I teach chemistry and ICT to college students. I have quite a few good projects that I have done with my students. My best one is dimple pedigree projects but it is based on lot of information available online and it was modified to fit our local needs. Here is another activity that I have done with my grade 10 group.
This assignment is designed to Assess:
- understanding of genetic engineering
- understanding of the application of genetic engineering
- ability to appreciate opposite views about the genetic engineering
- ability to understand ethical concerns regarding genetic engineering
- ability to appropriate and give a strong reason.
Instructions:
Genetic Engineering Debate
You will work with three other people to create a team of 4. Each team will choose a DIFFERENT topic in the field of genetic engineering to research and debate. Two people within the group will be partners working together while the other two will be their opposition.
For example:
In your group, you will research your topic (pick a topic from the given list) that you have chosen. With your partner, you are responsible to research both the PRO and the CON side of the resolution and prepare arguments. You will NOT find out which side you are arguing until the day before your debate, so you must be prepared!
*You probably don’t want to share too much of your research with your opposition because your GOAL is to persuade your audience that your side is correct!*
Expectations:
- Journal or Word document of some sort with the information you have collected
- A good idea is to organize based on what type of evidence your information represents
- Your arguments that each person will be presenting and the order you are choosing to present them in (point-form is fine)
- Notes that you take during the debate to help you prepare for your rebuttal
Some topics to debate:
- Genetic Testing
Genetic testing is, for now, optional. But many medical tests that start out as optional become less and less optional as time goes by. Who should decide when genetic tests are done? Should insurance companies or employers have access to the results?
Example: Familial hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is an autosomal dominant disorder which appears when the heart muscle overgrows in adulthood. Often the first sign is sudden death, otherwise, the only symptoms are an enlarged heart with altered electrical activity. A family has fifteen adult members. A missense mutation in the gene for an important heart muscle protein is found in all 8 of the members with cardiomyopathy but this mutation is found in none of the healthy adults. This mutation can be detected at any age, even before birth. There are fifteen children in this family.
From:http://www.accessexcellence.org/AE/AEC/AEF/1995/carlson_ethics.php
Example: The Human Genome Project is attempting to unravel the mysteries of the function and location of all human genes. Conducting genetic profiles on individuals will be an expensive procedure once the Genome Project is completed.
From:http://www.accessexcellence.org/AE/AEC/AEF/1995/carlson_ethics.php
- Gene Therapy and Genetic Engineering
Some wonder if it’s right to tinker with human DNA. Currently, treatments are focused on somatic cells, that is, cells in the body. Any alterations are not passed on to later generations, because DNA in the germ cells-eggs and sperm-is unaffected. But so-called germ line gene therapy is certainly possible. It could cure diseases before they happened, but might cause other unexpected problems that would persist in later generations. This topic includes issues of Transgenic engineering, in which genes are isolated and combined to produce new species. (http://genetics.thetech.org/about-genetics/ethics)
- Gene Doping
There have been several scandals involving athletes such as seven-time-winner of the Tour de France, Lance Armstrong. Lance Armstrong was stripped of his Tour de France titles because of his use of banned substances. One such substance used by Armstrong was erythropoietin, or EPO (which increases red blood cell production, and therefore increasing oxygen levels in the blood). Although Lance Armstrong did not do gene doping, it may be possible in the future for athletes like Lance to have their genes altered directly avoiding the need for injections of banned substances. Athletes could be include everything from genetic alterations (so-called gene doping) to the regeneration of tissue using stem cells.
“The challenge is that athletes are turning to substances that mimic natural substances in your body.” Dr. Fedoruk. Will athletes be able to use Gene Therapy to augment their bodies in ways for which testing is not manageable or possible?
(Listen to this 22 minute CBC Studio Sparks program on Gene Doping: http://www.cbc.ca/quirks/media/2003-2004/mp3/qq-2004-06-26a.mp3)
- Designer Babies
If prenatal genetic tests become more common, will people with certain genetic traits, diseases, or even predispositions suffer increased discrimination? Will “designer babies” become the norm? For some, the opportunities presented by genetic testing and therapies smack of eugenics, the use of selective breeding to create “superior” people. What is the line that we, as a society, “should not” cross? Is screening for disease appropriate? What about screening for disease-causing mutations? (http://genetics.thetech.org/about-genetics/ethics)
- Cloning
The cloning of ‘Dolly’ the sheep in 1997 by Ian Wilmut and his colleagues at the Roslin Institute in Edinburgh generated a spontaneous worldwide reaction. Dr. Richard Seed, an American geneticist, claimed he would be able to clone human beings within a year.
http://idebate.org/debatabase/debates/philosophical-political-theory/house-would-ban-human-cloning
The debate around cloning appears to center around the cloning of humans, but there are other issues at stake. Would the cloning of a beloved and dying pet be reasonable? What is the line we “should not” cross with cloning?
- Genetics and Business
Who “owns” the genetic information-or the life forms-that come from research? These questions arise with increasing frequency in industry, where patents are granted for genetically engineered plants and animals, and for genetic sequences.
Companies argue that without patents, they are left with no guarantee that they can recoup their investment when they discover key genes. But do patents stifle progress and the free exchange of ideas, so important in science?
(http://genetics.thetech.org/about-genetics/ethics)
From:http://www.accessexcellence.org/AE/AEC/AEF/1995/carlson_ethics.php
The genetic modification of plants for food is a hot-button issue around the world. Genes transplanted to corn, potato, soy bean and other food strains can confer desired traits, such as resistance to pests, which lessens the need for toxic pesticides. Though genetically modified foods are thought to be safe to eat, their impact on the environment may not be fully known.
