to support Spanish-speaking English learners.

HHMI BioInteractive films shine a light on the thrill of discovery and what it is like to live and work as a scientist. Short documentary films like "The Biology of Skin Color," invite students to critically consider the evidence that human skin color variation is the result of natural selection, and "Scientists at Work" videos feature scientists unmasking genes involved in regeneration or investigating how lizards find their way home through dense rainforests. Interactive features such as "The Eukaryotic Cell Cycle and Cancer," combine video, 3D animations, and compelling visuals to help students understand the relevance of science to their everyday lives. Hands-on activities provide opportunities to "be the scientist" -- asking questions, proposing hypotheses, gathering and interpreting data, and constructing evidence-based explanations.

In addition to the Spanish website, HHMI BioInteractive is supporting science education in Latin America by offering free professional development workshops for high school and college educators in several Latin American countries, including Mexico, Chile, Colombia, and Ecuador, through partners with leading institutions including, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), Instituto Superior Tecnológico de Monterrey, the Biomedical Neuroscience Institute (BNI) of Universidad de Chile, and the Planetario de Bogotá. The programs are focused on supporting effective teaching practices by modeling how to use the multimedia resources in the classroom. In 2017, more than 1,100 science educators participated in HHMI BioInteractive workshops in Spanish.

HHMI BioInteractive plans to add regularly to this collection of Spanish language materials, with new resources to be released monthly.

About HHMI BioInteractive
HHMI BioInteractive advances science education by using the power of story to inspire students to learn about and engage in the scientific process, and care about the living world. HHMI BioInteractive creates and distributes free, high-quality teaching resources and professional development programs for tens of thousands of educators each year. Produced by educators and scientists in English and Spanish, and aligned to recognized curriculum, HHMI BioInteractive media resources include short films, interactive lessons, data sets, and animations. Learn more at www.BioInteractive.org and join its community of educators on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. The Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) is a science philanthropy whose mission is to advance basic biomedical research and science education for the benefit of humanity. The institute is the largest private supporter of science education in the country and is headquartered in Chevy Chase, Maryland, just outside Washington, D.C.

Contact:
Winter Group: Linda Winter
[email protected] 
303.778.0866 x.12

HHMI BioInteractive: Anna Irwin
[email protected]
301.215.8861

SOURCE HHMI BioInteractive