Curated OER
Phineas Gage: Four Corners Discussion Strategy
How far do your pupils think we should go in the name of science? Class members respond to questions relating to chapter three of Phineas Gage: A Gruesome but True Story About Brain Science and then participate in a four corners...
Penguin Books
An Educator’s Guide to Chraisma by Jeanne Ryan
Often, science fiction makes a lot of connections to real life. An educator's guide for the novel Charisma by Jeanne Ryan, has readers discuss many of the real-life issues that come in the text. A brief summary helps garner interest...
Curated OER
The Ethics of the Bomb: What Would You Do?
Students research the use of the atomic bomb in WWII, analyze the human costs of dropping the bomb and identify the pros and cons. They develop a PowerPoint presentation on the effects of an atomic bomb dropped on their hometown.
Curated OER
DNA Fingerprinting
Students discuss methods used by forensic scientists and the basics of DNA and how it can be used to identify an individual after reading an article from The New York Times.
Curated OER
Genetic Engineering: Friend or Foe?
Young scholars brainstorm and discuss ways genes can be altered, transferred and cloned. They will complete a subject sampler, opinion paper and prepare to debate their opinion on genetic engineering.
Curated OER
Exploring the Unknown with Lewis and Clark: Forts and Native Americans
Fourth graders research the expedition of Lewis and Clark and the forts they lived in during their journey and the Native Americans they encountered. In pairs they conduct Internet research, complete a WebQuest, and write a research...
Curated OER
Whose Life Is It?
Students consider the implications of cloning. In this science and ethics lesson plan, students consider when cases of cloning are ethical and when they are not as they discuss scenarios and their discussion questions.
Curated OER
DNA Chips
Students explore issues surrounding DNA microarray technology. They focus on a single area of biomedical research to help them explain how science, people, ethics, and history all fit together. They analyze gene-expression data.
Curated OER
Economics, Ecology, & Ethics
Students are introduced to the concepts of economics in a ethical way. In groups, they examine a shift in an economy and discover the effects of the shift. After reading an article, they evaluate it and they write their own conclusion...
Curated OER
Bioethics And Fetal Tissue Research
Students are introduced to the topic of fetal tissue implantation. In groups, they examine a case study and share information with the rest of the class. Then they do a reflective writing assignment to assess understanding of the ethical...
Curated OER
Bioethics
Pupils are introduced to the issues surrounding bioethics and begin to discover how some of these values can influence decision making. The exciting part of this instructional activity is the constructivist method used to engage students...
Curated OER
Cloning a Living Organism
It's the attack of the clones! Not to worry; these are just plant clones. Teen horticulturalists will enjoy growing their own clone into a plant in an activity designed to be revisited after a few weeks. It is one experiment that kids...
Curated OER
Muscular Dystrophy: A Walk in Their Shoes
Health and biology learners wear five pound weights on their legs for 24 hours to simulate the extra effort required when people suffer from muscular dystrophy. They research the disability online and write about how it feels to "walk in...
Curated OER
Commercial Surrogacy: Questions & Considerations of Parties with Vested Interests
Teenagers explore the topic of surrogate motherhood. They examine the technology involved, types of surrogacy, interested groups, and current laws. Each collaborative group is assigned an interest group. They work together to develop...
Curated OER
"If you build it..."
Students utilize prior knowledge to erect and assemble a building from a drawing using spaghetti noodles and marshmallows. In this building lesson, students visualize a three dimensional structure from looking at a picture and converting...
Curated OER
A Body Dilemma
Learners explore the pros and cons of the selling of body parts in this lesson. A discussion of how personal value systems impact science and research is developed.
Curated OER
Ethical and Personal Decisions
Students will learn about the current technology of genetic testing within the
framework of the biology curriculum through a lesson-produced PowerPoint presentation: "Genetic Testing" at: http://jbois.tripod.com/index.html.
Curated OER
Ethical Decision Making in Biology
Students explore a model that illustrates the spread of HIV through an adolescent population. Acting in the role of epidemiologists, students explore the dilemmas of HIV infection presented by a simulation. Students produce a play, skit,...
Curated OER
Well, Well, Well
Learners consider a case of potential water contamination by using a process of reasoned discourse about the definition of the problem, the relevant information, and the values behind different solutions. They consider the role of...
Curated OER
The Human Geonome Project Structured Controversy
Pupils debate government funding of the Human Genome Project. In this ethics instructional activity, students use the stuctured controversy framework to research the opposing viewpoints regarding project funding.
Curated OER
Lesson 18, My Friend Linda
Students explore Huntington's Disease. In this biology lesson, students read My Friend Linda and examine the ethical issues brought to light in the story. Students discuss biotechnology issues and genetic testing.
Curated OER
The Lesson: Cloning
Students explore the concept of cloning. In this cloning lesson, students research reproduction, cloning, and ethic issues. Students discuss their findings and write stories about extinct animals that are brought back to life.
Curated OER
Environment or Economy?
Students develop counterarguments to John Mizzoni's article on business sustainability. In this economics vs. environment lesson, students present examples of greenwashing and support them with rationale. They also discuss whether...
Curated OER
Teaching Bioethics
Use this guide for incorporating bioethics into your biology curriculum or for teaching a unit on the topic. A syllabus for an entire year is also available. The resource provides lists of online, video, and printed resources; however,...