Jacqueline Feurer

April 28, 2011

EDU 522

Genetics
The Living Environment
Grades 9-10
Essential Question: How can knowledge affect our society and species?

Lesson Title Designer Babies

Lesson Question Can evolution of a species be driven by intelligence?

(s) What does genetic engineering mean for humankind?

Standard 4
State Standards Students will understand and apply scientific concepts,
and Performance principles, and theories pertaining to the physical setting and
Indicators living environment and recognize the historical development of
ideas in science.

Key Idea 2:
Organisms inherit genetic information in a variety of ways that
result in continuity of structure and function
between parents and offspring.

Performance Indicator 2.2

Explain how the technology of genetic engineering allows
humans to alter genetic makeup of organisms.

Major Understandings
2.2a For thousands of years new varieties of cultivated plants
and domestic animals have resulted from selective breeding
for particular traits.
2.2b In recent years new varieties of farm plants and animals
have been engineered by manipulating their genetic
instructions to produce new characteristics.
2.2c Different enzymes can be used to cut, copy, and move
segments of DNA. Characteristics produced by the segments
of DNA may be expressed when these segments are inserted
into new organisms, such as bacteria.
2.2d Inserting, deleting, or substituting DNA segments can
alter genes. An altered gene may be passed on to every cell
that develops from it.
2.2e Knowledge of genetics is making possible new fields of
health care; for example, finding genes which may have
mutations that can cause disease will aid in the development
of preventive measures to fight disease. Substances, such as
hormones and enzymes, from genetically engineered
 organisms may reduce the cost and side effects of replacing
missing body chemicals.

Key Idea 3:
Individual organisms and species change over time.

Performance Indicator 3.1

Explain the mechanisms and patterns of evolution.

Major Understandings
3.1a The basic theory of biological evolution states that the
Earth’s present-day species developed from earlier, distinctly
different species.
3.1b New inheritable characteristics can result from new
combinations of existing genes or from mutations of genes in
reproductive cells.
3.1g Some characteristics give individuals an advantage over
others in surviving and reproducing, and the advantaged
offspring, in turn, are more likely than others to
survive and reproduce. The proportion of individuals that
have advantageous characteristics will increase.

Key Idea 7:
Human decisions and activities have had a profound impact on the
physical and living environment.Human decisions and activities ha
ve had a profound impact on the physical and living environment.

Performance Indicator 7.3

Explain how individual choices and societal actions can contrib
ute to improving the environment.

Major Understandings
7.3a Societies must decide on proposals which involve the
introduction of newtechnologies. Individuals need to make
decisions which will assess risks, costs, benefits, and
trade-offs.
7.3b The decisions of one generation both provide and limit
the range of possibilities open to the next generation.

Students will be able to:

Lesson Objectives Objective 1:
(Bloom’s Compare the 2 ways that humans are able to tamper with the
Taxonomy) genetics of a species/organism.

Objective 2:
Construct a table of known genetically modified organisms and the
gene they have had modified and where the modified gene came
from.

Objective 3:
Compile a list of traits that could potentially be beneficial to
 humans.

Objective 4:
Argue whether the ability to manipulate genes is advantageous to
the survival of an organism.

Objective 5:
Assess whether or not genetic engineering has the ability to drive
evolution.

Objective 6:
Hypothesize the effects of these modifications to the human gene
pool may have on the physical and living environment.

-------------------- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Formative Assessment:
Acceptable Objective 1: Students will be asked to think about this objective and
Evidence to write it out as a bell ringer. They will then be given the
*Could be collected opportunity to revise their answer throughout the lesson. This will
for be handed in at the end of the lesson with their other bell ringers
accountability/auditing
purposes.
from the subsequent days.

Objective 2: Students will be asked to construct a table as an in

class activity. They will be able to use the internet, textbooks and
newspapers to develop this table. They will then be presented and
posted in the classroom.

Objective 3: This objective will be another bell ringer for students.

This list should be a list of attainable traits. It will be collected at
the end of the lesson with the rest of the bell ringers.

Objective 4: Students will be asked to think about and formulate an

opinion on this objective. They will be asked to then do some
research thinking about what they know about evolution. They
should write their thoughts out in clear and concise points. They
will then get into pairs and later in the lesson groups to have this
discussion.

Objective 5: Students will show evidence of mastering this

objective by including a section in their concluding opinion paper
on this objective. They must touch on the mechanisms of evolution
and if and how genetic manipulation could play a role in these.

Objective 6: Students will be asked to write a paper discussing the

benefits to genetic engineering species, how it could potentially
play into the mechanism of evolution of that species and what
impact that may have on the future of the species and environment.
They must include specific examples and sound reasoning.

Students will have a section of their Binder reserved for Bell

Bell Ringer and Ringer’s. This lesson will require more than one class period so a
Prior Knowledge
Tap
This can be together or
separate. Also may be
called: set induction,
anticipatory set,
introduction/review
---------------------------
Procedure
few Bell Ringers will be listed here. More can be added depending
on the actual length of the lesson in the classroom. The blue Bell
Ringers have to do with objectives, and will be constantly looked
back on and revised.
Day 1
• Name and compare the 2 ways that humans are able to
tamper with the genetics of a species/organism.
Day 2
• Compile a list of traits that could potentially be beneficial to
humans. This should be a realistic list. Think about what
sorts of characteristics scientists have modified and placed
in other organisms.
Day 3
• “Is there any way to distinguish between gene therapy
aimed at a fatal disease and "enhancement engineering" --
the genetic equivalent of cosmetic surgery? Who should set
guidelines for the development and application of this
technology? Should any limits be imposed at all?”--
Joseph Levine and David T. Suzuki, The Secret of Life,
1998
*What do you think?
Day 1
The students will:
• Complete the Day 1 Bell Ringer
The teacher will: *verbal
• Review the basics of genetic engineering with students, go
over initial thoughts on the Day 1 Bell Ringer (objective 1)
o Selective breeding –domestication of animals and
crops
o Genetic engineering- cutting out and adding DNA in
an organism to give it the traits from a different
organism
 How? What is the process?
 Why? -Produce enzymes/proteins may have
been unable to make otherwise
• Examples- soy, tomatoes, salmon
The students will:
• Participate in the class discussion/review
• Construct a table of known genetically modified organisms
and the gene they have had modified and where the
modified gene came from (objective 2)
o Students may use the internet, texts, newspaper and
other sources to come up with this table
o They will include their references
o Illustrate or include photos
o May not use the examples given in class
 o Anything they do not finish in class they will finish
for homework
o They will present their tables to the class
o Tables will be hung up on a bulletin board

