This Lesson on Genetics was redesigned with the idea of making it into a Project Based Learning opportunity where students could create their own contribution to the understanding of how Genetics affects the American Life.
W540 Computers in the Curriculum
Students as Contributors
Your Name: Andy Nuetzel
ePortfolio URL: Designer Babies?
| Title: Designer Babies? | |
| Overview | DNA is the genetic code that gives rise to the diversity of all life on the planet. In every human cell there is an exact replica of the instructions for that entire humans’ body. The driving question for this unit is ‘how does genetics affect the American society on a daily basis?’ Students will be working individually and collaboratively to answer this question as they go about learning and applying their initial genetics knowledge to real-life situations and ethical dilemmas. The science class will also work alongside the Language Arts class for a section of this unit while we read a novel that connects genetics to the American society. |
| Resources & Preparation | Grade Level: 8th Grade ScienceTimeframe: 6 55-minute class periods
Important Internet Resources
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| Theory to Practice | According to Alozie, Eklund, and Rogat, students engaged in problem based learning encounter five essential elements: (1) a driving question that centers investigations, (2) situated inquiry, (3) collaborations, (4) technology, and (5) creation of artifacts. (2010, p.225) These five elements work to help students make real world connections to deepen their understanding of a concept as opposed to the traditional coverage methods. This unit includes all five elements and allows students choice in developing the focus of the driving question to their specific concerns. This is one method of increasing engagement.Fang & Wei have (2010) have shown that incorporating literacy into the science classroom not only helps students to develop greater literature skills but also a stronger understanding of scientific literacy. This unit incorporates the reading of a contemporary fictional novel by students to help them see how genetics can actually impact a ‘regular’ person. When students see relevance in the curriculum to their lives it increases their engagement and fosters more creative thought.
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| Standards | 8th Grade Science: I.N.S.S. 8th Grade Core Standard
Explain that genetic information is transmitted from parents to offspring mostly by chromosomes.
6-8 Writing Standard – Write arguments focused on discipline-specific content
ISTE NETS for Students
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| Objectives | Students will:– Read and map the plot of a contemporary fiction novel as a class
– Write a short reflection on the fictional novel – Create a persuasive argument affirming their personal viewpoint on how genetics intersects with an area of American Life
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| Build Inquiry | Class Discussion after watching Richard Resnick’s Genomic Revolution TEDTalk.In this talk Richard Resnick describes the ways in which understanding the human genome, personally, can affect the future of our lives. |
| Instructional Delivery | Session 1 – This unit will start with watching Richard Resnick’s 2011 TEDTalk concerning genome sequencing. This will take the previous unit’s content [Structure of DNA and DNA translation] and deepen it by beginning to make connections to how/why genetics is important in the modern ‘real’ world. In the previous unit students learned the ‘how’ of basic genetics, but this unit connects to the deeper ‘why’ of genetics. The class will have an in-class discussion stemming from the video and begin to discuss some possible researchable questions the students may want dig deeper on at the intersection of American Society and genetics such as: newborn/prenatal genetic screening, genetic diseases, gene therapy, or cloning.Ultimately the students will be developing persuasive argumentative essays to create a class book on issues that connect Genetics and modern American life, similar to High Tech High’s student created book, Life: the Book. Wherever possible students will partner up to present different sides of an argument where one student takes the affirmative or negative position assuming that other students are interested in the same issue as them.
At the end of class students will be broken up into reading groups for the novel, My Sister’s Keeper. The novel will be used to enhance the driving question and serve as a point of engagement for the students to see how genetics could affect their daily lives or those around them. This unit will include the reading a section of the novel. The author writes the entire book from 6 different character’s point of view throughout the book, and each group of students will be assigned to read one character’s story. Each student will be responsible for about 50-85 pages of reading. That evening students will need to read through their character’s first 2 chapters. Session 2 – The class will begin with a recap of the previous night’s reading. Students will be work in their groups, and will summarize their section of the reading in a GoogleDoc1. This GoogleDoc will enable each group to add in their thoughts, while still keeping all groups having the entirety of the individual character summaries. As a class students will discuss these summaries on the 6 characters and begin to plot out the “Big Picture” story. Students will also try to patch up the holes in the plot that were filled in by other groups’ readings. At the end of the book discussion the class will have a brainstorm session of genetics topics. Several students will also have access to computers to do ‘instant’ research to give the basic understandings of the different topics such as: newborn or prenatal genetic screening, genetic diseases, gene therapy, pharmocology, stem cells, and cloning. As topics are introduced the class will develop some propositions that could be debated around each topic in a separate GoogleDoc2. Examples include – 1) Fetal stem cells should never be used for scientific research, or 2) Genetic cloning of humans should not be engaged in. Students will also have to have a chosen a genetic issue that they desire to know more about by the beginning of class tomorrow. Students will have to finish the book over the next two evenings for homework. Individual student summaries will be collected to see that each student has completed the required reading. Other Research Starting Points Session 3 – The class will begin with students being able to read and comment on several different essays that were created by the New Tech High students from the project that inspired this project, Life: the Book. After reading and discussing the articles, students will begin by adding their thoughts to the shared GoogleDoc2 and will post 3-5 possible propositions that they would like to argue for or against. Other students will have a chance to take on the opposite position on the same issue. When two students find someone who would like to work on the same issue, and proposition, but argue from a different viewpoint then the two will pair up and begin to understand their issue in more depth. They will be able to work alongside one another and even discuss their arguments. Two students who are working on the same issue can create a shared GoogleDoc to add research to share with their partner. Various website resources will be provided to form a starting point for research (which were listed in Day 2). Session 4 – Students will have finished the book and will turn in their character’s viewpoint summary. Once again the class will discuss the different character’s summaries and create a “Big Picture” timeline of the story. As a group the class will read aloud the epilogue to the book. Students will be then write a short reflection on the book that focuses on how the book has impacted their thoughts on genetics and the cancer treatment. Students will seek to answer questions such as:
This reflection will be turned in before they leave. Session 5 – Students will continue to work on their personal argumentative essay. Students will be using Google Docs to store shared research, and a separate Google Doc to write their argument. At the end of class students will need to have a rough draft completed so that 2 peers can review and edit their shared Document as homework. One of the peers that reviews their argument must be their research partner who has decided to take the opposite side of the position but can still explain critique their partner’s scientific explanation. Session 6 – Students will begin class by talking to their peers whose work they edited the previous night as homework. Students will continue to write their essays and turn in final copies by the end of the week. The finished essays will be stored online in the shared Google Folder (will be made public later) with access made available to the public.
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| Assessment | Rubric for Argumentative EssayRubric for Reflection Paper from My Sister’s Keeper |
| Extension | Learn.GeneticsiGem |
| Citations | Alozie, N., Eklund, J., & Rogat, A. (2010). Genetics in the 21st Century: The benefits & challenges of incorporating a project-based genetics unit in biology classrooms. American Biology Teacher, 72(4), 225-230.Fang, Z. & Wei, Y. (2010). Improving middle school students’ science literacy through reading infusion. Journal of Educational Research, 103(4), 262-273. |
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