Science Comic: Environmental DNA

Welcome to my first TES resource! I have created a science comic to give kids of all ages an idea of the many real-world jobs in STEM. This comic has since won a big science communication competition, and schools from all over the globe have requested a copy in the past few days.

I feel like now is the right time to upload to TES, and I ask for a contribution in return, to compensate me for the many hours that I spend on my materials (I’m just a low-income PhD student!!).

If you’re willing, kindly also fill out the feedback form when your learners have interacted with the resource, so I know how to improve it next time or provide more support! The feedback form can be found here: https://goo.gl/gLvRBK

More about the resource:
Who’s it for?
Kids and adults of all ages will love this comic. It’s colourful, and easily understood or explained using the pictures, even if the learner cannot read the text. Suitable for all learning abilities and languages (also available in other languages- get in touch if you’d like a translation!).

What’s it for?
This resource is perfect for printing large (up to A1 and probably bigger!). It is also fantastic for digital use, in PowerPoint presentations, on Moodle, and in any digital format. I have supplied a high quality PDF (great for printing), and a high quality JPEG (great for digital). I hope you thoroughly enjoy using this resource, whether it’s as a poster, a handout or in your digital learning materials. Let me know how you use it by filling out my feedback form (here: https://goo.gl/gLvRBK). I’d LOVE to know how you and your kids get on with it!

What inspired this comic?
I am a marine biologist based in South Africa. I made this comic to illustrate the work that I am doing to map coastal fish biodiversity in South Africa. I enjoy telling people about my work, because I can see that their imagination is instantly inspired. I hope you’ll enjoy learning about my research too.

Tell me more about the science behind the comic.
The DNA in the environment, that I have described in this comic, is known as “environmental DNA”. Many people across the globe are now looking for these traces of environmental DNA, and using them to answer many questions such as “which species live where”, “are there invasive species here?”, “what is the diversity of this hard-to-reach habitat”, and many more! You can see my blog posts on environmental DNA at www.zoologymolly.com/blog , or contact me on zoologymolly@gmail.com to ask any questions you like!

How much is it?
I am asking for a contribution towards this comic. I am aware that this might seem like a lot, but am basing it on feedback that I’ve had from teachers in the past. I will be so grateful if you’re able to contribute, to help me financially and to support future comics of mine. If this isn’t possible, I still want you to be able to access the comic, so please visit www.zoologymolly.com/teachers