(http://genetics.thetech.org/about-genetics/ethics)
- Crime
Is there are relationship between genetics and a predisposition to commit crimes? “Since the beginning of criminological research has been an ongoing debate and disagreement regarding the correlation between genetic characteristics and criminal behavior.”
- Human Research
Do you think that research on human pre- embryos should be allowed? Should fetal tissue be used to treat disease? Make sure to explain to the class what is considered a pre- embryo and when an embryo is considered a fetus.
From:http://www.accessexcellence.org/AE/AEC/AEF/1995/carlson_ethics.php
Experimental gene therapies exist to treat glioma and melanoma and are being tested on people who have tried and been unsuccessful with traditional therapies, but who are now close to losing their battle. Do you believe that this is the best sort of patient, or should we adequately test genetic therapy by starting with healthier patients? Example: In June 1992, 25 leading cell transplant researchers called for a halt to myoblast transfer therapy being conducted on children with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy until further animal studies confirm that the procedure does more good than harm. The children treated thus far show minor improvement but it isn’t clear whether these improvements are real or a response to an immunosuppressant drug given to prevent rejection of the healthy myoblasts that are transferred. Should the experiments on children proceed or be halted? Make sure to include in your debate the perspective of the mice animal researcher, the researcher conducting myoblast transfers on children and the parents of a child with muscular dystrophy.
From:http://www.accessexcellence.org/AE/AEC/AEF/1995/carlson_ethics.php
- Animal Research
Rats have been used by scientist to develop a nasal spray gene therapy for cystic fibrosis. Mice can manufacture some human proteins in their blood. Dogs were important in developing treatments for hemophilia and bone marrow transplants would not be possible without earlier work done with dogs. Many people object to the use of mammals in experiments. Do you feel that animal models of human genetic disease are necessary?
From:http://www.accessexcellence.org/AE/AEC/AEF/1995/carlson_ethics.php
- Genetic Responsibility
Parents should be held accountable by law for their care of children with known genetic defects. Example: An infant who is tested for P.K.U. at birth and found to be positive must be provided with a phenylalanine free diet by their parent. A child of parents in a high risk group for a known genetic defect (such as sickle cell anemia) must be tested at birth and take antibiotic drugs throughout childhood to prevent infections which can be deadly to children with sickle cell anemia.
From: http://www.accessexcellence.org/AE/AEC/AEF/1995/carlson_ethics.php
- The Media and Genetic Research
The media often mis-reports on science, especially new treatments for disease. Example: In 1965, in the prestigious science journal Nature, it was reported that “It is not yet clear whether the increased frequency of XYY males found in this institution (prison) is related to aggressive behavior or to their mental deficiency or to a combination of both.” Example: The findings of Yankner and Kowall implicated beta-amyloid in causing Alzheimer’s-like damage in rats and a substance P in preventing the damage. As a result many families of Alzheimer’s victims had their hopes raised. The press has given poor coverage to the many challenges of these findings by other known scientists.
https://sites.google.com/a/online.sd71.bc.ca/9s/genetics-debates-intro/genetics-debates
Following Rubric will be used evaluate your debate
Debate Rubric
| 6 | Written Expression – how it’s said:
· Writing is focused and on topic, with clear expression · Vocabulary and word choice are effective · Few mechanical or spelling errors Content – what is said: · An appropriate and strong reason is presented · An appropriate and strong support is presented · Statements are supported by good examples, common sense, expert opinion and statistics |
|
| 5 | Written Expression – how it’s said:
· Writing is focused and on topic · Vocabulary and word choice are appropriate · Mechanical or spelling errors are minor and don’t interfere Content – what is said: · An appropriate and strong reason is presented · An appropriate and strong support is presented · Statements are supported by 3 out of 4 of: good examples, common sense, expert opinion and statistics |
|
| 4 | Written Expression – how it’s said:
· Writing is generally clear and remains on topic · Vocabulary and word choice are simple but correct · Some mechanical or spelling errors are present but don’t affect understanding Content – what is said: · An appropriate and fairly strong reason is presented · An appropriate and fairly strong support is presented · Statements are supported by 3 out of 4 of: good examples, common sense, expert opinion and statistics |
|
| 3 | Written Expression – how it’s said:
· Writing is unfocused but tries to address the topic · Vocabulary and word choice is basic and repetitive · Mechanical or spelling errors are present but don’t strongly affect understanding Content – what is said: · An appropriate reason is presented · An appropriate support is presented · Statements are supported by 2 out of 4 of: good examples, common sense, expert opinion and statistics |
|
| 2 | Written Expression – how it’s said:
· Writing is unfocused and often unclear · Vocabulary and word choice is basic and repetitive, and informal · Numerous mechanical or spelling errors disrupt the flow of the writing Content – what is said: · An appropriate reason is not clearly presented · An appropriate support is not clearly presented · Statements are supported only by good examples and/or common sense |
|
| 1 | Written Expression – how it’s said:
· Writing is unclear · Vocabulary is immature or vague; inappropriate and informal word choice · Numerous mechanical or spelling errors impede understanding Content – what is said: · No reason is presented · No support is presented · Statements are not supported |
|
| 0 | The debate is too brief to evaluate or not present at all | Total /48 (2 arguments & 2 rebuttals)
+ /14 (Judging) = /62 |
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