Day 2
The students will:
• Complete the Day 2 Bell Ringer
• Present their tables to the class
• Turn to a partner and discuss the Day 2 Bell Ringer
The teacher will:
• Facilitate the discussion of Day 2 Bell Ringer (objective 3)
o Do you think this could happen today?
o What sort of data would researchers have to find for
this to become a reality?
o At what point in development would these genetic
changes have to occur?
 Who does that leave the decisions up to?
 Naturally how does it work?
o What does this mean for our society?
• Tay Sachs in Brooklyn 1970-1992, because of the screening
that went on in the Jewish Community they were able to
lower the incidence in that community 90%
 What is Tay Sachs?
 Watch video clip*visual
• What about Diabetes? Give example/show photographs
 Before modern production of insulin,
diabetics were doomed to early death making
it unlikely that those afflicted would be able
to pass on their genes to the future
generations
 Insulin is mass produced today due to genetic
engineering
 How far do we go?
• Manipulate genome to avoid
hereditary illnesses?
• Or features i.e. Blue eyes, brown hair,
tall, skinny…
• Is this eugenics?!?
The students will:
• Participate in the discussion
• Be asked to think about and formulate an opinion on
whether the ability to manipulate genes is advantageous to
the survival of an organism. (Objective 4)
o They will be asked to then do some research
thinking about what they know about evolution.
They should write their thoughts out in clear and
concise points.
o Students may use the internet, texts, newspaper and
other sources to come up with this table
o They will include their references
 o Anything they do not finish in class they will finish
for homework

Day 3
The students will:
• Complete the Day 3 Bell Ringer
The teacher will:
• Have students break into groups
• Hand out an outline for their culminating opinion paper (5
min into their discussions)
• Give instructions to brainstorm ideas, examples and reasons
for their thoughts.
The students will: *kinesthetic
• Share their research with one another
• They should discuss what they felt, what they found and
their conclusions
• Focus on evolution and its mechanisms (objective 5)
• Think about overpopulation- human effect on the
environment (objective 6)
• It is an opinion so no one is right or wrong
• Be given an outline on the culminating paper for this lesson.
o In groups they should discuss what they think about
the points they will be required to make and
brainstorm what examples and reasons they have for
feeling a certain way.
• For homework they will write up an outline for their paper.

Day 4
The teacher will:
• Collect students outlines
• Look at and help develop ideas on:
o Hypothesis development
o Evolution and genetic engineering connection
o Impact on those around and the environment
o Examples/ Reasoning
o Any ethical/moral connection
• Give written feedback
• Go on to a new Lesson

Day 5 (probably days later)

The teacher will:
• Collect the finished papers
• Facilitate a discussion on students papers
The students will:
• Participate in the discussion
• Share with their peers their hypothesis and ideas about
genetic engineering humans/ other organisms

The teacher will keep a log of student participation in class

Checks for discussion, and group work. Students will receive credit for adding
 Understanding to the conversations by asking good questions and offering up
ideas. It is important for students to take chances and try making
Label: directions, predictions. At the end of the semester, the participation credits will
procedures, be added to the student’s semester grade.
routines, and
content (formative) The teacher will ask 3 different students to repeat/summarize the
directions for each activity and homework assignment they are
asked to do.

Questions will be asked throughout the lesson that students will be

able to agree with or disagree with my thumbs up or down. This
will help the teacher to see who is on task and who is struggling
keeping up. This lesson is not so much about memorizing content
as much as it is developing student’s ideas and thinking. They will
be asked to draw their own conclusions on the subject and will be
graded on their thoughtfulness and amount they attempted to dive
into the subject.
Bell Ringers/ Participation: Bell Ringers are given at the beginning
of every class period. Students will complete them in complete
Assessment sentences-unless directed otherwise. They will be collected at the
end of the lesson-once they have handed in their final copy of their
Type and purpose paper. The Bell Ringer is a part of the student’s participation grade.
Students will also be asked to take part in class discussions.
(sometimes called
evaluation)
Table of GM organisms- This assignment will serve as a homework
assignment. They will be asked to make a table of genetically
modified organisms, the traits they have had modified, and where
those traits came from. These will serve as practice researching and
presenting material.

Research notes- ideas will be organized in a note sheet where

students write ideas and the information they have researched. This
will keep their thoughts organized so that they are able to articulate
them to their group members.

Closure will consist of students handing in their papers and having

Closure a discussion of their ideas and hypothesizes. This will probably take
the entire class period and will serve as a good wrap up to this
topic.

Accommodations for student learning will be unknown until I have

Accommodations gotten to know and work with the students in each class.

Teacher: Computer, projector, PowerPoint, blackboard, writing

Materials utensils, copied tables, research guides and outlines of the paper.

Students: A table, research guide, outline of paper requirements,

writing utensil, computer, text book, access to a library
Duration ~5 days, 40 minutes long